Page 33 of Clichés & Curses

My mind kept going back to what he had said in the car.

You looked like you were enjoying the silence, so I didn’t want to intrude on it and bother you with my talking.

How did he know?

As much as I loved spending time with my friends, my social energy was nearing zero by the end of the night. I knew Colton would’ve respected my decision if I had said yes when he asked me if I wanted him to leave.

But I had also meant it when I said I didn’t want him to leave, knowing I could still come up with enough energy to talk to Colton if he wanted to.

But he only spoke to me in ASL to ask if I was okay, just letting the silence envelop us, because he thought that was what I would’ve wanted.

I didn’t think my heart could take it.

And to make matters worse, the silence we shared wasn’t awkward at all.

I hadn’t felt the urge to talk to him just so he wouldn’t feel out of place or uncomfortable by my lack of energy to make conversation. Instead, I had learned that Colton was not only someone I liked spending time talking to, but someone I could spend time in comfortable silence with.

Ever since that conversation in his car the first time he drove me home, I had realized that agreeing to be partners in the ASL class could have made me like Colton even more as I got to know him better. I knew my crush on Colton alone wasn’t enough for the curse to work, but how far was I willing to let myself fall deeper into this crush, without risking myself from getting hurt?

Because anything, beyond this friendship that Colton and I share now, cannot happen.

Not that I thought Colton liked me in that way, but just the idea of him being with someone else had already broken my heart a little.

But what if he does like me that way?The traitorous thought popped out of nowhere, entertaining that small possibility.

I quickly dismissed it.

Even if he does, I won’t risk it.

While unexpected, the ASL class had brought me Colton, who was now a friend I could confide in.

And I wouldn’t let my stupid crush and this stupid curse ruin it for me.

Chapter Eight

The soft chatter of people conversing, and the aroma of coffee surrounded me as I immersed myself in my current read.

It was a Thursday afternoon, and my next class was to start in a little over thirty minutes. I hit up the group chat to see if anyone was free to hang out. Both Nina and Lily had been on their way to their next class, while Claudia had just reached home after finishing her last class of the day.

For one brief second, I thought about texting Colton. Even though I might have fully considered him to be a friend, instead of just a partner whom I was only acquainted with for that one class, I still hesitated. Other than the first time he had driven me home, and the previous Saturday’s party, all the times Colton and I hung out outside of class were only for our ASL practice sessions, which seemed to be more of a necessity than choice.

Texting him to ask if he wanted to casually hang out would mean we are friends who willingly chose to spend time with each other. And after my revelation, it wouldn’t be a wise move on my part when my crush on him was only growing bigger with the more time we spent together. The smart move would be to distance myself from Colton, other than our necessary ASLpractice sessions—at least, until I could get over my infatuation with him.

Choosing not to dwell on it any further and overcomplicate simple matters, I opted to go and wait at the coffee shop alone. I thought I might as well use this time to read my book.

The semester was starting to get hectic with midterms and deadlines piling up, and I hadn’t been in the mood to read, but I nonetheless wanted something to get lost in as a small reward for submitting the assignments and finishing midterms. This led me to pick up my all-time favourite book for the third time,You Deserve Each Otherby Sarah Hogle.

When I had been reading the book for the very first time, I knew I stumbled upon something special. After finishing it, the book had undoubtedly become my standard for romance books. Growing up with Wattpad meant I was exposed to tons of love stories and, as I grew older, those virtual stories transitioned into romance books instead. While I love reading stories about people falling in love throughout the book, You Deserve Each Otherstruck something different in me. Reading about how drifted apart Naomi and Nicholas were, and falling in love with each other all over again, had me thinking that happily-ever-after was not something that happened once; but instead, it could happen again and again, when you choose for it to be.

But then again, it was fiction.

And things like that were just easier to believe when it was fiction and not real life.

I sat in the corner of the coffee shop with both my legs in the chair, making myself comfortable. I was at one of my favourite parts of the book—where Nicholas brings Naomi to a house that he bought for them to live together and save their relationship—when I was interrupted.

‘Hey, Clara.’

I looked up to see who it was, and was momentarily surprised to see Aiden, the only non-athlete living with the track team.

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