In the lands of dreams where anything can happen has its own darkness and fears, but with a companion by your side that’s strengthened your heart and mind.
At the start of a new year, where everyone changes and grew stronger. Despite their differences and uniqueness, everyone diverse with one another and stood side by side. The sounds of the sweet melody played by Elijah, strumming his guitar in a rhythm suddenly he stopped playing when he heard a of cheerful laughter from the piano room. He sighed annoyed, that cheerful laughter came from Aubrey and her friend, Marinette, as they exited the Music Room Elijah gave Adeline a stink eye, she replied with a mocking expression.
Elijah placed his guitar in its case back after he finished practicing, exiting the music room he noticed Adeline and Noah walking side by side with looks of love, he can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness seeing those two together nearly all the time. He glares at them as he walked past them taking pace, Noah and Adeline became quiet for a moment and went back to chatting with each other walking through the halls.
Weeks passed, many moons have been gone and the year ended starting summer break with humid weather and sunny days all day. In the middle of Adeline cleaning up her locker, Noah called out her name “Adeline!”. She turned her head to the sound of his voice and smiled softly, “Oh hey… What’s up?” She asked, Noah ran up to her and asked, “So… What are you doing for summer break? Any plans going on?” They chatted about their plans on what they would be doing on summer break, unknowingly there was someone overhearing their chat. Elijah slightly frowned staring at Adeline specifically, her smile and eyes full of hope but naivety.
When Adeline was on her vacation, she continuously chatted with Noah always with a smile on her face staring at her phone. Midnight, she arrived back at the country, cleaning the house and unpacking everything. The next few days, Noah and his friends asked if Adeline would like to go to the park, she agreed and so they hung out around the park playing around the playground and ate some ice cream together and taking pictures together. The humid weather is causing her to suffocate, struggling to breathe as she looked at her friends saying she needs to go home. Later evening, her friend sent the pictures to the group chat as they all were in awe and supported seeing Adeline and Noah together in the pictures, except for one person who barely supported it. Adeline smiled looking at the pictures then she suddenly got a notification from Elijah, “Adeline, I thought you hated physical contact? Why is he hugging you?” He texted with a slight hint of jealousy, Adeline replied slightly frowning unsure of why she let Noah hugged her “Well… I don’t really know?? I did tell him that I don’t like being hugged but he continued to hug me…”
Elijah laid awake at night as he stared at the clock ticking on the wall, he couldn’t explain why he wasn’t very supportive of their relationship. Adeline laid awake crying in her bed muffling her cries, feeling engrossed of herself for letting him hug her despite her discomfort when it came to physical contact, but she keeps insisting herself that he’s a good person and it is all because of her naivety and lonely feeling she constantly had in her heart, that missing piece that is only filled with Noah’s temporary affection. The compliments he showered her from the start that didn’t last long, but later she is like an accessory he could show off to his friends.
Recently Elijah felt that something is off about Adeline, her unusual nonchalant attitude and texts she sends in the group chat and constantly avoiding the people in the group, he asked her what was wrong, feeling very worried for her. Meanwhile, Adeline was sketching in her bedroom while watching her favourite anime series to distract herself from that hatred feeling towards herself, when she received Elijah’s text. Her tears start to form in her eyes as she struggled to breathe, taking deep breaths to keep herself mentally stable and not seem overwhelmed or anxious about Elijah finding out she’s crying, not wanting to look weak to him. Yet, in the end she ended up crying out her heart to him, all those burdens she hid from everyone were poured out to him, it was all too overwhelming for her to handle and not say anything about it to anyone.
Those few months of Adeline talking to Elijah more often, helped her be brave enough to tell Noah and his friends of how she truly felt and the need for her to cut connections. When she had to move schools, she talked about it to Elijah, and she was rather surprised how sad he seemed to have her leave the school despite that they’re not that close. Adeline starts to wonder why every time she texts Elijah, it just makes her feel more attached to him, an emotional connection she never truly had with anyone other than her family. She slowly understood herself, those feelings she had for Noah weren’t real, she seeks emotional connection and praise from him that she barely received. All those times she thought she was in love; it was just the thought to be in love that intrigued her and not the person. Could Elijah perhaps really be Adeline’s first LOVE?
Despite letting go of Noah, Adeline still haven’t gotten that peace she always prayed for. Yet if only she realized that it is not the people around her have to create that peaceful environment, no matter where she goes there will always be negativity around and despite that negativity everywhere, she needs to grow that peace inside her by herself. You cannot just immediately fix your problems and must carry it for many years on your shoulders, you must work on that problem and when you need to rest. Then rest, don’t overwork yourself and before you take care of other people’s needs, take care of your needs first.
An unknown flower you may be engrossed of looking at it, plucking it off constantly but despite that it always finds a way to grow back, and a feeling of insecurity comes over you. When seeing someone else with that type of flower, you start to slowly admire them since some people have them. A sense of joy you felt seeing others with it, realizing some people have them too and yet when they slowly loose interest in that plant, that overwhelming feeling that haunted you back then came back. The more you pluck it off, the more it grew until it spread everywhere, it starts to get tiring for you from constantly overthinking of it and so you let it go, a peaceful feeling you finally felt after all those tiring days. After letting go of that feeling, you may start to notice and get comments of how beautiful that flower you have and instead of being engrossed by it, sometimes what you see is unattractive, other people may see it as something beautiful and unique.
Author: Audrey Ardelia Wibowo - 8A