"I dare you to talk with Haze for 45 minutes."
I stared blankly at Demi Mae and looked at him. He was looking straight into my eyes, like he always does every time he meets mine. I stood first, and then he did.
"Okay, when you both reach that hut, the time starts."
Was Demi's last word while pointing at the area. Before I could turn around to walk, I saw how his girlfriend held his hand to forbid him, but he removed it and followed me. Reaching the hut in silence—not until a couple of minutes, I guess—he spoke.
"How are you?"
I turned my gaze at him, plastering a small curve on my lips. For almost 8 years, it was my first time hearing his voice again.
"I was doing fine."
He nodded his head and put on a weak beam.
"Not until you left me with those empty words."
Guilt was shown on his face, and a tear skipped at me. We used to be best friends who knew each other too well— lovers with only one soul. A pair of slippers that couldn't be separated. A parallel line that was so close and synced. My secrets were his, and his were mine.
That connection lasted for almost a year. We broke up for reasons no one could understand. But he left me words saying that he would wait until we graduated from college. That he would wait until everything was right for the both of us. But now, by the looks of it, he's already admiring someone I can't reach. A trendy girl that moves way too far from what I really am.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought that up."
I stood up from where I sat, ready to walk out. He held my wrist and clinched me to him. My tears started to fall again for him, one by one, and sobs continued skipping out.
"I'm sorry!"
I can feel his heavy breathing and the guiltiness in the tone of his voice while he is uttering those words. I nodded my head multiple times while crying on his shoulder.
"I know, I understand."
My sobs went louder as he kept saying sorry. He just embraced me for the rest of the time.
I know how it feels to fall for someone you shouldn't have fallen for. People tend to break promises, people make mistakes, and people's feelings change.
Or maybe his love wasn't that strong and steady to wait for me and for everything to be alright. But still, I can't blame him for falling for someone else.
Seconds later, I was already in Joie's embrace—one of my best friends who pulled me off the cliff. She led me out with that book page. His girlfriend was rushing towards him; she was crying. I didn't mean to interfere; I was just concluding that maybe this would be our closure. My closure.
"I'm the worst."
Another tear ran down my face.
"Shh, no, you're not. It's all a dare, okay?"
She said, really doing her best to calm me down. While I was really overthinking about what happened.
I hurt someone, but I couldn't resist the happiness I felt after pressing out those words. At last, I was able to release the pain I had been holding on to for years, despite him having a girlfriend.
We went back to the group, and everyone was making a relieved face. Maybe they were expecting that a fight would happen. I hugged Demi tightly, saying "thank you" and giving her smiles before letting her go.
I'm not mad at him; I may be in pain because of what happened. He made me wait for nothing. But how could I be mad at someone who was once faithful to me? Someone who loves hanging out with those shady sides of mine—that guy didn't cheat when we were together, not even once. He took good care of me; he was good to me. And he was a man when he was still mine.
Demi was about to release me, but someone pulled my hair.
"Ouuch!"
She pulled my hair so hard that I could feel my hair separating from my head.
"No! Mayrel, stop that!"
Everyone was in chaos. Haze tried stopping her from pulling my hair, but she wouldn't let go.
"Oouw!"
I screamed in pain while she enjoyed what she was doing. A few minutes of screaming and shouting passed when I heard a knock on the door.
"Clea, breakfast is ready!"
I woke up with a teary eye while catching my breath and surveying the place like a girl being kidnapped.
"A dream. I'm alive!"