Episode3
1371 Words
DIAN
Three doors from my room, and I can hear my roommate blasting songs at the highest volume. Shaking my head, I walk towards the room.
I don’t need a sorcerer to tell me that I will be getting a visit from the neighboring rooms. No one confronts Jax due to his sharp tongue, so I become the next line of action.
As I push the door open, I am met with Jax seated in front of his computer. His brows are knitted and his fingers are on the keyboard.
“Are you coding?” I ask, taking off my shirt.
He looks up from the computer, and I notice as the tension on his eyebrows eases. “Yes,”
I pick up the remote, turning down the music. “It’s really loud, and we are not the only ones in this dormitory.”
He turns his rotating chair until we are directly facing each other. “I don’t care.”
“You should.”
“All three of my headphones went missing this morning. I genuinely don’t give a f**k if they think my music is too loud, if I don’t get my headphones back.”
“Did you bother looking for it?”
“Of course, Einstein.” He deadpans,
I walk towards his half of the room.
Jax is never one to beat the computer geeks allegations. Sharp mouthed, hard working, yet a bit inconsiderate.
“Einstein was quite intelligent,” I say, pulling out all three of his headphones from beside his shoe box.
His expression softens. “I didn’t know it was there,”
“That’s why you should have checked.” I toss them towards him,
They all land on his bed.
“You’re lucky none of them got broken,”
I turn to him. “You’re lucky I didn’t sell them.”
He lets out a smile. “Why are you back so early? Aren’t you supposed to be having some sessions with Yas?” He teases,
“We had our session, but I have something important planned for today.”
“What’s that?”
Can anyone have the least bit of privacy in this school?
Knowing Jax, telling him it’s a secret will only motivate him further into queries.
“If you must know, I want to end things with Rhea today.”
“Wow.”
His word is plain, but heavy with depth. “What motivated you into making that decision?”
“I decided it was time to make the better decision.”
“Bullshit. You love her manipulative ass.”
“And now I’m done loving it.”
“It’s Yas, isn’t it? You want to make her proud. Is she a mommy to you?” He teases further, pouting his lips. “Are you a good boy?”
I pick up my phone, in an attempt to cover my face.
“That’s not funny.”
“Of course. It isn’t. I shouldn’t make fun of the love of your life.”
“We are just friends,” I hear myself repeating Yas’s words.
Are we truly just friends?
Rather, am I truly just her friend? Is that all I want?
“Friends to lovers. Isn’t that how the girls call it?”
I don’t give a response to that.
“Whatever, man. I’m just glad you’re finally willing to leave Rhea. That girl is a leech.”
“I’ve not done it yet. Save the praise for later.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll pull through. Making the decision is the hardest step.” He says, picking up his headphones.
As time has proven often, that is the last I will hear from my roommate before he goes to bed.
I scroll to Rhea’s contact. She is no longer pinned at the top of my chats.
“Hey. Are you busy?” I text,
“Not really, babe. What’s up?”
“I want us to see.”
“Sure. Let’s meet at the cafeteria.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Okay, babe. Love you x.”
I turn off my screen as I get off the bed.
I pick out a black shirt. A brooding look for a brooding message.
As I sort through the deodorant I choose for the meeting, I can feel Jax’s eyes on me.
I randomly pick the one that seems to fit the occasion.
I am halfway through the door when I hear his voice, “Don’t chicken out. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, closing the door.
The walk from my dormitory to the cafeteria is roughly fifteen minutes.
With muffled breaths, I practice my lines. Do I lead with “I don’t think this is working out”? Or would it be better to tell her I don’t think we are the perfect ones for each other.
I wipe the sweat off my head. My hands run through my hair.
Fuck.
This will be tough.
I take a pause, inhaling a great deal of air.
The cafeteria is right before me.
Through the glass, I can see Rhea with her friends at a table.
God…
I still have enough time to turn around.
I take the first step forward. Better later than never.
I walk into the cafeteria.
As soon as Rhea sees me, she runs from her chair and towards me. “Hi, babe!” Her voice comes off high pitched as she wraps her arms around me.
“Hey. Can we get somewhere private to talk?” I ask,
My hands are still in my pocket.
“Of course. Let me tell my friends to give us a few minutes.”
I want to tell her to abandon the idea of returning too soon, but I shove it off.
I watch as she speaks to her friends.
In less than two minutes, she returns with her bag. Her arm slides through mine.
For the first time, it feels as though all eyes are on me, and I actually feel embarrassed to be seen with her. Stupid even.
“Can we go somewhere a bit private?”
“Ou, you bad boy.” She grins,
“No. Not that.”
“Is everything alright?” The smile on her face is now faded.
My heart rate picks up. “Let’s find somewhere to sit.”
We walk towards the bench outside.
She places her palms on my thigh, and this time, I am wise enough to gently push her off.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
My lips quiver as I think of the right words to say.
Um…
“I don’t want to be with you anymore.”
Her eyes darken, and her lips bend into a frown. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means our relationship is over, Rhea.”
“No, it is not!” She screams,
The few people around turn to us.
The hairs on my skin rise as their glares harden.
“You’re not leaving me! You can’t leave me!” She takes a pause, and I watch the tears start to form.
My chest tightens.
“It’s unfair. Everyone always leaves. Now, you’re leaving too.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, "You promised to stay. You said you would be my family.”
Her voice is no longer loud, but it is loud enough for everyone to hear us.
God. How much of a jackass do I seem like right now?
“Rhea…”
“No,” she shakes her head, “Don’t say anything to me. If you want to leave, that’s fine. Go. Be happy. I’m sure Yas will make you happy.”
“Don’t say that. She’s my best friend.”
She glared at me, “stop pretending like you don’t know how bad she wants you. She’s trying to take you from me. She has a family, friends, sponsors, but she wants to take the one person I have. It’s unfair.”
Fuck.
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be sorry.” She snaps, “do the right thing. Choose me.”
I exhale a deep breath.
What exactly is the right decision to be made?
- Writer
