The Last Time You Let Me Down

Three days later, I flew back to Harbor City from Hollan.

Jason and Wendy, who'd promised to arrive at the same time, were nowhere to be seen.

I collected my luggage and took a cab home without waiting for them.

The driver was a chatty man who struck up a conversation as soon as I got in.

"Traveling alone, miss?"

"Yeah."

"That's pretty brave of you. Weren't you scared?"

I smiled. "Not anymore."

By the time I got home, I had several unread messages.

They were all in our group chat.

Wendy: "Yara, I'm so sorry! I booked the wrong flights! We're not coming back until tomorrow!"

Jason: "You little scatterbrain. And you thought you could travel alone? Good thing I came with you."

Wendy: "Yara, your boyfriend's picking on me again! Tell him to stop!"

I set down my luggage and typed a reply.

"You're both in Hollandia, aren't you? You can flirt with each other without involving me."

Jason called almost immediately.

The moment I answered, I could hear Wendy trying to hold back her sobs in the background.

Jason sounded irritated.

"Yara, what's that supposed to mean? Are you accusing us of something?"

"No."

"Then what were you trying to say?"

"Just stating the obvious."

"Yara Lincoln! It's just one trip! Wendy made an honest mistake. Besides, didn't you get to spend three days vacationing in Hollan on my dime?

"Wendy's crying her eyes out right now. Hurry up and make her feel better."

He handed the phone to Wendy.

"Wendy, stop crying. I'll make Yara apologize. We're supposed to visit Gieterhaven later, remember? Don't ruin your makeup."

Between sniffles, Wendy apologized to me.

"I'm sorry, Yara. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have come to Hollandia."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Then will you come pick us up at the airport tomorrow? Our flight lands at seven in the morning."

Wendy's sobs gradually subsided.

"I'm really sorry, Yara. I'll bring you back a present."

Jason lowered his voice to comfort her.

"Of course she'll come. Now stop crying. Let's go fix your makeup."

"I didn't bring my compact."

"I brought it, silly. It's in my bag."

They went on talking as though I wasn't even there, completely forgetting to hang up.

I ended the call.

Five minutes passed.

No callback. No messages.

Once again, they'd forgotten all about me.

I went to my bedroom and immediately noticed the handmade wind chime hanging by the window.

I walked over and carefully took it down.

Jason had taken me to a craft shop to make it during a long weekend, back when we'd first started dating.

He'd told me that whenever the wind chime rang, it meant he was thinking of me.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard it ring.

My phone buzzed.

I instinctively checked it, only to find a notification from a newsletter I'd subscribed to.

I opened my messages.

Jason's and Wendy's conversations were still pinned at the top.

Their last messages to me were from three days ago, reminding me to pack my bags.

Everything after that was just a string of unanswered texts from me.

I opened my social media app and went to Jason's profile.

His profile picture was still a photo of us holding hands, but hardly anything he posted had to do with me anymore.

In the year we'd been together, he'd only posted about me five times.

In just three days with Wendy, he'd already made fifteen posts.

My phone froze for a second.

I refreshed the page.

Jason had changed his cover photo.

It now showed Wendy standing on a street in Hollandia, her face lighting up with surprise and happiness as she accepted an enormous bouquet of roses.

It wasn't hard to guess who'd given them to her.

I lowered my eyes, casually liked the photo, and closed the app.

Then I found a box filled with everything Jason had given me.

I stared at its contents for a while before placing the wind chime inside.

Tomorrow, I'd return everything to him.

And then I'd say goodbye.

*

The next morning, I arrived at the airport right on time.

I waited from seven until ten.

I called them more than a dozen times, but neither of them picked up.

I hadn't eaten anything, and my empty stomach was making me dizzy.

Something felt wrong. Lightheaded and barely able to think straight, I decided to head outside the airport to get some breakfast.

But before I could make it out, I suddenly collapsed.

I hit the floor with a thud.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed with an IV drip in my arm.

"Oh, you're awake. You passed out at the airport from low blood sugar. They brought you here in an ambulance."

The nurse went over a few things I needed to watch out for, then added, "Oh, and your phone's been ringing nonstop."

"Thank you."

I struggled to sit up and checked my phone.

Sure enough, I had several missed calls.

Every single one was from Jason or Wendy.

I casually called back.

"Yara Lincoln! Didn't you promise to pick us up? Where the hell are you?"

Jason's furious voice exploded through the phone the moment he answered.

"It's already one in the afternoon! If you didn't want to come, you could've just said so! Wendy gets airsick, and she still waited around for you! Now she's feeling awful!

"If you've got a problem, take it up with me! Don't take it out on your best friend! What did she ever do to you?"

"It's okay, Jason. Don't yell at Yara."

"Stay out of this! You keep letting her get away with everything, and now she thinks she can treat you however she wants!

"Yara, get over here. Wendy and I are waiting at the bubble tea shop outside the airport."

Before I could get a single word out, he hung up.

