Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Clutching his chest, Elijah wondered, ‘What’s wrong with me?’
He hadn’t even been able to meet Cameron’s eyes earlier. Why was he acting so oddly? He couldn’t understand his own behavior.
He hailed a taxi and returned to Moore Manor.
Though the main family wasn’t home, Jack and the servants stayed faithfully at their posts. Hearing Elijah arrive, they greeted him with warm smiles
“Mr. Moore.”
“Good evening, Mr. Moore.”
“Welcome back, Mr. Moore.” Jack was especially glad to see him.
Elijah had said he wouldn’t be home for a while, but he’d returned after just one night.
Elijah nodded in response.
“You don’t look well, Mr. Moore,” Jack said with concern, signaling for a servant to bring a warm towel.
Wiping the sweat from his face, Elijah said, “I’m just tired.”
Jack quickly helped him sit down. “Is your job too tiring? If it is, you can always find another one.”
After all, experiencing daily life shouldn’t mean wearing himself out.
Looking at Jack’s worried face, Elijah paused before asking, “Jack, can I ask you a question?”
Thomas and Beverly had always been too busy with work. Elijah had been practically raised by Jack, spending far more time with him than with his parents.
They were close, and there were things Elijah would share with Jack that he’d never tell Thomas or Beverly.
Jack discreetly signaled for the servants in the living room to leave.
Then he handed Elijah a glass of ice water and asked with a warm smile, “Yes, Mr. Moore? What would you like to ask?”
Elijah said, “Jack, suppose someone can’t bring themselves to look another person in the eye. What does that mean?”
Jack was caught off guard by the question and hesitated for a moment.
Then he quickly smiled knowingly, “Mr. Moore, could you have a crush on someone?”
At these words, Elijah’s eyes widened in shock. He could hardly believe what he was hearing
He thought, ‘A crush? Does avoiding eye contact really mean I like someone? But that’s Cameron! Cameron! How could that be?’
Noticing Elijah’s silence, Jack chuckled, ” must be right. Mr. Moore, this is great news! Now that you’ve graduated high school and are heading to university, you should enjoy some young love.”
Elijah was stunned. He thought, Enjoy it? How could I enjoy something so complicated? Impossibles
Elijah clenched his fist slightly. “Jack, I’m just talking about being unable to meet someone’s gaze. This whole ‘having a crush thing-you in tea tag much into it.
Jack smiled gently, “Mr. Moore, don’t be embarrassed. When you like someone, it’s not just about avoiding their eyes. Sometimes your heart races fot. reason, you feel giddy when you see them, and when you’re apart, you wonder nonstop what they’re doing.
“Think about it, Mr. Moore. Have you felt any of these things? If so, it’s definitely a crush.”
Elijah was dumbfounded.
Elijah’s eyes widened in shock yet again. Every single thing Jack had described was too accurate to deny. But how could this be happening. Thes Cameron! How could I possibly have those kinds of feelings for Cameron?’ he thought.
‘I have a crush on Cameron? It feels utterly crazy!’ Elijah thought, his face turning pale instantly.
Sensing the abrupt change, Jack grabbed his arm. “Mr. Moore, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Elijah snapped back to reality, shoving down the storm of emotions inside him. “I’m just exhausted,” he managed.
Jack was stunned. He quickly helped Elijah to his feet. “Mr. Moore, why not lie down in your room? I’ll send for the family doctor immediately.”
“Just let me be. No doctor,” Elijah said, pushing Jack’s hand aside and trudging upstairs.
Jack’s worry spiked as he watched Elijah’s back. He wondered, ‘Is Mr. Moore suffering from unrequited love? Or have I accidentally upset him? What can! do?’
Jack paced fretfully but knew better than to disturb Elijah. He needed time alone.
Once in his room, Elijah marched into the bathroom and cranked on the shower.
Warm water poured over his head, soaking his clothes until they clung uncomfortably to his skin. Braced against the wall, he stared blankly at the streaming tiles.
‘Impossible! I couldn’t possibly have feelings for Cameron!’ he thought.
He did think Cameron was great-smart, versatile, with a solid personality. A friend worth having, sure.
