Love?

Anton sighed as he looked upon Eurydice, her horn-rimmed glasses staring back at him with the most uncompromising of faces. She wasn't unlikeable, he knew because he had a no-so-secret crush on her, but there were moments where her demeanour would change on whim and give her the dour expression that was her default. She wasn't easily amused either, outwardly, but he knew that there were ways to get beyond her high standards to elicit that elusive chuckle from Eurydice.

``What is it now?'' Eurydice finally said, breaking the silence, an air of annoyance clearly conveyed through the quivering of her lips and her folded arms. ``Do you have something to tell me or are you just going to stand there and stare away at me?''

Anton sighed once more and mustered whatever was left of his courage. Asking Eurydice out was already a hard enough thing without having to undergo what he was about to do.

``Eurydice, I love you. I love you very much. Will you go out with me?''

Eurydice's face was a mask of dispassion. It was hard to tell if she was considering the statement made or if she was merely waiting for more words from Anton.

A minute of uncomfortable silence passed. Anton looked on at Eurydice desperately, feeling the heat that was slowly spreading from his face to elsewhere, the type of heat more commonly associated with pure embarrassment while Eurydice still looked at him without batting an eyelid. He wasn't sure if she was actually secretly revelling in his discomfort or was struggling to find the right words to reply. It seemed certain to him though that the answer wasn't going to be something that he wanted.

``Love. Love is just a symbol given to a series of biochemical reactions that occur within your body. Unfortunately for you, I do not have the same set of biochemical reactions, and even if I had, I do not tend to symbolise it as Love. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but what you speak of is an impossibility. You think that you love me, but really, I don't love you. You are probably better off associating that symbolic feeling with someone else. I have dated enough to know that your kind don't last long in any relationship involving the likes of me. I wish you good luck, and if there is nothing else, I would like to leave now.''

Anton's jaw dropped in disbelief as Eurydice tarried for a while waiting for him to say something. Noting that nothing else was going to happen, she turned around and left, leaving Anton still standing there in shock and delayed sadness.