I Wish I Was Your Joke

My best friend loved playing 'jokes.' On my birthday, she projected my worst photos in front of everyone, saying she just wanted to 'liven up the mood.' When I was on my period, she deliberately gave me a defective pad. Even when she saw the stain on my clothes, she said nothing–claiming she was helping me 'get more attention.' After I started dating, she edited my photos into suggestive images and spread them across social media groups, pricing them like a product. When I finally snapped and confronted her, she just laughed. "I'm just helping you test your boyfriend," she said. "If he doubts you, then he doesn't really love you. How can you blame me?" Later, a man used the information from those posts to track me down and harm me. I did not survive what followed. However, when I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she first shared those images.

When a one-sided love turns the other way around. "I could never see you as a lover. I could not even imagine kissing you." - Jonathan Reed ~~~~ Laura has spent her whole life loving Jonathan Reed, the boy next door who became her best friend. But as they grew older, Jonathan turned into the heartthrob who dated anyone that caught his eye-everyone except her. When she finally confesses her feelings, Jonathan, being the promiscuous man he is, takes advantage of her vulnerability. Something happens between them, but the next day, he acts like it never occurred, treating her as the same "ordinary" friend she's always been. Crushed, Laura is left feeling used and broken. That night, staring at the night sky, she wishes she could stop loving him. A shooting star passes, but Laura bitterly laughs, believing wishes never come true. Or so she thought...

The news of Jared Foley and me breaking up completely stuns our social groups. After all, we've been together for ten whole years. Even the invitations to our wedding are printed. When faced against our friends' doubts and questions, I merely reply, "We broke up over a joke." At a classmates' reunion on the day before, the drunken Chuck Garner, the class president, suddenly asks Jared a question. "Heather's your fiancee, whereas Paige is your first love. Who would you rescue if both of them fall into the sea at the same time?" Jared doesn't even bother glancing at me as he answers immediately, "Paige, of course!" For a moment, the atmosphere in the private room becomes awkward. Soon, someone quickly eases the tension. "Have you all forgotten that Heather used to be the swimming champion back then? She doesn't need Jared to save her!" Jared shoots it down immediately. "Nah. It's because Heather talks too much." A pause later, Chuck bursts out laughing. "It's been ten years! To think that the top scorer has picked up a sense of humor!" Everyone else joins in on the laughter except for me. After all, I know that Jared is speaking the truth. He's already sick and tired of me rambling on and on when I share every little detail that happens in my life with him every day. That's why he mutes my chatbox on WhatsApp. I've always thought that this is a part of Jared's personality. That is, until I accidentally stumble upon the chat history between Jared and Paige. He even makes sure to take photos of what he has for breakfast and sends them to Paige every morning. Only then do I realize that Jared isn't cold and aloof by nature. He's just cold and aloof toward me. In that case, why should I stubbornly cling to the ray of light that has never illuminated my life?

A young guy keeps getting into trouble in very funny and unfortunate ways. He wrecked havocs on people too, mistakenly. He hallucinated and had great fantasies about people to brighten up his hearers. Afterwards, he came back to his mundane reality.

"Do you know how lucky you are?" he answered her question with his own. His voice was low and husky as he leaned his face closer, teasing her. Her breathing hitched and she tiptoed as if it could help avoid his hot breath. "What do you mean?" she tried to back her head more into the wall but it was a lost cause. The back of her head was already banging into the hard surface. It was causing an unneeded headache to form. "I mean, don't you know how many women would like to be in your place right now? Yet, you're rejecting me,” "Who said I'm rejecting you? I said I wanted my own room!” "That's the same as rejecting me babe," Chris whispered as he blew her ear, making Jihyun shiver. His words were confusing, but when they registered in her brain, she huffed and slammed her head on his side. Dumbfounded, he looked down at her in confusion as he held her hands tighter, “Dont babe me!” she glared at him and regretted it soon as he had her stare. *** When Chris was stuck between meeting his ex-fiancee and keeping his cool in front of his family, he chose the easy road. He forced his ever-loyal secretary to be his fake girlfriend for ten days. Simple. Easier said than done. Jihyun never wanted to curse at her boss, but bringing her to his family event and making her lie to their faces about being in love with him? It almost drove her off the edge. A disaster! One that she would never ask for.

"So, what do you think about my brilliant idea?" he continued this time, with a glimmering smile on his face. "My name is Ghino Frost, by the way. Just like you, I was betrayed and cheated by the ones I loved the most."     Ghino's proposal completely tempts me as it makes me realize the reason why I dream of someone impossible. Dylan is my best friend - the love of my life.     And it appears that my one-of-a-kind dream - holding his hands - kissing his lips - and making love with him forever stays in a dream. Dylan and I will never happen.     But I badly need anything that can distract me and survive for the night. Just for the night. "Fine," I finally spoke up after a few minutes of considering everything. "Let's do it. Let's have sex."