That Boy from Taiwan

There I was, having that feeling again. It’s a pleasant feeling, one that could last for a lifetime. It’s a hypnotising feeling, giving me unbelievable pleasure for every breath I take. It’s the feeling of love. A chemical reaction in this meaty machine called a human body—a burst of dopamine or something. I wasn’t too sure about it; biology class was when I always took a nap.

It was like a dream, that boy. An exchange student from Asia—Taiwan, I think. Extremely cute, I thought, and smart too. There was something about him that pierced through my shell, struck my heart like a bullet. There was no denying it; I was in love, that boy from Taiwan had stolen my heart. I was in love, happy for once. A bright light breaking this cavern of darkness I call a heart.

But could this ever truly last? A boy from Taiwan, Taiwan is on the other side of the damn planet! I could meet him now, but perhaps our ways would never again come together. It was a grim feeling this, this uncertainty. It tore me apart like one of those medieval torture devices. I wanted to cry. I love this boy, I just shouldn’t, it would be easier not to. And what if he doesn’t like me back? It felt guilty feeling this way, thinking of him as my own even when he probably didn’t even know my name, to him I was surely only a face in the crowd.

No, I thought, I would not let these thoughts bring me down. I would tell him how I feel, and he will either like it, or he will go back to that island and never speak to me again. It was time to pick myself up by the bootstraps and do it. I had made up my mind. That was what I would do tomorrow, I would tell him how I feel, damned be the consequences.

The morning shined, and I got up, brushed my teeth, skipped breakfast, clothed up and got on my bike. I knew he would stop by the park on his way to school, that was where I would do it. It was not a long ride; on the way I imagined all the ways this conversation could go. He’d certainly feel the same way, we’d go out on a proper date, I was almost sure of it. I passed the bakery, the florist and the library on my way. I thought of all the things we could do together.

I was almost at the park when I saw him. He was just sitting there, on the bench, feeding the ducks. What a lovely sight it was, made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Alas I was getting nervous; my heartbeat was getting more and more intense. The time was now, that realisation hit me, it was now or never.

I left my bike on the grass and walked up to him. He greeted me with a sweet smile. He was so unbelievably cute with that smile. I only grew more nervous as the seconds went by. I took a deep breath and was about to open my mouth to let out the words, but I did not have the chance—I was paralysed. He looked me in the eyes in anticipation of whatever I was there to say. Those beautiful, brown eyes were looking at mine. An intense staring contest.

I managed to get some words out of my mouth but I could not register what they were. In my mind I rambled something nonsensical, some form of gibberish. He smiled for a moment.

I imagined how he came closer to me, so close I could smell his cologne. I could see every small mistake on his skin, every detail, every feature. He came closer and pushed his soft lips against mine. The world stopped around us, seconds passed but they felt like minutes, the world was in complete stop. No noise, no movement—nothing. I felt his warmth, the taste of his tongue and the beats of his heart. I was living in the moment, this moment, in this kiss that could last a lifetime. I felt reality fade away, time slowing down. I was here, and I was now. I was happy.

But my daydreaming was cut short when he asked who I was.