BETWEEN LOVE AND LIES || JAESAHI

CHAPTER III

Lunch break came and Arthur went to his usual hide out. If there is one thing that Arthur is thankful for in this school, it was the roof top. The place has become his safe haven for two years now and that is where he always go when he wants to breath or he wants to clear his mind. Arthur lay down on one of the long chairs and stared at the clear blue sky.

Weather is really unpredictable, he thought. One day the sky is clear and blue and the sun is so bright and the next thing you knew, the sky is dark and it's raining. Just like life, one moment everything is okay and then suddenly shit will happen.

Arthur was so deep in his thoughts that is why he didn't notice someone sat down beside the chair that he was lying. The person cleared his throat and that was when Arthur noticed his presence. Startled, Arthur sat down and looked at the person with wide eyes, as if he just saw a ghost.

"What the fuck?! Why are you here and how the hell you knew I am here?!"

The person just looked at him blankly not totally affected by Arthur's obvious dismay of him being there so the person just looked up the sky.

Arthur just looked at him puzzled and wait for him to speak up. When he realized that the person is not going to answer soon, he sighed and looked anywhere but him. When Arthur finally decided to get up to leave the place and the person alone, the latter suddenly spoke,

"The weather today is nice isn't it? Who would've thought that this nice and clear blue sky can turn dark and gloomy any minute and any time of the day with us not being prepared for it and us not knowing why."

Arthur is not a fool for him not to get the hidden meaning behind those words. He perfectly knew that the person was not talking about the weather, but about him. But still Arthur chose to ignore it.

"So I am not aware that we are on speaking terms now." Arthur sarcastically said.

"You were the one who chose not to speak with us anymore Art, you pushed us all away."

"And y'all didn't even made an effort to reach out. Ironic isn't it?"  Arthur retorts back.

"We did, you know that we did. But it is you who decided that you don't want us in your life anymore."

"I don't fucking care, Jun. The fact that you all turned your back on me the moment I changed at the same time those rumors escalated was the moment I realized that you were a bunch of hypocrites acting like a true friends when the situation only benefits y'all." Arthur said while clenching his fist. He was clearly fuming at this point. With those words that Arthur have said, Jun could already see that the conversation will not end well, he closed his eyes briefly, let out a small sigh and stood up. Jun looked at Arthur and saw those eyes, it was full of hatred and resentment, and he knew that day, reconciliation will not happen anytime soon. Jun stood up and decided to leave. He walks to the door but before he opened it, he turn around and look at Arthur with his back on him,

"It's not your fault you know. You should have known better that we will never turn our backs on you. The boys missed you, and I know you knew that among us, Kevin is the one who's more affected to what happened. He may never openly admit it, but I know he missed you too, we all did. Better to say it all to you now since this is the last time that I'm going to approach you and talk to you. We never believed in those rumors, Art. We know you better than them."

Jun finally opened the door and leave Arthur alone with so much emotion and thoughts running through his head. If he was mad earlier, now he's furious. Arthur may be the first one who turned his back on them and he admit it, but never in his life would he realized that they will turn their backs on him too until two years ago. Arthur felt betrayed, he felt lost, he had no one to come to during those times and that was when he realized he was on his own. Arthur weakly sat on the chair and looked back to those times where he still has people on his back. Those times where he can still enjoy his youth, where he can do everything without those eyes watching him and expecting him to do something wrong. Arthur looked up the sky and before he realized it, a single tear rolled down beside his face. So much things happened in two years, so much things changed. If only they knew that he is just only a young boy, with a lot of pain and burdens in his back, wishing for his life to be normal again.