Nataly opened the letter and took out the sheet; written on it was — Hello, how are you? You know what? When I saw you, you seemed like such a lovely person to me, and I'd really like to talk to you. The rest of the letter was words that described Brandon perfectly.
(The three of them wrote the letter; Brandon had no idea what it said, and apparently, this "anonymous" letter wasn't anonymous at all.)
Nataly finished reading it. Throwing it away would be too cruel, so she just left it forgotten on top of a book and went back to reading.
For two whole days, Dan, Jhonatan and Josias kept insisting that Brandon try talking to her. He wanted to, but he was terrified of being rejected.
During break time, he finally managed to get away from the three of them. He stepped out of the bathroom with a sigh and started walking down the hall. As he turned a corner, Nataly appeared right in front of him, making them collide.
The papers she was carrying fell to the floor, and Brandon crouched down to help her pick them up.
— I'm sorry, I wasn't looking— He blushed the moment he realized it was her, but kept gathering the sheets.
She stood there looking at him for a few seconds, remembering the description from the letter. There was no doubt it was him.
— Hey, are you the one who sent me that letter two days ago?— she asked in a cold tone.
He stood up holding the papers and handed them to her carefully.
— Ahh...— He looked away nervously— Y-yes, that was me... But I didn't write it!
— You didn't? I see. In the letter you said I seemed lovely to you.
Brandon's cheeks turned even redder, all the way up to his ears.
— Well... That part is true... It's true, you did seem lovely and interesting to me— He still couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.
— Well, I don't really understand it all, but thank you...
The silence between them grew awkward. Nataly took a step forward to leave, but Brandon spoke up again.
— Wait!
She stopped and turned back to face him.
— What is it?
— I wanted to ask if... you'd like to get ice cream with me after school...
— Ice cream? What for?
— Just to talk more and... spend some time together.
Nataly hesitated for a few seconds, as if weighing whether going for ice cream was worth it. This was the first time anyone had invited her to do something like that, so it was all new territory for her, something she'd never experienced and didn't know how to react to.
— I suppose it's better than just reading books all day. Fine, I'll go get ice cream with you.— she said plainly, keeping her usual blunt tone.
Brandon was overjoyed, a bright smile spreading across his face.
— Thank you! Then... I'll see you by the exit.
Nataly nodded and walked slowly down the hall. Brandon let out a happy sigh and headed to his classroom, now with a permanent smile on his face.
When classes ended for the day, Brandon said goodbye to his friends and waited for Nataly by the exit. He looked up and saw her walking toward him, and he blushed just at the sight of her.
She approached him with her usual cold gaze.
— Shall we go get that ice cream?
Brandon nodded, and the two walked together toward the ice cream shop, chatting about their classes along the way. When they arrived, Brandon bought her the vanilla ice cream she asked for, and got chocolate for himself.
They left the shop and walked along the streets.
— So... why did you ask me out?— Nataly asked.
— When I saw you in the library... something about you made me feel different, a feeling right here in my chest that made me want to spend as much time as possible with you— He realized what he'd just said and blushed even harder— I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that! It just slipped out!
She looked confused, not understanding what he meant or what he was talking about, so she just let it go.
From that day on, Brandon started inviting her to all sorts of places — the park, the library, the fair, and many more spots. At first Nataly agreed just to get out of the house and pass the time, but little by little she started saying yes because she genuinely wanted to spend time with him, even if she didn't realize it herself.
Six months later, halfway through their first year of high school, Brandon asked her to meet him on the school roof. She went up during break time, where he was already waiting for her.
— Why did you ask me to come here?— she asked.
— Oh, hi Nataly. Well... there's something I've been wanting to tell you.
— Go on then, say it.
— It's something I've wanted to say for a long time. And that is... I... I really like you, and I wanted to ask if... you'd like to be my girlfriend— His face was completely flushed red.
Nataly raised an eyebrow, confused.
— You like me? Me?
Brandon nodded quickly.
— Yes... I like you.
— Really? Well, I've never felt anything like that, or rather, I don't even know what it feels like.
— I know that... Every time we go out, you never seem happy or like you're having fun, but... I want to keep trying until you feel happy just being with me.
— Keep trying? And what if you never manage it?
Brandon smiled.
— Then at least I'll know I tried my best and did everything I could.
— It's not that I haven't had fun with you... The thing is, I don't know how to express myself, I don't know how to show that I'm happy. No one has ever given me as much attention as you do.
Brandon stayed quiet, listening closely.
— I don't understand anything about romance or affection...— For the first time in her life, her cheeks turned a faint pink— But... these past six months, going out with you has given me this feeling in my chest, a new feeling, one that I feel... every single time I see you.
Nataly looked straight into his eyes, and for the first time, her gaze held a spark of genuine hope.
— If you don't mind being with someone who doesn't know how to express herself or anything about romance... Then I'd be more than happy to say yes— Her hands, resting at her sides, trembled slightly.
Brandon was taken aback, then smiled and stepped closer to take her hands in his.
— To be honest, I don't know anything about romance either, but we can learn together... And I don't mind that you don't express yourself easily — that's part of what makes you so special, and it's exactly what made me fall for you.
For the very first time, Nataly showed a small, but genuine smile.
— Then I say yes. I'll be your girlfriend— She squeezed his hands gently in return.
Brandon nodded, filled with pure happiness. From that day on, they spent even more time together, and those were the only moments when Nataly showed glimpses of emotions she had never revealed to anyone before.
Some people think Nataly doesn't love Brandon because she never shows affection openly when they're out in public, but the truth is she loves him more than anything. He means the whole world to her, and he's the only person with whom she can truly be herself without fear of being judged, though she's slowly trying to change for him.
Finally, she had found someone who would show her what it feels like to be loved and cherished.