But he’d never once considered anything romantic. How could he? He had no deviant people around him. He wasn’t the type.
He’d always been a study addict, indifferent to distractions. Over the years, he’d tossed countless love letters in the trash without a glance. He’d never cared about “young love,” let alone…
And yet, when he thought of Cameron…
Even though Elijah kept denying his feelings for Cameron, he knew the truth-he genuinely loved spending time with her.
Even when she took his top spot in their grade, he wasn’t upset but was actually happy for her. And in his free time, he couldn’t stop wondering what Cameron was doing. This was all new territory for him.
Elijah stood under the showerhead for over an hour. He was so drained that he finally turned off the water.
He barely remembered changing out of his wet clothes, drying off, and climbing into bed. His phone had gotten wet too, but luckily it was waterproof.
After drying it with a towel, he saw the message Cameron had sent. When he stared at her concerned words, his mind felt like scrambled eggs. He tapped his head lightly, trying to think of a reply, but his brain had gone totally blank.
Holding the phone in his hand, he read Cameron’s message over and over. He thought, ‘Cameron’s checking on me. He cares about me. But in our dorm, he’s closer to Brad. To him, I’m probably just a friend.’
‘No!’ Elijah shook his head sharply. ‘What am I even thinking?’ Just then, another message popped up-from Cameron again.
Cameron: [Elijah, are you okay? Did you get home safe?]
His mind still foggy, he stared at the screen, wondering, ‘This is concern, right? Is he worried about me?’
His heart started racing again, and he hated the feeling. Pressing a hand to his chest, he tried to steady it, but it only beat faster.
Cameron’s worry spiked when Elijah didn’t reply. What if something bad has happened?’ she wondered. Without hesitation, shpen
The phone’s sudden ring made Elijah’s hand jump. His phone slipped and landed with a soft thud on the carpet.
Elijah was stunned. When he stared at Cameron’s name flashing on the screen, his thoughts turned into a jumbled mess. He let the call go una until it cut off.
Cameron frowned, thinking, ‘Something’s definitely wrong.’ It was getting late, and he hadn’t responded to anything.
She quickly typed another message: [Elijah, are you alright? Please text me back. I’m really worried.]
After sending it, she sat there, eyes glued to her phone, regretting not taking him to the hospital. Letting him leave alone had been a huge mistake.
Meanwhile, Elijah, who had been staring at Cameron’s message, finally picked up his phone and forced himself to type a reply: (Cameron, I’m fine. I was in the shower. Just saw your messages. It’s late. Good night.]
His fingers shook so much that it took him several minutes to finish the short text.
When Cameron read his reply, the knot in her stomach loosened. She messaged back: [Glad you’re okay. Sleep well.]
Now that she knew Elijah was alright, she could finally get a good night’s sleep.
The moment he saw her response, Elijah flipped his phone over and threw it onto the bed. If he didn’t have to look at her name, maybe he could stop his heart from racing. For a while, it worked.
But he sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows all night long, wide awake, never able to figure out why he’d developed such improper feelings for Cameron.
As dawn crept in, he’d finally admitted his feelings to himself, only to feel self-loathing wash over him as he knew they were wrong.
He thought, ‘If Cameron ever knows, he’ll probably be disgusted by me, right?’
Elijah’s mind was a total mess. After a sleepless night, he finally couldn’t hold on anymore and flopped down on the carpet, falling asleep.
Before that, he still made sure to send a message to Cameron.
Jack had spent the whole night worrying about Elijah. When it got to the time Elijah usually came downstairs and he still hadn’t shown up, Jack was so worried he went upstairs to look for him.
He knocked on the door for ages, but there was no answer, so he had to open the door.
Luckily, Elijah hadn’t locked the door, so Jack opened it. The first thing he saw was Elijah lying on the carpet.
“Mr. Moore!” Jack yelped, startled. He hurried over and realized with relief that Elijah was just sleeping. Seeing the dark circles under Elijah’s eyes, Jack figured he’d been up all night.
“Poor Mr. Moore,” Jack said sadly. He carefully spread a light blanket over Elijah and closed the curtains.
