Enchanted

April 2013

"Nathalie, get up! You're going to be late –" a voice called out making the poor girl who was sleeping suddenly awake. A woman in her 40s came strutting her way to her daughter's room. It was a daily routine for her to wake her daughter up, expecting her to tangle up in bed as usual. But today, the room was oddly clean, with no trace of her daughter. The old woman then walks to the kitchen to see her daughter preparing something.

"Natalie? What are you doing –"

"Mom, where did you put the yoghurt I bought yesterday?" her daughter asks franticly, trying to find the yoghurt she had bought the day before. She had bought them for a special someone.

"The yoghurt? I put –"

"Oh! I remember!" her daughter ran and opened the fridge to take the yoghurt. Her mother could only look at her daughter in confusion and then sigh, now getting on to what was happening.

"Again?" her mother asked as she crosses her arms. Her daughter gleams at her with a smile and nods her head.

"I better go now mom, he's going to be down there, and I don't want to miss him," before her mother could say goodbye, Her daughter goes out. Crashing into the door, leaving her umbrella.

"That kid –"her mother, tsk –"She knows how the weather is today…."

Running down the apartment's stairs, she quickly ran outside to get her bike while waiting for the person she had hoped to see every day. Then just like magic, after Natalie turns her back, there stands the person she's been waiting for.

"Oh! Johnny, it's nice seeing you here," Nami turns her body cutely, hoping this time the person she's been hoping for for the last 7 years.

Jonathan Hills, Natalie's most extended crush/ neighbour. The Hills had been friends with Natalie's parents since Jonathan and Natalie was not even born in the world - it was like destiny - they had become friends up. But they had never met until seven years ago when she saw Johnny sitting alone in the kitchen when Natalie's parents had visited.

Since then, Natalie's interest in Jonathan grew.

"Johnny! I brought food!" Natalie walks to a quiet Jonathan who was looking for her.

Jonathan or what Natalie likes to call him Johnny, was quiet, not much of a talker. His blunt personality and cold eyes could make any guy back off, and girls fall for him. Natalie is one of them, was quite the opposite of Jonathan's personality. She was bubbly, and outgoing. Of course, knowing Jonathan is not an easy guy to impress, she was straightforward.

Jonathan, who looks at the lunch box Nami had packed, only looks at her and sighs. He held out a blue lunchbox, much to her surprise, "Go eat it by yourself." He then walks to the bike beside her, unlocks it and decides to cycle, leaving Natalie behind.

"Johnny! Wait for me!" Natalie smiled as she put the lunch back, cycling with Jonathan.

It was always like this with Natalie and Jonathan. It was always Natalie looking for Jonathan, while he could only look at her and sigh. They were definitely friends, but for Jonathan, Nami was a friend, nothing more, nothing less, while for Natalie, he was her everything.

Right now, fall is rolling in. Natalie was smiling at the windows as she wiped away the dust. Well, it looks like she is.

"Natalie, I think that spot is clean," Natalie looks to her left to see a familiar face, Kwon Seoyeon, Natalie's best friend.

"The windows aren't going to be cleaned by themselves, you know." Her best friend's laugh resonates through the busy classroom.

"Is he taking out the trash again?" Seoyeon asked.

Kwon Seoyeon was Natalie's best friend, and she knew about her friend's crush. Unlike others, Seoyeon is 1% of the school population who doesn't think Jonathan Hills is handsome. Instead of being that bitchy friend like some stories, Seoyeon will do anything to help Natalie with Jonathan. She couldn't see what Natalie sees in Jonathan, but she respects her friend's option.

"You know the reason why I'm watching now, Seo," Natalie looks at the windows. Seoyeon swears she could see hearts shooting out from Natalie's eyes, "He looks so handsome."

Seoyeon could only look at her friend and sigh, "I don't know what you see in him, Nat… He looks good, though, today."

Natalie could only look at her friend and gleam brightly as she shook her head a 'yes'.

"See! I know he was different from yesterday," Natalie looks at the window," He's gotten more handsome than before."

Seoyeon could only look at her friend, trying not to hit her friend. Natalie Miller is a hopeless case.

"Are you going to confess?" Seoyeon asked," The last time you did, you told me he was wearing earphones."

"I will… after this, I will wait – you know what – right now –"Before Seoyeon could ask, her friend had run. Natalie had thrown her rag to her friend in exchange for the broom Seoyeon was carrying.

She saw her best friend dash her way to her crush.

"I hope this time Jonathan will accept."

Natalie was silently watching Jonathan, who was still raking the leaves. That's her cue. As Jonathan walks back, she then stands in front of him. Jonathan out of reflex, staggers back, making Natalie lose a step.

Natalie, who was about to fall, could only hope that she wouldn't embarrass herself and ruin the chance to confess again.

But before she could drop, her body was pulled back, and she was faced with the person she had dreamed everyone—Jonathan, who looks at Nami, who looks up at him.

"Johnny, I like you for a long time. Please accept me."

Jonathan could only stare at the girl before he sigh, "But I don't like you."

Natalie looks at him and then stands up from his hold as she staggers back, "It's okay! I'm not giving up. I promise to make you like me, I promise!"

"Natalie Miller, are you going to be like this every time we meet?" he asked her, and she nodded happily.

She wasn't wrong. Every day, it was always Jonathan Hills for her. She would always be beside him, and he would always look behind him to see her trailing behind.

In the constant lunch box, she would make he would always make sure she ate first, and then he would join in. He would always see her doing something for him, the little things he had seen her doing.

At first, it wasn't very pleasant, but after a while, he had gotten used to it.

That is, until he had to leave.