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Don't get me wrong, I care for my friend a lot. But this is something I never expected Johnny to do.
He looks like he was wallowing in self-pity.
I shook my head, feeling sorry for him.
I and Lucy just got back from school and we decided to take the bus straight to Johnny's home.
Upon arrival, we found his little sister playing alone outside. She was the one, who opened his room door with the spare key.
Oof!
A pillow hit me straight in the face.
"I thought I said I should be left alone," Johnny said, his words coming out a little muffled since his head was in between pillows.
His little sister, Beatrice walked out of the room leaving just us three.
"You missed school today," Lucy said, her voice sounding a little sad when she spoke. Or maybe it's just me.
"And you just hit my face with the pillow" I added.
He didn't even raise his head or acknowledge our presence in the room. He just laid there like a log of wood.
Johnny, the almighty clean freak had left a peel of a banana on the floor of his room.
I looked around his room which was a complete mess. His clothes were thrown around, bed was unkempt. The room was stuffy and dark.
I couldn't take it anymore, I had to open the blinds. Allowing light to illuminate the room.
Thankfully this got Johnny to get up.
Lucy let out a frightened squeak making me turn around to see the problem, which was Johnny.
His hair was unkempt, his eyes puffy and wet. There was...wait, is that decayed biscuit in his hair? I believe it is.
"What happened to you?" Lucy asked him. She sat down on the bed beside him placing a hand on his lap.
He got up though, walked towards the window, stood beside me, and started singing.
Wow! This was worse than I thought.
"What do you get when you fall in love? You get a pin to burst your bubbles, that's what you get for all your troubles, I will never fall in love again"
Lucy gave me a look confused and I smirked.
I knew it was a girl.
"She was beautiful" He added. "Nice, brunette, cute too. I met her at the shore of the beach. Miami was a great place to have amazing Tan. Her skin... gosh! I don't know how to describe it, but it was perfect. I thought I was going to spend the entire holiday at home playing video games. But no. I even went horse riding... every single moment was perfect. And the day before I would come back here, I saw her..." he gulped. "I saw her in the bed with...him...her ex...my rival at the gaming competition...I just" he sat on the floor, crying.
Lucy and I both sat beside him, our arms around his shoulder.
I can't help but remember what happened long ago. But I shook my head, this isn't about me but Johnny. I feel so sad for him.
"Falling in love is like holding a candle. Initially, it lightens up the room. Then it starts melting and the wax slowly burns you. Finally, the flames burn out. Everything becomes dark and all you are left with is the burn" I said.
"But whenever you are in love, you keep on trying," Lucy said. I swear the look on her face could make one think she is the one who got her heartbroken.
"Until you get thrown into the sea" Johnny murmured.
I said nothing, I wasn't one to say much.
"I know, I missed school. I have no way of winning the game...I just want to be left alone, can you girls just leave me alone?"
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I zoned out the minute work started. It was already late in the evening and the supermarket was slow as always.
The supermarket was located in a town far away from our home. Mina, my younger sister, was yet to arrive, Mom had left for her night shift at work. So, it was just me and myself alone in this lonely store.
We were just a family of three, a younger sister who is still in middle school and a mom who works as a health assistant in a hospital.
Life hasn't been going well, nothing happens. Financial issues, my mother is depressed and I am stressed. Both mentally and physically.
I sat down and started working on my essay.
But I can't help but feel that what Lucy said was true. 10 years ago, he was my dad, two years later he was someone else, dad, 8 years later he was our enemy and the most popular gynecologist in town.
Can life be any more unfair?
I dropped my pen and tugged it on the hem of my shirt as I sing to myself, eyes closed. Everyone has their ritual to calm down, mine was singing. I thought about the past again, how much life was easier when we were a full family. When we were close and tight-knit. I wish I could turn back time, but I also wish I couldn't.
Tears pricked my eyes. It hurts. A lot.
"You have a beautiful voice," a voice said.
I opened my eyes quickly and looked up. Trying to adjust myself to be the perfect salesperson.
And that's when I saw him. The king of the cream of crops. The heartbreaker, the one who every girl would want to spend time with.
Jason Kade.
Remember I told you that every teen has their own story about high school?
Well, this was how mine began.
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