Peter's twisted fate (fiction)

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Sholar, Daniel, and Peter's friendship was inseparable, and the entire school knew the trio was almost always together. Their friendship began on their first day of high school during their registration, and the hostel master was kind enough to put them in the same hostel.

"I see you three are getting along well." The hostel master said this to the three students, whose heights were almost the same except for Daniel, who was a few inches taller.

"Thank you, sir." The trio chorused as they lifted their boxes towards the hostel.

Their bond of friendship had been unmatched and envied, while rumors flew that the three friends probably were into each other intimately. Daniel's height, accentuated bass voice, and light complexion probably gave him the edge to lead his friends in almost everything they engaged in except academically. Sholar was the youngest of the trio and a little chubby and loud, especially whenever he talked. Peter, on the other hand, was the scholar even in their class, and he was the instrument to ensure his friends never lagged behind in their books. Peter was equally timid and introverted among them; he had a lanky body and chocolate skin color. Peter's parents were very rich; however, he rather looked the opposite of the abundance at his bid.

"We'll be finishing high school next year, and Peter, you've never dated any girl!" The sixteen-year-old Daniel mocked Peter, who was a year younger.

"It's by choice, and I'm fine with that!" Peter retorted, giving Daniel a pull on his left ear.

"We don't believe that; we can count the number of times you've spoken to any girl in this school." Sholar supported Daniel in mocking Peter.

"If you're man enough, I want you to date the newly transferred girl, Becky. I hear her arrogance stems from her beauty. Let's see if you can get her to fall in love with you." Daniel dared Peter with a look of seriousness on his face.

"You're joking, right?" Peter replied by raising an eyebrow.

"Get to date her and prove us wrong!" Sholar added.

"I'm not going to fall for your trap, both of you." Peter replied, pointing at both of his friends and leaving them behind as he left the corridor for the class.

Peter knew his friends were right, and he would need all the courage he could muster to speak with the new student. He heard she had recently been transferred to his school since her parents relocated to their town because of their job. "Perhaps he could give it a try; the worst that could happen would be an outright rejection," Peter thought to himself as he looked towards Becky''s empty seat. The break would soon be over, and other students would return to the class for the next class. Peter watched Daniel and Sholar stroll away while he opened a textbook to peruse for the lecture ahead.

"Excuse me, are you listening to me?" Peter snapped out of what he was reading only to realize Becky, the new girl, stood right in front of him. He looked up at her and realized his friends were right about her elegance, and the zesty fragrance of her perfume soon filled the atmosphere, causing him to let out a smile.

"Pardon me, what were you saying?" Peter eventually got a grip on himself and asked.

"If it's okay with you, can you take me through this morning's lecture? You answered almost all the questions the tutor asked today." Becky requested.

"Certainly, with all pleasure." Peter replied with a sheepish smile.

Peter's gaze was fastened on Becky even after she left his presence for her seat while other classmates began to arrive for the next lecture. "Maybe this is a sign," he thought to himself.

Soon after Peter took Becky on the topic she had difficulty with, both of them became friends and soon became the topic of discussion among their peers. Daniel would occasionally throw some hand gestures at Peter as a sign, nudging him to keep up with the love game.

"I'm not comfortable with the rumors about us. People say we are dating when we are not!" Becky blurted out while they both sat on a bench in the open field with the sky as an umbrella, a little distant from where other students passed by. This was their frequent spot, especially in the evenings before dinner time, when the sun makes haste to hide beyond the horizon.

"It's my wish to have you as my girlfriend, Becky; I've always loved you these past three months." Peter's voice trembled as he looked away.

"And I thought you would've asked earlier, Peter." Becky replied, spreading her arms to envelope Peter in a loving hug. She turned his head and looked at him for a moment before planting a kiss on his lips.

Peter's heart began to race erratically, with high tension ensuing between them. He wondered where she got the courage to kiss him. 'Was he actually in love with Becky or did his hormones toy with his emotions?' He thought to himself as he noticed Becky's hand making for his shirt to loosen its button. He grasped her two hands gently, preventing her from going further with her plan.

"Don't you think we're getting ahead of ourselves? Perhaps our hormones are driving us faster than our hearts?" Peter said gently as he led her hands off his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself." Becky apologized, looking away.

"No, it's fine. I'm the one to apologize here." Peter replied, turning Becky's face to his. The school bell began to ring at a distance, a signal that the 7 p.m. dinner was set. "Let's go to the dining hall; it's dark already." Peter suggested as he led the sober-looking Becky up, with an awkward silence ensuing between both. Peter knew that beyond the deal with his friends, he had grown fond of Becky and was willing to take his chance with her. He grabbed her hand reassuringly as they walked towards the dining hall.