The nurse had heard everything.

She frowned, looking at me with sympathy.

"Was that your friend's boyfriend? What a jerk."

I pushed myself upright.

"No. He's my boyfriend."

The nurse stared at me in surprise as I calmly grabbed my backpack, settled my bill, and left.

When I reached the bubble tea shop, Jason and Wendy were wearing matching T-shirts, sharing a drink, and playing a mobile game together.

"Hey! Why didn't you protect me again?"

Wendy had just been killed in the game.

Annoyed, she reached for Jason's phone.

"Give me that! I'm not done playing!"

"Even Yara's never played on my account. No way I'm letting you!"

"Ugh, you're bringing up Yara again? You're such a jerk!"

Jason let her snatch his phone, and she immediately wasted all his character's abilities.

I watched as he helplessly took his phone back.

It reminded me of when we used to play games together.

Back then, all he'd ever done was complain about how quickly I got killed.

Whenever I leaned over to watch him play, he'd frown and push me away, telling me to stop distracting him.

Wendy had told me that was just how guys were.

They took their games seriously.

But now I understood.

He just hadn't loved me enough.

When the match ended, Jason casually picked up Wendy's bubble tea and took a sip.

I walked over.

The moment he spotted me, irritation flashed across his face.

"See? You got here pretty fast. So why couldn't you show up on time to pick us up?"

"You said you'd land at seven."

Jason hesitated, then softened his tone.

"Well, you could've waited for us. And if you had to leave, you could've at least texted us."

"Why didn't you tell me when you were actually landing?"

I looked him straight in the eye.

"You got the time wrong. You could've let me know, or at least checked with me first. I'm tired of always having to wait around for you two."

Wendy came over, holding out her phone with the bubble tea menu pulled up.

"Yara, don't be mad. It's all my fault. Please don't fight with Jason because of me. Come on, let me get you something to drink. What would you like?"

"I'm not trying to fight."

My voice was calm.

"Jason, let's break up."

*

Jason's head snapped up. He stared at me in disbelief.

"Yara Lincoln, do you even hear what you're saying?"

Wendy quickly grabbed my arm.

"Yara, if you're upset, be mad at me. Don't make a decision you'll regret.

"You worked so hard to win Jason over. Don't throw your relationship away because of me. I'll leave, okay?"

"You're not going anywhere."

Jason's expression darkened, and his voice turned mocking.

"Yara, you were the one who practically begged me to date you. Are you seriously breaking up with me now?"

"Yes."

A long silence followed.

Finally, Jason asked, "Why?"

"Because I don't think we're right for each other anymore."

"I asked you why."

His voice grew increasingly hostile.

"Is it because I snapped at you a few times? Because of what I posted on social media? Or because we went to Hollandia without you?

"Yara, you never used to question me about these things. I thought you were mature enough to trust me instead of getting jealous over nothing."

"Well, I guess I'm not that mature."

"Do you have to argue with everything I say?"

Jason slammed his fist on the table, his eyes red with anger.

"I'm just going to pretend you didn't say that. Go home and think about what you're doing. Hasn't Wendy always treated you well? Haven't I?

"All this because she got a few things mixed up and you missed out on Hollandia? I've always made it clear that you're my girlfriend. Isn't that enough?"

"Exactly, Yara!" Wendy chimed in. "There's nothing going on between Jason and me. We fight all the time!"

"Enough. You don't owe her an explanation."

Jason stood up, grabbed Wendy by the wrist, and headed for the door.

"Just don't come crying to me when you start college and someone gives you a hard time."

With that, they left.

I ordered a bubble tea, but Jason's parting words kept playing in my head.

I'd always been shy and quiet, which made me an easy target for bullies.

Jason had stood up for me once.

After that, whenever someone picked on me, I'd go straight to him for protection.

He'd kept looking out for me, year after year.

Eventually, we'd started dating. It had seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

But now, Jason was the one hurting me.

At least I'd learned how to stand up for myself.

I finished my bubble tea and went home alone.

College was starting in three days.

That evening, Mom brought it up over dinner.

"Yara, are you sure you want to go to that university overseas?"

"I'm sure."

"So you're not going to college in Kingsford anymore?"

I smiled.

"No, Mom. I've made up my mind."

She didn't press me. Instead, she put another piece of pot roast on my plate.

"Once you go overseas, we won't get to see you much. Wendy mentioned your class is having a get-together tomorrow night. You should go and say your goodbyes."

*

The next day, I showed up at the restaurant Mom had told me about.

I was certain the party was supposed to start at seven.

But when I arrived, everyone had already been there for a while.

Our class president frowned as soon as I walked in.

"Yara, where have you been? You're an hour and a half late! It's one thing to be late normally, but this is our graduation party!"

I pulled out my phone.

"I was told it started at seven."

He scoffed.

"Just admit you're late. Wendy sent everyone the details herself. What, you think she gave you the wrong time on purpose?"

The whole class burst out laughing.

