The Childhood Secret

 I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions—uncertainty, fear, and hope. My mind was clouded with doubts. Would revealing my feelings cost me his friendship? Would I lose him all over again? Or could this be the beginning of a new journey together? With a heavy heart, I decided to share my deepest secret with him.

I told him about the memories I had held onto for all these years. He was my first childhood crush, back when we were in the fourth grade. At that age, I didn’t even understand what a crush meant, but I knew I liked him—spending time with him, being around him. Our story began because we were always the first ones to arrive at school. We used to arrange benches together, write on the blackboard, and chat for hours until everyone else arrived. To my delight, he always sat next to me, and that continued until the end of fourth grade.

He was a quiet, innocent boy, while I was the studious girl. We shared everything—pencils, erasers, notebooks, and even laughter and arguments. He was my best friend, the one I could rely on for anything. I adored him, even when we fought. I used to monitor the class, and whenever he talked, I’d write his name on the board. He’d get upset with me, but by the end of the day, he always came back to make things right. He never left me feeling upset for long. His kindness and sweetness left an indelible mark on my heart, qualities I knew I would never forget.

But then, after fifth grade, he left the school. I was left with only memories—the moments we shared over those two wonderful years. No one else could fill his place. Until ninth grade, I couldn’t even form a bond that came close to what we had. I would often confide in my closest friends about how much I missed him.

We were too young then to exchange phone numbers or find ways to stay in touch. I was too immature to find his house or tell him how much I missed him. All I could do was carry the hope that one day, we would cross paths again.

Revealing all of this to him after so many years brought tears to my eyes. These were emotions I had buried deep in my heart, unspoken and unresolved. Now, I had finally let them out. I waited eagerly for his response, but there was no reply. The silence worried me, and my heart grew restless.

Let’s see how he’s going to react...