Made this account today to say, your story is very good and touching. You can be together with Alex but just one hurdle of misunderstanding wrecks everything. Unfortunate but touching story.
Thanks to all the bros and sis for the kind words and comments and I’m glad you guys had enjoyed that first story.
As to the question of whether she truly was my soul mate, well, you may just have to stick around to find out.
(I know, shameless plug, isn’t it.
)
Anyway, I managed to make a start on the next part so enjoy!
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II - Beginnings
Prologue
I had gone to Australia with great reluctance, having to leave a blossoming romance behind. However, it’s impossible for someone to make such a huge change in their life without some form of excitement at the new experiences that was to come.
I was entered into the equivalent of a Junior College, with the view towards completing the two year matriculation course in a year. I thus had to pick what was considered a challenging course load, but frankly, was quite simple. Of the five subjects I had to take, three were at about ‘O’ Levels standard, as well as Computer Science, which was a piece of cake, and Advanced Maths, which was slightly more advanced than what you would find in ‘O’ Levels A Maths and probably the only subject that I had considered tough. Interestingly, it was considered an extremely difficult subject which most locals would avoid, and only the really good students would attempt. Thus, it was a really small class of five students, all of whom were in their final year. It also meant that I was younger than my classmates by a year.
Within this class, while it was not unexpected that was there was a girl, what was unexpected was that you would find a ‘babe’ in this supposed class of eggheads. Beth looked exotic; she had a mix of Greek and caucasian blood in her. She had long brunette hair, which was usually tied up in a ponytail. She had dark eyes which seem to peer into one’s soul, and lucious lips. Her skin was smooth and tanned (more likely to be a result of her heritage than any deliberate attempt at tanning). She wasn’t voluptious, not overly skinny, but well-proportioned, and put together, was a package that was more than enough to get most male hearts racing. It didn’t hurt that she was rather tall, in fact, slightly taller than I was.
At that point, I knew very little about Australian teens and even less about Australian girls. Besides, I reminded myself, I had a girlfriend waiting for me back home and I was there to study! So, unlike the other boys in the class, or the school for that matter, I paid scant attention to Beth. However, from what I could observe, she wasn’t attached. She was comfortable with the attention she was getting from the other boys, just that she didn’t seem like she was ‘into any of them’.
As the year progresses, most of my classmates got the impression that I was some form of genius. I didn’t pretend to be one, but when you’ve gone through the material once, the second time round is certainly a lot easier. Thus, it wasn’t unusual for classmates to come to me for help with work. I obliged mostly, because I didn’t really have much else to do.
I tend to spend a lot of time in the library, not that I had a lot of work to do, but it was a quiet place to have my impromptu tutoring sessions. It was also a nice and quiet environment to read the letters from Alex and to also pen my regular letters to her. Ironically, while writing about how routine and boring my life was, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
‘G’day. Sorry to disturb you but I was wondering if you would be able to give me a hand?’
I looked up, barely able to keep the surprised look from my face. I recognise the voice as being Beth’s, but we had barely any interactions outside of class and I was not able to fanthom the help that she wanted from me.
‘Umm, sure.’
‘You seemed to have gotten a good hang of this stuff and I’m having some issues with this bit. I was hoping you would be able to give me a hand but it seems like you’re busy.’
Her eyes were looking at the letter that I was penning and somehow, it just seem embaressing to be caught writing sweet nothings to a girlfriend. I quickly put the note pad away, and trying hard not to blush, I managed a reply without stumbling over too many words.
‘Urr, no. I was just writing something. Have a seat, and show me what you are having problems with.’
This started our semi-regular studying session. During this time, we got to know each other a little better. I knew that she was no nun, having had a few boyfriends but none really worked out. I guess she was having a challenge finding an intellectual equal without the slobbering geek to go with it. I told her about Alex and our secret romance back home. Interestingly, it was one of the first close friendship I had since arriving in Australia. I was determined to keep it platonic, since I was sure to be faithful to Alex, and perhaps that may have helped to develop the friendship and set us on the course that it did.
Chapter 1
When I had learnt of Alex’s supposed infidelity, it seemed like the world had ended and I wasn’t even bothered to hide the fact the next day at school. It was very clear to most of my classmates that something was wrong and when I wouldn’t give any definitive answers to their questionings, most decided that discretion was the better course and gave me a wide bearth.
Well, all of them except for Beth.
She found me at my usual spot in the library. However, instead of her usual smile greeting me, she wore a concerned and worried look on her face.