Wendy was sitting next to Jason. She waved when she saw me.

I looked around.

The only empty seats were beside them.

With no other choice, I sat down.

Everyone quickly went back to chatting.

"So, where are Jason and Wendy going to college?"

"Kingsford University, obviously! Isn't that Jason's dream school?"

"Nice! Our class's power duo is taking Kingsford by storm!"

Everyone crowded around Jason and Wendy, clinking their glasses with them.

I was practically getting crushed.

Without thinking, I called out to Jason.

He glanced at me with a faint smile but made no move to help.

I pressed my lips together and forced myself to speak up.

"Can you guys give me some space?"

Jason's friends immediately got annoyed.

"What's your problem, Yara? You're the one who wanted to sit next to Jason."

"Yeah! We're not even talking to you. What's with the attitude?"

"No wonder Jason and Wendy went to Hollandia without you. If I were him, I would've dumped you ages ago!"

"Hey, knock it off! Anyone who picks on Yara is gonna have to deal with me!"

Wendy waved her fists playfully.

"Yara, don't be upset. Everyone's just annoyed because you showed up late."

"I wasn't late. You gave me the wrong time."

I stood up.

"Why did you tell my mom the party started at seven?"

Wendy blinked innocently.

"What are you talking about? I sent everyone the same message. There's no way I got it wrong."

Then her eyes filled with tears.

"Yara, I know you're still mad at me, but you can't just make things up about me!"

"You shouldn't have invited her in the first place! Nobody here even likes her!"

"Exactly! Jason, can't you do something about your girlfriend?"

Everyone started chiming in, pressuring Jason to step in.

Beside him, Wendy was crying pitifully.

Jason folded his arms and watched me with a smug look on his face.

It all made sense now.

Wendy hadn't pulled this stunt alone.

"Jason? Why would you do this to me?"

"You upset Wendy. What's the big deal if you get embarrassed a little to make her feel better?"

Jason scoffed and pulled Wendy into his arms.

"You think there's something going on between us, right? Fine. There is. Happy now?

"Yara, I can't believe how ungrateful you are. Every time something goes wrong, you find some way to blame Wendy.

"Now apologize to her for accusing her!"

Wendy halfheartedly tried to pull away.

"Jason, don't treat Yara like that."

"She needs to learn her lesson. Maybe then she'll stop acting like everyone's out to get her."

I went cold all over.

I stared at the two people I'd once considered the most important people in my life.

"Hey, Jason! Look what she's got in her bag! All the stuff you gave her!"

At some point, one of Jason's friends had gone through my backpack and pulled out the box of gifts I'd planned to return to him.

Jason gave the box a quick glance without bothering to open it.

My face went pale.

I turned and lunged for my bag, desperate to get it back.

But Jason grabbed me and wouldn't let go, demanding that I apologize to Wendy.

Meanwhile, his friend had found my diary.

He flipped it open to a random page and started reading aloud.

"May 12. Sunny. Jason didn't text me first again today, but he brought me some milk, so I forgave him!"

"June 1. Cloudy. Jason skipped school to take Wendy to an amusement park. I wish I could've gone too, but I need to focus on my grades. I have to study harder if I want to get into Kingsford University and go to college with Jason!"

The room erupted in laughter.

"What the hell is this? A whole diary dedicated to Jason?"

Even Wendy, who'd been crying just moments ago, turned away to hide a laugh.

I stood frozen in the middle of the crowd while they passed my diary around, reading through my most private thoughts.

Jason did nothing to stop them.

Instead of standing up for me, he stood against me, looking down at me as he spoke.

"Yara, apologize to me and Wendy, and I'll forget this whole thing ever happened. I'll still be your boyfriend. Hell, I'll even marry you someday."

Wendy wiped away her tears.

"Yara, it's okay. You don't have to apologize to me.

"But Jason's such a great guy. Just say you're sorry to him, okay? We're all going to Kingsford. We should be looking out for each other."

I was trembling with anger, my ears ringing so loudly I could barely think.

Somehow, I found the strength to shove Jason away.

I snatched the box off the floor and threw it at him.

Everything he'd given me spilled out, scattering across the floor.

Then I grabbed my diary, stuffed the battered notebook into my backpack, and walked out without looking back.

Before I left, I shouted one last thing.

"Jason Jasper! We're done!"

The moment I got home, I finished packing everything I had left.

Early the next morning, I left for Sorenia ahead of schedule.

Two days later, Jason and Wendy arrived in Kingsford.

Wendy kept urging Jason to hurry so they could check in at Kingsford University, but he couldn't stop staring at the airport exit, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar face.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

He pulled out his phone and called Yara.

The call wouldn't go through.

She'd blocked his number.

His fingers trembled as he tried calling her parents instead.

But neither of them would tell him where she was.

A terrible feeling settled in his stomach.

He made another call, this time to their former homeroom teacher.

The teacher sounded surprised.

"Yara? She left for college overseas two days ago. Didn't you know?"