An explanation for a complex emotion

“No!” Saige sighs exasperatedly and motions for Jade to help her out. “My heart is racing and my chest is tight and I cant’t breathe! That must mean I’m dying, right? Except Jade says I’m not.”

“Sounds like an anxiety attack.” He seems emotionless as cries can be heard from inside the guild.

Miquella takes a breath, “Explain when all this started.”

“Okay okay…” Saige looks around, making sure there’s no other people. She leans in and quietly says, “Whenever I’m around storm, I feel like my heart is trying to escape my body and strangle me. I feel all blurry and stuff, can’t breathe. I can’t tell her about it because I don’t want her to feel like it’s her fault that I’m dying, so I came to Jade to tell her she was going to have to turn my organs into a bag, but then she said I’m not dying and then said something about crushing Storm, but I don’t want to crush Storm! That would hurt her and I definitely don’t want to hurt her. I’m so confused.”

Saige groans and covers her face with her hands.

“She means you are liking Storm. More than a friend. Like how your mom and dad were. How me and Alaric. Selena and Jedash.” He breaks a small smile. “That is what it means to have a crush on someone. Where you can’t breath when you are around them. You feel like you have butterflies in your stomach. Your heart feels like it is going to beat out of your chest.”

“Exactly! But I still don’t understand, Jade said that too, but isn’t liking someone more than a friend just being family?” She looks confused. “And… like my mom and dad? You mean like married? Like burning down their house and doing that weird face smooshing thing? Is married just living with someone you like as family?”