Rejection

A Story by Sela

Part of That Summer Anthologies. Overcoming and accepting those dreadful moments in life can be difficult… specially if you give and don't receive.

Fear of rejection is one of the biggest fears one can have. Many years ago I found myself in a situation that it wasn't ideal or normal or even comprehensible for me to live at the moment.

Never before had I experienced something quite embarrassing as the moment when I had a kiss rejected. Here is how it all went down:

I met him in class, we became friends quickly and easily, I was positive that he liked me just as much as I did him, it turns out he had a serious case of morals…

“Can I visit you?” he asked one day.

“Sure,” I said, he was a friend and besides I liked him. We made plans for the afternoon but he for some reason canceled and ended up going three days later. It was a weekend and I was pleasantly at home reading when he texted me. He wanted me to go visit him, I was about to say yes when I decided suddenly, why should I? He ditched me first he has to come visit me.

He went and we talked, as usual, classes were over. Summer was passing by rapidly, and there wasn't much to do those days, everyone was out of town, well apparently some were still around…

I noticed how off he was, well I can say that now but actually I didn't realize a thing was amiss until the dreadful moment that I leaned forward and tried to kiss him, my lips upon his and… he just stared at me, “You better return it,” I murmured against him.

“I can’t.” Was his reply, I was stunned of course. He dared do something like that to me? After all the flirting and knowing looks, and all the 100^th hints? But as it turned out, he had found someone in 3 freaking days, thinking about it know perhaps he had been planning something else with this unknown person for some time because it couldn't have been love at first sight or some idiotically reason like that. You might think he gave an excuse, eh surprise, he didn't elaborate.

He was even more cryptic than I could possibly come to understand. It was my first dose of rejection and it was enough, I wasn't full of myself in case you were wondering, I might sound a bit like that but I was just a normal girl, who saw a chance, took it and got burn real bad. With that definite act of humiliation which thankfully happened behind closed doors, I bowed to try and never put myself out there like that ever again, could you imagine something like that happening twice? Thank goodness, it cured me from ever attempting a ruse quite so ill-fortunate.

Perhaps, I am over reacting a bit? I don’t think so, a scene like that can happen to anyone and it would be equally awkward no matter where you are, alone or with 10 people watching it. Can you picture that with an audience? Thank the heavens we didn’t talk about it ever again and we manage to keep some kind of friendship, until the day he departed and I never saw him again.

He was a good friend and I sometimes think about him, I don’t dwell on it but that summer day brought me some insight into the things we shouldn’t do unless we are 100% sure, and even if we are… we go in knowingly that it could go wrong. But at least will learn for better or worse.

© 2022 Sela

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Warrior

Great story telling. This did justice in the realm of getting the message across. Great message. There's lot of times where a story can have a great message to aim for, and have a lot of under lining things but then no one gets it, and if no one gets it, then the point has failed. But in my opinion this did well to get the message across. You made it clear, which is why I think it's good. Keep up the good work. What was also great was that I could imagine the story as I read it, and that is also a strong point of stories. The ability to have the reader imagine it because after all we're reading not watching it, but it was as if I was there as I read this, and that is great. Great visuals and great story telling. It had plot and substance. When you add substance to writing it gets that much better. It gets the reader hooked on it and make them feel as if they are part of it. As long as their is that emotional connection between the reader and the story then it's good. The connection you were able to established in the writing gives the reader a sense of comfortably that they are in tune with the writing. So that way when the writing is over, the reader wants more, and wishes it didn't end. I feel the same way when I watched a movie or tv series that I get so attached to, I never want it to end. And for this writing, I didn't want it to end. You had me hooked, and I am sure everyone else who read it was hooked as well. That is good, that is what you want for people to keep wanting more. The way you put the story together makes me feel like my life is different for that moment in which I read your story. I love it, and it was beautiful. Just keep posting stories like this, and you'll have a good following.