An Unexpected Love

Ryan Brown, the son of famous football champion Robert Brown, is the Captain of Football team of Royal University. And as the crowd cheers as they win the championship with final goal secured by Ryan. Ryan realises that he is missing a bigger part of him. He is missing the most amazing part of his life, Anna Parker.

3 Months Earlier…

College was opening after summer vacation so as usual, the corridors of hostels were buzzing with students both old and new.

Ryan as a senior was leaving at a housing just near the campus with his best friends Sam and Tucker. They decided to grace the new club “Rock Royale” that had the grand opening that day with their presence. When they entered, the club was in full swing with loud music and full dance floor. Many girls came to hit on the three handsome hotshots of the campus.

After an hour, when Ryan tried to look for a quiet corner to relax, he noticed a couple making out in a dark corner. He tried to walk away but couldn’t as he saw the girl struggling. He couldn’t hear anything over the music. So, he shouted at them “Is everything good here?”. The guy startled and released the girl. Trying to comprehend, Ryan looked at the girl. Her eyes reflected a lot of emotions, first relief then embarrassment and maybe a little regret. She just looked at him and ran away. Ryan followed her out to see if she was okay but by the time, he reached outside he saw her taking a cab and leaving.

Ryan found Sam standing there talking to a girl. Sam knew every girl in their college. So, Ryan asked him if he knew who she was. Sam told him, “She is Anna Parker. She is infamous for her arrogant attitude. She never dates and hates all guys on principle. There is also a rumor that she is a spoiled rich kid whose parents don’t care what she does. She doesn’t have any friends but she is the topper of her class majoring in Computer science engineering. Riya has given her the nickname of a frozen bitch. So, dude forget her and let’s go inside and have some fun.” Ryan thought something didn’t fit well with the eyes he just saw. There was no coldness but raw emotions there. But he knew better to argue with Sam so he went inside and tried to forget her.

***

It was only 2 weeks the college has opened and he was standing in Dean’s office. His team got into a little fight the day before which got escalated and led to the destruction of property. As the team’s captain, Ryan took the responsibility and now, he has to serve 45 hours as community service. He has to volunteer as a helper in Rustic Heights Retirement home, Monday to Friday, 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The tournament season was starting and he had practice at that time but the coach was also angry and allocated him 2 hours of extra practice after community service.

He was thinking maybe he will have to become a nurse for 45 days. So that day when he went to Rustic Heights, he gets a real surprise. The home has 20 rooms but currently, only 15 are occupied. Nurses and cooks are available. And the home has been decorated with lights, paintings. He was needed to give company to the elders and spend some time taking care of their small needs. He was asked to go upstairs to the recreation room where everyone spent time talking and having some entertainment.

Ryan was informed that there is another volunteer who was currently reading a novel for all. When he heard a voice coming from upstairs, he got an electric jolt and halted for a moment steadying his heartbeat which was racing now. From the entrance of the room, he saw everyone was sitting on a Sofa aligned in a semicircle. In the middle, a girl was sitting in a chair facing them and from the back window, she was illuminated from sunset light. The view was almost like a scene from a movie. She was reading from the book Pride and Prejudice and the words were

              “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it, and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”

And when she looked up from the book and their eyes met, recognition hit them both at the same time as their eyes widened. The girl was Anna Parker who looked the complete opposite of what Sam had described but the words she was reading were unerringly apt. After some introductions and interrogation, he was allowed to listen to Anna completing that day’s part in Novel. That day he just observed the dynamics of Rustic Heights. He saw how Anna remembered everyone’s medicines and had brought their favorite snacks for them.

Looking at the warmth she radiated among these people he could never imagine her cold. But he understood what Sam meant as soon as they exited the retirement home. She totally closed off on him when he offered to drop her home. “I want my personal life to be private, so no one should know that I work here. I know you don’t want to, so don’t worry, I won’t be acting like I know you outside of these premises. I won’t bother you so no need for formality. Bye” She spoke these and walked away. Ryan was a little shocked from all the events but without thinking much he took his car and went for Practice.

***

Anna was still in shock when she left the retirement home and didn’t know how will she spend so much time with Ryan in Rustic Heights without exposing her secret. No one knew that she was not a rich spoiled kid but a poor scholarship kid who worked part-time jobs to pay through her college. If everyone knew they will make her life miserable simply because she didn’t belong in their world of Royal where all the kids were born with a silver spoon. Anna thought she will protect herself whatever might come and walked to Rock Royale.

Anna worked as a part-time chef in Rock Royale during peak dinner hours. Rock Royale owner Anderson had eaten her food when he had visited his mother in Rustic Heights and liked it so much that offered her a job. As being chef meant behind the scenes so she readily accepted on conditions that no one will know. After Rock Royale, she also worked as a library help desk during night hours. As the library was not packed during the night so many didn’t recognise her also, she could easily study there with all the books available and not getting disturbed from the late-night parties in her hostel dorm.

The next day when she reached Rustic Heights, she saw Ryan waiting near the parking. He approached her holding two coffee mugs and offering her one. He spoke, “I completely understand what you said yesterday, and I will act like we don’t know each other outside. But I would like us to be friends here. As I would like to successfully complete my 45 hours, I would like to have a friend to help me. So please accept this cup of coffee to seal this friendship.” Anna hesitated for a second trying to understand if he had a hidden motive but when she saw the sincerity in his eyes, she accepted the coffee and smiled at him.

