To Thalia, with love or hate or both

Tony watched the dancing trees, one by one, as they passed him by, or as the bus he boarded moved past the trees in a seemingly lonely road flanked on both sides by thick, yet beautiful forests. He was on his way back home after being away for five years, which, to his mother, seemed like a century.

Tony usually pretended on the phone like he didn't miss his family much, but deep down, everyday he felt the urge to be with them. Saying he missed them would be the understatement of the decade. On one hand, he was excited to be going home. His parents had finally persuaded him to go spend some time with the rest of the family at home. As if the universe was in outstanding support, he got a two month leave from work that same period.

On the other hand, he knew he was definitely going to come across Thalia. Thalia is the daughter of their neighbor. His family always considered Thalia as one of them, right from the moment he and Thalia were kids. He disliked Thalia so much. There was no word to describe the hate he felt toward her. This was because Thalia snitched on him one time, when he got into a relationship with a girl at a really young age. He was a teenager, and he kept the relationship secret because he knew his parents wouldn't approve of it.

Tony couldn't help but see no good in Thalia since then. They became the worst of enemies. To him, if the devil had an identical twin, it would be Thalia. He saw her as a show off, always wanting attention. She was rude and petty, at least Tony thought so.

Thalia was good friends with his only sister, Ellis, and that meant Thalia got to spend a lot of time in their house. However, that wasn't enough to repair the broken relationship between Tony and Thalia over the years. Calling whatever they had a relationship, would be in fact, a travesty. Tony had always been concerned about his sister's inseparable friendship with Thalia. He thought some or all of that terrible character of hers was going to rub off on his sweet little sister. Surprisingly, Ellis remained an amazing person.

Tony finally arrived home. The garden in front of the house was filled with fresh blooming flowers, just as his mother loved it. His mother always had a thing for gardening. It was her hobby, and being in her old age and retired, meant she had enough time to engage in it. The house looked a little bit old, but it hadn't changed much from the way he remembered it. As he laid his eyes on the front door, he saw his sister bursting through it, arms wide open and coming at him with a speed equivalent to that of a cheetah chasing its prey. Ellis jumped on him, giving him a warm hug. Then his mother and father emerged from the house. The excitement in them was palpable.

"You've grown so big bro. You're like a giant" Ellis said

"Really? It must have been all the proteins I've been eating" Tony replied.

"You have always been a huge person. You were huge when I gave birth to you, you grew up so fast, and now you're like a giant" his mother added.

She was so happy to see her boy. She refused to let go of his arm—understandably so; she hadn't seen her son in years.

"It's nice to see you all again" Tony said

"You're welcome son" his father replied.

They all went inside the house, and as expected, Tony's mother had prepared his favorite meal. He might have changed a lot over the years, but his love for pasta never faded, rather, it grew, and his mom knew that very well.

An hour later, while the family was catching up with what was happening in Tony's life, Thalia walked in.

There was an instantly loud awkwardness immediately she walked in. The family knew Tony and Thalia never got along, and they all watched to see what his reaction would be.

Tony was stunned as Thalia walked in. She was so beautiful. She had grown into a very gorgeous lady over the years. Tony struggled to find his words as he looked at her. He stared at those grey eyes of hers— Thalia grey. That certainly had become his favorite color in a split second. Her cheeks were well shaped, her skin as smooth as the surface of a mirror. In that moment, Tony forgot he had the ability to close his mouth, as they remained open in awe.

"Welcome home Tony. It's nice to see you again" Thalia said in a soft tone capable of sinking any heart in pure ecstasy.

"Thanks Thalia" Tony managed to mumble as he struggled to find his words.

For Tony, it was as if all the hate he felt for Thalia flipped instantly to something else. He wasn't sure what it was he felt for her now, but he was certain that seeing her in that moment changed something.

Source

Everyone acted as if the rift between Tony and Thalia was non existent. Tony stole glances at Thalia at every chance he got, as he watched her discuss with his sister. Thalia couldn't help but notice the constant, repetitive stare from Tony but she said nothing.

That night, Tony wondered what was wrong with him. Thalia left the house hours ago but he still couldn't get her out of his head.

"Is this love?" he would ask himself one moment.

"No, it can't be. Not Thalia of all people" he would say the next moment.

A week later, Tony faced chaos in his mind and heart every time he saw Thalia. Somehow, she seemed to unravel him with just a stare. He could feel the weakness in his legs whenever she walked in.

Tony eventually accepted the fact that somehow, all the hate he felt towards Thalia had somehow turned to love. He decided to make his move on her.

He asked her out for dinner, and she accepted to go with him. After several dinners and time spent with her, Tony realized that Thalia wasn't always a bad person. She just acted tough because she was a sweet fragile person inside. Tony was made to understand that things are not always what they seem, or in this case, "people" are not always what they seem.

Tony got to witness how amazing Thalia was and he understood why his sister kept her as a friend all those years. He only created a bad image of her for years and stuck with it. Now, he knew better.

Weeks later, Tony and Thalia began dating, to the delight of everyone in the family. It was a relationship that was sure to lead to a blissful marriage.