Rules We Break

Kehlani 

Click, click.

I snapped. My heart blossomed with pride and happiness as I adored my boyfriend. 

Elliot….he was effortlessly perfect on ice, radiant and charming. I cheered, my camera lens focused on him, Brookstone High’s golden boy. I captured every single angle, looking forward to editing it to the school's magazine. Then, Elliot's looking towards my direction, I blushed and waved my hands to signal him. 

“Elliot!” I yelled, trying to get his attention. I shouldn't have leaned in so far. The edge of the rink board was slick from the cold. 

My unsteady balance made my body tip off. The world faded around as my body fell into the cold hard surface and my camera, destroyed. I winced in pain, the coldness from the ice made my hands numb. 

There came a general gasp from everyone. 

“What the fuck, Kehlani!” Elliot skated towards me. My clumsiness seems to make the game stop. I was the centre of attraction. I silently cursed the rink for being unforgivable and betraying me. 

I chuckled. “Ouch. It hurts.” Trying to find a way up. 

“Are you nuts?!” He pulled off his helmet, heaving. I thought Elliot wanted to haul me up. His voice was high and dangerous. Also, his brows furrowed like anger itself, nostrils flared and shoulders heaving. It was quiet. Too quiet. Everyone's attention was on us. I didn't know what to do. My boyfriend was acting strange. 

“What are you doing here?”

I swallowed. “Seriously?” My voice was low. “I was just trying to film for the club and I fell.”

“I didn't ask you to.”

My heart dropped. “Where's all these coming from?” 

“My mouth. Where else? You're always doing too much. That's why I can't take it anymore and I can't do this.”

“What?” 

“This, us…our relationship. I'm done pretending. I'm sick of your presence. You disgust me and it's over. It's fucking over.” He runs his hands through his hair. 

The rink around me blurred as I tried to process what had just happened. I got up on my feet trying to maintain my balance on the slippery ice but fell back with everyone laughing. I tried again, my legs wobbled and my palm met the Ice again. I watched how the team gathered awkwardly to stare at the scenario. 

“Elliot, please stop. What are you talking about?” My vision was blinded with tears and I felt hot. I was burning. 

“Go away from me. Kehlani. I have a girlfriend already.” His jaw tightened, every blatant word felt like a gunshot to my chest. 

Tears slipped down my eyes. “Babe.” I managed to get up drawing myself close to him so I won't fall. “What did I do wrong? Please don't end things with us. Please. Let's talk after the game.” 

He pushed himself back. “We're done already. You're interrupting my game.”

I looked front and all eyes on us. Me, specifically because I was crying hard. “ You're… you're…dumping me?” My voice faltered, my face turned white, and hairs lifting on my arm as a sign of discomfort while people stared. I noticed phones directed to us. Gosh, I've never felt so humiliated. 

“Are you deaf? Gosh…all those awards you won for Best in English is definitely a waste. Can't you understand me?” 

His eyes showed no mercy. Violent and fierce. 

“Elliot please stop. People ... .are watching us including your coach.”

“Exactly. Let them watch us. So they'll know we aren't together. I'm sick and tired of your clinginess, constant emotions, weird photography obsession. You suffocate me!”

The veins from his neck popped out and my tears were hot. 

The whistle cut through. I looked back to see the coach confused himself. It was embarrassing. 

“Elliot. You're making a mistake. Why would you end things in front of everyone?”

“You're the one making a mistake.”

“Don't you love me anymore? Please, look into my eyes and tell me you don't. I whispered, wiping my tears away. 

“I don't love you.” It wasn't even up a second, he shattered my heart completely. 

“I love myself…and my new girlfriend.” He smiled looking back and he skated towards the edge to see Maddie stretching. 

“Meet my new girlfriend.”

He didn't hesitate to put his arms over her waist and kisses her. I covered my mouth with my hands, Gobsmacked. It wasn't just a kiss. It was possessive, passionate and a french kiss. The crowd went wild and my heart clenched. I fell helplessly. Maddie pulled back. Both of them were breathing and smiling. 

“Is this enough evidence or we should kiss again?” he smiled breathlessly. 

How dare Maddie. We used to hang out together and share fries. Just like that, the ice beneath wasn't cold, it was hot. I was embarrassed and humiliated. I wiped my tears and slipped through the ice to escape the crowd. They booed at me and I made it to the gate, where I exited the ice ring. 

“Savage.” Students laughed and recorded while I ran past them. 

“Kehlani.” I heard Olive's voice but I ignored running far away. 

“Kehlani, wait.” She yelled my name running after me but I was so emotionally damaged to answer her. I ran away from the rink and into the hallway, past the locker rooms to the female's restroom. This has to be a dream. I ran my hands through my hair, crying like a new born baby, I almost choked. I'm staring back at my reflection in the mirror. What did I do to deserve this?

“Kehlani!” The door opened and Olive saw me sitting on the floor, lamenting. Olive had been my close friend since sophomore year. 

“Something's wrong. He loves me and I love him. What's going on?” I cried bitterly and she knelt beside me. 

“I'm so sorry girl. But. He embarrassed you and treated you so badly in front of everyone. Elliot doesn't deserve you. He's too narcissistic.” She rolled her eyes. 

“I swear I'm never going back to the rink. I've been so fucking humiliated. Everyone's gonna post it and I'll be the new laughing stock.” Imagine my ex kissing my ex friend. Totally savage!

“Forget about him. Just leave that asshole. Now he's dating Maddie. How dare she. She betrayed you. Us! I knew this would happen. My spirit of discernment told me so long ago.” Olive hissed. 

“How am I supposed to cope? The very person I love. Oh God. What I'm I supposed to do?”

“Enough with those ugly tears.” Olive warned. 

“He promised me we'd get married. I'm going to kill myself olive. I'm going to commit suicide.” My lips thinned into a line and I felt the hotness in my throat. 

Olive gave me a stare that could kill. “He used you Kehlani. He manipulated you. You were too blind to notice because you were being gaslighted.”

I sobbed gently. She wasn't wrong. “I'm so hurt.” I covered my face. 

“I'm so sorry you got hurt. It's okay.” 

“I swear, I'm never dating a hockey player. Ever.”

She hugged me and I cried silently. I vowed inwardly as my lips trembled. 

Never will I return to the rink.