Once Upon A Strawberry
an excerpt

"Rae, watch where you are going!­ RAE!" Jay screamed as I tripped over somebody's designer school bag while holding my palette of coloured paints and fell flat on my face. She ran to my rescue immediately and tried to put the school bag back into place. However, 'somebody' got to there before she did. It was Kyle. Kyle Maledetto. Oh God, I can't believe any of this. Am I hallucinating? Ah, I must be. Just then, Jaycee Young completely woke me up by pulling me out of my awkward position and forcing me to stand up straight even though my butt was aching terribly.

"Man, you're such a klutz. Now look what you've done to Kyle's bag!" Jay reprimanded me.

"Ahahaha, I'm very sorry!­" I started apologizing when Jaycee's words rang in my head. Wait, Kyle's bag? Kyle's? Kyle the Great, the prince of the school, the-­ ah, forget it. I turned around and saw him standing in front of me holding his paint-stained school bag at arm's length. Him! Kyle in the flesh!

"Ah!­ I-­I didn't mean to do that! Really! I was, um, just holding my palette and um, I wasn't watching where I, um, was going and, well, tripped. I-­I will pay! I know it is, um, designer and all that so I probably won't be able to pay you by today but I'll take loans from my friends and relatives. And well, if you want to hold my cell phone hostage for now, I won't mind either!"

"Hmm, this bag was imported from Italy just last week. Oh well, at least this paint is removable. You don't need to compensate. Just,­ well, don't do it again."

"Really? You mean it? You're truly Kyle the...­ Ah, I mean, you are really kind! Yes, kind! Th-­thank you! I won't do it again!"

"You're welcome. Oh, aren't you from my class? Renee, am I right? Or is it Rita? Well whatever it is, see you around!"

"See you around, Kyle...­" I said with admiration, later adding on with, "... the prince."

"Earth to Rae, the blushing tomato and gaping fish!" Jay knocked my head with my paint brush, fifteen minutes after Kyle had gone.

"Ah, yes! Receiving!" I replied, grinning. I was still too awestruck from the short encounter with Kyle to realize my mouth had been gaping open like an idiot. I closed it quickly and turned to Jay.

"Jay! Did you see that? He smiled at me! The prince smiled at me! He even talked to me! He said a total of 46 grand words to me! He even knows I'm in his class. And he remembered my name! The prince actually made an effort to remember my name! Did you see that?? I wonder if both of us actually share the same feelings for each other?"

"Yeah, yeah, I saw. It was the wrong name he remembered anyway. Can we go and clean you up now? You're dripping wet with paint, yet all you care about is that 'dazzling smile of the prince'."

"C'mon, his smile IS simply dazzling! That dimple of his is certainly to die for. Oh my, I'm in such a mess and I didn't even realize it. Kyle must be laughing his head off at the sight of me! Hide me, Jay, quick!"