by tangled_ novels
A WINTER TO REMEMBER It was late December, and my family and I were headed to my aunt’s house for the winter holidays. Things started off on the wrong foot at the railway station when we found out our train was delayed by about six hours. By the time we finally reached my aunt’s place after that long, exhausting journey, I was just relieved to be there and excited to see my sister. However, a surprise was waiting for me. Another family from my uncle’s side was staying there too. I had heard stories about them from my aunt but had never actually met them. I wasn’t unhappy they were there, but I felt a wave of anxiety about what kind of impression I would make. To make matters more uncomfortable, there was a boy in that family—two years older than me and about six feet tall. He kept giving me this hilariously creepy smile that made me wonder, How can a human even be like this? The next day, while I was catching up with my sister about school and my friends, he suddenly appeared and asked us to play a game called "Chor Police." My sister really wanted to play, so I agreed. To my surprise, we had a blast. I realized he wasn't a bad guy after all, and we actually became friends. That afternoon, we went for a cycle ride. The "worst" part was that I ended up being the one pedaling while he sat on the back! When I asked him to take a turn, he admitted he didn’t even know how to ride a bike. On the way back, I found myself asking him if he had a girlfriend. I wasn’t asking because I wanted to be with him; I was just curious. He replied, “Yeah, at my school.” I don't know why, but that line actually hurt. He didn't mean anything to me, and I was nothing to him, but I could feel the color leaving my face. Seeing my reaction, he quickly said he was just kidding. I felt a surge of relief, though I couldn't be sure if he was telling the truth or just trying to make me feel better. Later, while I was having tea with my cousins, he asked if I would go to the market with him. It sounded way too much like a date, so I immediately said no. But then my sister asked if she could come along too, and with her joining us, I finally agreed to go....
