Heartbreak

CHAPTER 3: Heartbreak.

I woke up the next morning with a terrible cold.

My roommate, Kira, moved around our small room, getting herself ready for church.

"Hey, Dash," she said, holding up two scarves... one black, one white. "Which one matches my outfit better?"

"I don't know... They’re both okay, I guess," I muttered, sounding as miserable as I felt.

She lowered the scarves, studying me. "Are you okay?"

"No." I groaned, and let out a sneeze. "This cold is killing me."

"You know where the meds are," she said. "Take the ones for cold, after you eat."

"But I hate drugs," I grumbled.

"You don’t have a choice," she said simply, moving to the mirror to apply makeup... something she rarely bothered with.

"You are trying to look extra good today," I noted. "What’s the occasion?"

"Nothing," she said quickly but her voice betrayed her.actually.

"Are you sure it’s not because of that guy you are crushing on? Caleb, right?"

Her face flushed instantly. "No… it’s nothing like that."

'Yup, definitely Caleb.'

Kira had a huge crush on a church brother, who unfortunately liked another sister.

"Hey, can I borrow your phone for a moment?" she asked.

Automatically, I reached under my pillow but couldn’t find it. I checked the nightstand... it wasn’t there either. Confused, I raised my head, trying to remember where I left it.

Then I remembered.

"It was stolen," I replied, resting my head back on the pillow. My phone had been in the bag that got snatched yesterday.

"Stolen? How?" Kira asked.

"It’s a long story," I answered, not having the strength to explain. Thankfully, she didn’t ask further.

She finished dressing and admired herself in the mirror.

"I think your purple and black sneakers would match better with this outfit." She said.

"Don’t bother. I lost the sneakers."

"You lost them? How? Was it also stolen?" She fired question after question.

"Maybe," I replied, not planning on telling her about the stranger... or the money.

"Oh no! I am already late!" she exclaimed when she checked the time. She grabbed her things in a hurry and opened the door.

"I am off now, bye!"

"Bye."

"When I get back, you have to tell me about how the party went," she added before leaving.

I thought that after Kira left, I would sleep a little. But her last sentence brought back memories of Zane... and my humiliation the previous night. Memories I had been trying so hard not to think about.

"Damn you, Kira," I muttered.

__________

The next day, my body felt better, so I forced myself to school. After classes, I stopped by a phone shop to get a new phone.

I was stepping out of the shop when I saw a familiar supercar parked outside... a Drako GTE. And resting in the driver’s seat was the owner… Zane.

Our eyes met for a brief moment before I turned away and kept walking.

The engine roared to life, as the car was drove towards my direction.

"Dashmel," Zane called out.

I completely ignored him and kept onwalking.

The car slowly followed, pulling up beside me.

"Hey, I am talking to you," he said.

"And I don’t want to talk to you. Leave me alone, Zane," I replied.

He parked unexpectedly and got out of the car. I didn't stop walking, so he had to jog after me.

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"If you touch me again, I will sue you for harassment," I warned.

"Why are you making this difficult?" he demanded.

"Difficult?" I laughed bitterly. "After the humiliation I suffered at your party, do you expect me to be happy with you, Zane?"

"It was just a game." he said.

"Just a game? I expected a better apology than that."

"Hold on," he said, raising his hands. "I am not here to apologize. I just want to collect my key from you."

"What key?"

"My apartment key. Didn’t you see the text I sent you?" he asked.

"What text?"

"I sent you a breakup message, Dash. And asked you to bring the key to school today."

Everywhere became silent.

Zane's words echoed in my head until something inside me cracked.

"You broke up with me… through a text?"

People walking by slowed down, sensing drama.

Zane folded his arms. "I wanted to avoid drama. Besides, we weren't that serious."

We weren’t that serious?

After all the times I fed him, supported him, gave him money when he had nothing? After everything I did for him when girls like Nikka wanted nothing to do with him?

"You should have ended things sooner," I whispered, with a soft, fragile voice.

I hated how weak I felt at the moment. I already expected this to happen soon, so why did it still hurt so much?

"Look, I gave you signs that I wasn’t interested anymore. You refused to see them," he said defensively. "Besides, you were the one who was into me... You approached me first, remember?"

His words stabbed me. I didn’t even notice when a tear slipped from my eye.

I laughed painfully.

"Is that so? Then why did you invite me to your party? You embarrassed me in front of everyone. You let them mock me... all for what?"

Tears gathered in my eyes, but I held them back. I refused to break in front of him.

He shrugged. "Look, it’s over. Just give me the key."

"I lost it. Along with my phone and everything else."

"Dash, stop being dramatic..."

"I SAID I LOST YOUR DAMN KEY!" I snapped. The tears I had been fighting, started gushing. "What more do you want from me, Zane?"

He froze.

I didn’t wait for his reaction. I turned and walked away.

__________

When I opened the apartment door, I found my roommate making out with a guy in the living room.

Her shirt was off. The guy was in his boxers.

"Oh sh*t... Dash, I didn’t know you’d be back so soon," she said as they scrambled for their clothes.

I walked past them silently and locked myself inside our room.

"I am so sorry," I heard Kira whisper.

"I didn’t know she was coming back this early."

"It’s okay," the guy murmured. "I will leave now."

Moments later, the front door shut.

Then Kira knocked on the room's door.

"Dashmel? Are you okay?"

I didn't answer.

"Dash, please talk to me."

"Just go away!" I yelled. "I want to be alone!"

"Okay," she whispered.

I curled myself on the bed and sobbed.

I had been in two relationships before Zane, and both ended the same way... with the guys leaving for someone prettier, and better.

I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me.

I didn’t know how long I cried.

Eventually, I opened the door. Kira came in immediately, worry on her face. I told her about the breakup, and she held me as I cried again.

__________

Life moved on after that. But I didn’t. I drifted through the semester silently, avoiding people.

Word spread that Zane and Nikka were officially together. I wasn’t surprised. I wished them luck... or maybe I didn’t. I honestly couldn’t tell anymore.

Finally, the semester ended. Almost everyone traveled home for the holidays, including Kira. But I chose to remain in school.

Two days after she left, I was cleaning the apartment when a black card fell out of my textbook.

On the card was the name Jack Of'hell.

"Oh" I couldn’t believe I hadn’t called Jack once since the day we met.

So I dialed the number. It rang twice, before it was picked.

"Hello, who’s speaking?" a familiar deep voice asked.

"Hi, it’s Dashmel… the girl you..."

"I remember," he said. "Not many people have your name. Though I must say, I am surprised it took you this long to reach out."

"I am sorry. I was busy with school… and other things."

"Well, better late than never," he said. "I don’t know if you are free, but there are some games I want us to play."

"Sure. I am not doing anything now."

"Good. I will send you the location to my private airport. Be there before six. One of my jets will pick you up."

"…Wait. A jet? Today?" I asked, not sure that I heard correctly.

"Yes. Better arrive early than late."