They've known each other for 13 years, thirteen years they'd been together, thirteen years they'd loved and cared for each other, that's not a short time, right? They—Tshabina, Tsabinu, Zioh, and Zeremia—spent it all together, through thick and thin, as friends. But why? Why does the man standing in front of Tshabina right now act like it means nothing? What's the real reason? Tshabina could never understand. Since Zioh and Zeremia moved to another continent and disappeared, they hadn't even contacted her. And when they returned after 10 years, this is what she got: hatred from him.
"Zi… please, we need to talk." Tshabina whispered, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. It was still 5:00 am, and the man in front of her seemed really unwilling to even wait for the sun to rise before leaving.
"What?" Zioh replied, his tone so harsh, utterly devoid of warmth.
"At least after what happened last night, you can't just leave without saying anything, Zi. Please, sit down, talk to me for a bit—" Before Tshabina could finish, Zioh cut her off with words that stung.
"After what happened last night?… Ahh, yeah, I was drunk last night, and when I sobered up, I found myself in this shitty situation. How did you manage to seduce me last night, huh? I know you're not a goody-two-shoes, but I didn't know you were a slut, Tshabina." Zioh's words were brutally cruel to the woman he'd just been intimate with hours before. And yes, "Tshabina"—Zioh now always used her first name, whereas before he always called her by her last name, "Sophie".
"ZIOH!" No, Tshabina couldn't hold it back, her tears just fell after he said that. Maybe it wouldn't hurt this much if it wasn't him, she wouldn't be crying if it wasn't Zioh. They shouldn't have ended up like this, not just the two of them, but all four of them. Zioh used to be the first one to step up if someone hurt her, but now it turned out he was the one who hurt her the most, and in the worst way possible.
"It wasn't me who seduced you last night, it wasn't me who—" Before Tshabina could finish, Zioh spoke up.
"Oh, so it was me?" He asked lightly, buttoning his shirt and looking back at her. "How much do you want then?" Zioh asked again, all cleaned up and ready to leave.
"Jerk. You're such a jerk, Zioh. You're evil." Tshabina said in a low, trembling voice, but with emphasis. She could only stand there and watch that man walk towards the door, his face impassive, his eyes red.
"Just like you." After saying that, Zioh finally left, leaving Tshabina utterly devastated by his words and actions. But could Tshabina do the same? Hate him? No. Never. Because what they had wasn't as simple as hating him and leaving him. No. It wasn't that simple.
Notes:
Their story is set in Jakarta, Indonesia, so there may be some conversations in Indonesian or sentences that use Italics and Bold to indicate that they are speaking in Indonesian.
25 Songs About Them:
London Boy - Taylor Swift
So High School - Taylor Swift
We Don't Talk Anymore- Charlie Puth ft Selena Gomez
I Miss you, I'm Sorry - Gracie Abrams
I Love you, I'm Sorry - Gracie Abrams
1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back - Olivia Rodrigo
Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo
Remember That Night? - Sara Kays
Last Kiss - Taylor Swift
About You - The 1975
August - Taylor Swift
All To Well (10 minutes version) - Taylor Swift
Exile - Taylor Swift ft Bon Iver
We Can't Be Friends - Ariana Grande
Again - Noah Cyrus ft XXXTENTACION
Dark Paradise - Lana Del Rey
Back To December - Taylor Swift
The Alcott - The National ft Taylor Swift
Rewrite The Stars - James Arthur ft Anne-Marie
Haunted - Beyonce
House Of Ballons - The Weekend
I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys
Loml - Taylor Swift
Daylight- Taylor Swift
Everywhere, Everything - Noah Kahan ft Gracie Abrams