How to train your Dragon

“Do you mind if I write about our conversation?” After she had revealed me the plot twist that she was training a hopeless dragon, I was in a helpless position between badly wanting to share the burden of my misery with my friends, and keeping up my promise to her. She had forbidden me from sharing her story with anyone. Since I was promoted to a ‘friend enough’ for her to wish me ‘Happy Ramadan’ and all, I took my liberty to text her.

“I know I promised you to keep it a secret, but I can’t hold it anymore. I will explode!” I sent a sick smiley to make me sound convincing.

“No…” She rejected my plea. “Secrets should remain secrets.”

“I’ll die in the pressure.” I attempted a piteous tone.

“Fine then.” That escalated quickly. “But send me the write up before publishing, I will be the editor this time.”

Somewhere far in my head, an emergency siren went on.

“No way…” I sounded way too pathetic in the article. It would be giving away the reputation I had built all these time. Two years, I had pretended to ignore her existence in her presence, and secretly admired her behind her. “And I won’t publish it yet, just with my circle of friends.” I excused.

“No, I will be the editor.” She was adamant.

“I will have to rewrite it then.” It will need some heavy censoring to make it fit for her tastes.

“No no. Don’t change anything, it’s fine. But do send me a copy. I would like to read it. After all it’s your write up.” Ah, the excitement was mutual.

“Yay!” I thanked her.

That was a relief. I had already written the post for the blog. But since I didn’t want to betray on her promise, I needed her consent to post it. I had tipped my friends about an incoming tragedy, and they were anxious too.

“I think you already wrote it.” She guessed from my excitement.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Send it then.” She demanded. “I like reading your articles, it’s sso much fun.” Her ‘sso’ was so intense, it made my day.

“It needs some censoring.” I warned her. “And you will probably show it to your Papa too.” She had the reputation of keeping no secrets from her dad. I wouldn’t want to sound miserable in front of my ‘in-laws’.

“Hehe… No, not this time.” She promised. “Send the original.”

“Fine, I hope you understand the risk you are taking.” I cautioned her for the final time before I sent her the link to the blog.

Silence.

“All characters and events in this story, even those based on real people and events, are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely intentional.” I sent her the disclaimer to lighten up the mood.

More silence. A very creepy type of silence where you can feel the blood rushing inside your face. The siren in my head got louder. The heavy kind of siren that Hans Zimmer would use in Batman. Images flashed before my eyes, I was digging my own grave.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Umm... But why did you put up his name?” When she finally replied, her only concern was that I put up his name, and not that I blatantly confessed my feelings to her. “Please put some imaginary name.”

“I won’t publish it.” Not more than five souls knew I had a blog.

“But not his name, please.” I melted at her ‘please’. She was indeed scared of the dragon.

“Okay, but it won’t feel genuine anymore.” I whined.

“I didn’t like you abusing him.” She raised her second concern. Summing up, she was concerned I had put up his name, and I had mocked him, and not that I had confessed my feelings.

“It was simply my natural emotion.” I tried to reason. “I could refine it, but that wouldn’t be honest enough.” She just ‘hmm…’ed. She wasn’t convinced for sure. “I wasn’t planning to show it to you, I didn’t even try to sound gentle.”

“Yes…” More full stops. “But, you shouldn’t have made him sound so bad.” Her feelings too were genuine.

“Come on! Why would I take his side?” Wait, I shouldn’t be justifying. “It is obvious I am all jealous on him, and it’s not that I am picturing him bad.”

“I just felt bad reading about him.” For the third time.

“You took it in wrong sense…” RIP Humour. “It’s my frustration, not an insult.”

“Fine.” Her fine didn’t look any fine.

“Sorry.” I accompanied a poker face.

“It’s okay.” She consoled me. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, its’ just…” Full stops. “Hmm…” Full stops. “I just felt bad seeing things you wrote about him.” The dragon didn’t deserve all the affection he was receiving.

“And the article was really good.” I had sent her my heart and ‘the article was good’ was all she had to say. She send a blushing smiley to not dishearten me.

Next day, I woke up feeling only worse. I had let her know my feelings and she was only concerned that I was mean to her dragon. She had genuine feelings for him, and I was only forcing my crush on her. I weighed my chance again. She hadn’t blocked me or turned me down or anything. I was in, and I was out. The only progress I had made was I had officially acknowledged her my crush on her. I took my time to text her an apology.

“Hey. Don’t feel bad about what I wrote there. I didn’t mean to show it to you in the first place. And I did, only because you insisted. It’s just that I am more of a coward, I express myself through my writings. I don’t want to force my feelings on you.”

Just then I noticed that she had updated her Whatsapp status to ‘Hope Survives’. Meanwhile, How to Train your Dragon 2 was released in the cinemas.

“No… It’s okay. I can understand you.” She repeated for the fifth time the part where reading mean stuffs about him made her feel bad. “It’s natural.” She reasoned. “Even though he ignores me, and whatever are my feelings for him, it’s not that easy to get over it.” She justified.

I was more worried about her status by then.

“What’s with ‘Hope Survives’?” I questioned her like a possessive boyfriend.

“Personal reasons.” She teased me with a drooling smiley.

Maybe that’s a good sign, she considered me close enough to tease.

“And why do you die every time?” I had updated my status to ‘Dies again’ after I found out about her dragon. “It’s the time to live.” She send a blushing smiley.

What? I was flying high over the ninth clouds. I changed my Whatsapp status into victory sign. “I will consider that.”

“So be happy!” She tried being this inspiring friend stuff. “You know? God may not always give you what you want, because he knows what’s best for you.”

Okay. I came back to Earth.

And I died again.