Soon she realised that Ryan spoke a lot and also for a change he made her smile. She knew that Ryan was not egoistic like some other guys and had never harmed anyone. He even helped her that day in the club, but seeing him helping elders, feeding them and making them laugh made her heart squeeze with emotions. She knew better than to fall for him. But whenever he smiled her heart skipped a beat and there were butterflies in her stomach. So she continuously reminded herself he was just there to complete detention and will be gone soon leaving her behind.

***

Thirty hours of his detention had been completed. But these hours were more of a gift than punishment. He had enjoyed every moment with everyone especially Anna. He was excited that day as he had planned a surprise birthday party for Anna. He had bought her favourite foods, and Maria the cook of Rustic Heights had baked her favourite Choco truffle Cake. Everybody was dressed in their finest clothes. The surprise and the happiness on Anna’s face made all his effort worth it. When Maria hugged her and said something in her ears, she stared straight into his eyes and there was something in her eyes, gratitude, maybe a little sadness and maybe love or that’s what he wanted to believe.

Yes, he had fallen in love with her. She was smart, beautiful, caring and independent. He knew how she always gave something to everyone without any expectation. Now, he wanted to give her everything making her happiest in the world. After the cake cutting, when uncle sanders presented her the scrapbook that they all have compiled with photographs of her with everyone and their message with it, she was so overwhelmed that she started crying. Ryan couldn’t stop himself and went near her and hugged her.

Anna knew that she should stop crying, but this was the best birthday of 22 years of her life. She knew that everyone had done this for her because they loved her and she realised she was not alone. And if what Maria had told her was true, Ryan had done everything to make her happy and maybe the loneliness that she was feeling whole day came out in tears. Finally, when she stopped her tears and looked at Ryan, his eyes were filled with concern and worry and her heart squeezed. She thought maybe on her birthday she can have the wishful thinking that Ryan had also fallen for her because she loved him. She knew that she will be left alone again when he will leave in 3 weeks, and worse this time she will be heartbroken. But that day she didn’t want to be alone, so she accepted his request to dance and they danced lost in each other.

***

It had been 3 weeks to her birthday and since then she and Ryan had spent many hours together on phone, he picked and dropped her. One day, they were having dinner in Café Rock late night after her shift was over, he had gifted her favourite author Andrew’s Debut Novel signed by Andrew. Ryan told that Andrew was a close friend of him and secretly Ryan also wanted to be a writer and it wasn’t a surprise for her. After spending so much time she knew he was not what he showed everyone. He was caring, compassionate and a closet Nerd. On the day of Semi-finals, Anna had gone to confess her feelings. After Ryan won, she decided to leave the love letter in his locker. But Riya the head cheerleader caught her and crushed the letter and trashed it.

Riya yelled at her, “I know you are trying to trap Ryan by acting good in the Retirement home. But you don’t belong with him. I know who you are and how your father stole everyone’s money and died. So, you poor little girl was left alone in debt.” Anna Slapped her and just then the whole team entered and Riya started crying and telling lies that Anna was trying to steal from his locker and when she stopped Anna, she slapped Riya. But Anna couldn’t bear one more word and ran away before Ryan could accuse her too. Ryan came calling her name, but when she looked to see anger or accusation in his eyes, those eyes were filled with worry and anger.

But what Riya had said was true, Anna didn’t belong with him. So, she looked in his eyes and said, “Your 45 days of detention are over. From today we should pretend that we don’t know each other. Anyways we never belonged together. Let us think of the time that we spent together as a dream and forget each other.” And then she started to leave, but he stopped her hand and she could see the confusion, frustration and hurt in his eyes. He then held her and asked, “You are telling me that, whatever we had that meant nothing to you, and that you can easily forget about us. I say, Bullshit Anna. Look into my eyes and say that you never felt anything for me.” Anna looked at him and said. “We were nothing “ which was partially true. Then she left and cried till she fell asleep that night.

***

That day Ryan was devastated. After Anna left, he went to the locker room gathered his things and went out without a single word. When He finally reached home late at night, Sam was waiting. Sam gave him Anna’s letter and told him the truth. He got happy when he realised, she loved her but then he remembered Anna’s words and thought everything was over. Sam sat beside him holding the manuscript he was currently writing about him and Anna. Sam and tucker were the only one besides his Creative literature professor who knew that he was Andrew. Sam gave Ryan the book and said, “You always do what is expected of you, for once in life do something for you, fight for her who make you happy”. Next day Ryan went to Rustic Heights, Maria told him that Anna hadn’t wanted to meet him. So, he left the script, and a letter in response to her’s asking her forgiveness, to start over again and asked her if she can come for finals as it was his last game.

Present

As his heart shattered thinking that she was not coming, he saw someone familiar standing near his car with his book and letter in her hand. When he came near, Anna just asked, “Is it true whatever you have written, Andrew? And are you really going to leave football?”

Ryan held Anna, pulled her closer till their eyes were just inches apart and said, “Each and every word written there is true. Anna you were unexpected but the best thing that could happen to me and showed what real happiness is. I want to be who I am and to be with who love this me. I love you Anna. Will you be mine?” Anna’s eyes moistened and she started nodding, laughing and hugging him and said, “Yes, I love you too Ryan Andrew Brown.”

***THE END***