‘Look, Beth, I’m sorry. If there is something you wanted to discuss, we’ll have to do it another day. I’m really not in the mood.’
‘Hey, tell me what’s wrong. We’re mates, right?’
‘Some other time. I’m really not in the mood, right now.’
‘OK. But you’re not wallowing in your sorrow here. Let’s go.’
Despite my repeated objections, she was quite insistent and I followed her mainly because I didn’t want to create a scene. So, I had my books in my bag and followed her out of the school, where we hopped onto a bus. She hadn’t shared our destination but when we got off, we were at a lovely expense of a beach. Both of us sat down and looked out to the sea.
‘What are we doing here?’
‘Shhh… Just close your eyes and listen.’
I’m not sure how that was supposed to help. Everytime I closed my eyes, I imagined Alex and Y together, and the feelings of pain and the hurt would come washing over me. But somehow, it was different this time. The sound of the waves was oddly soothing, and the faint hint of Beth’s light perfume, as well as her light touch on my arm was slightly distracting. Despite reminders to myself to continue wallowing in self-pity and hurt, I could feel it slowly melting away, slowly being replaced by the realisation that this beautiful girl was next to me. The pain would return later, but right there and then, all I could think of was Beth siting right next to me on a wonderful beach. I had no idea how to react, not knowing what it all meant. I was finally shaken from my reverie by a light kiss on my cheek. I opened my eyes in surprise and turned and faced Beth.
‘I hope you’re feeling better.’
‘I think so.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
I shook my head, not wanting the pain and the hurt to intrude again.
‘It’s about the gal back home isn’t it?’
Taking my silence and lack of reaction as a good indication of the answer, she gave me this wry smile.
‘Look, it may sound harsh, but nothing really lasts forever, you know. Well, not at this stage anyway. The first one always hurts but you’ll get over it.’
‘I don’t want to get over it. I wish I had never came here in the first place. Maybe then she would still be with me.’
‘Bite your tongue! If you hadn’t come here, I would never have met you.’
She said that with this cheeky grin on her face that was impossible to resist and it was hard to suppress the hint of a smile forming.
‘Ah ha! Looks like we got through a little bit. Come on, I haven’t known you for long, but I know you ain’t a sook. Takes lots of guts to move to a new place all by yourself and you’re doing just fine. Plenty of fish in the sea and if this one doesn’t appreciate the catch she got, well, that’s just the good fortune of the others.’
‘Really? I’m curious as to which others you are talking about…’
I was looking away from Beth when I said that, and when there wasn’t a reply, I turned to look at her. I wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light but I could have sworn that she was blushing. Perhaps that should have sent all sorts of signals to the brain, but I was still pretty messed up that I didn’t catch that first signal.
When Beth realised I was looking at her, she seemed to be tongue tied for the moment but recovered to give me a wink.
‘Perhaps one day you’ll find out. Anyway, I’m sure you’ve got it in ya and you’re not going to spend the rest of the year moping about this?’
‘Well, so what if I did?’
‘Then it’s going to be a real chore talking to ya. Come on, I haven’t got too many blokes to talk to who can help me with the Maths stuff and I’m not going to lose you to the moping. So, you’re going to be ok?’
I didn’t think I would be, but I didn’t want to dissappoint Beth either so I forced a nod of the head, hoping that it looked convincing.
‘Come on then, I’m hungry. Let’s go grab something to eat.’
We went to one of the cafes near the beach where we grabbed a sandwich. In the corner of my mind, I realised that she was being oddly attentive. When I had some mayo by the side of my mouth, she had used a paper napkin to wipe it off. One could say that she was acting just like an attentive girlfriend. But then, again, all the signals were going right over my head.
As we made our seperate way home, and I sat alone in the bus, I had expected thoughts of Alex to begin intruding on my mind again, but strangely, all I had in my mind was a vision of Beth. While I knew it must have been just a figment of my imagination, it felt as if her lingering scent was all around me. Even as I went to bed that night, my mind was filled, not with the pain and anguish of a love scorned, but the vision of a beautiful girl and a beach.
Great write up bro!
I am sure your story here must have reminded many of us of our lost teenage loves that carved a scar on our hearts.
So very bitter and yet sweet !
nice story man..really reminds me of me and my ex though we din have penetration…
i din finish your story cos my experience started like urs, but it didn’t have a happy ending..anyway, keep up ur writing…great skills!