The flower you never saw

Five.

Confusion, anger and shame scrambled through me.
I was left there alone, again with all my sentiments.
I could sense the lump in my throat as I struggled to fight my tears.
I sprinted without stopping until I arrived at my house.
That feeling, I didn't like it.

"Noah? Wha- Don't run on the stairs"
I could hear my mom yell But the moment he left me there standing, the world had stopped for me.

I locked myself in my room.

Before I could realise it, tears were starting to drench my cheeks.
One after the other, they just kept on flowing like the clouds that witnessed what emerged today from the far.
I didn't know what to do in that position.
What was I even supposed to do?
Scream at him?
Assault her?
But will that even stabilize the shattered pieces?
I knew it wouldn't, all I could do at that moment was cry.
Even the tears failed to ease my pain.

Why was it me?
Why me?

I could physically feel the pain in my chest.
I felt betrayed, not by a lover but by a friend.
It wasn't her, it was him.
I've never seen her before so that implies, Dan told her about me.
If he despised me then why did he still fraternize with me?
Why not avoid me like everyone else did?
Waves of thoughts, ocean of emotions.
I couldn't stop it.

Why was I condemning him?
Was I even worthy of his friendship, his time?
How dare I fall in love with someone so special like him?
Was it even acceptable to fall in love with him?
The town, the society
Everybody would taunt us.

The painting laid there unfinished.
It was innocent yet, yet I wanted to rip it into million pieces.

I didn't realise myself drifting to sleep or my mother knocking on my door.
I slept, after all, that was the only place I could now see him, talk with him.

"NOAH! NOAH"

Was it a dream?
Was I imagining it?

"Noah!"

No, I heard it again.
That all too-familiar voice ringing in my ear.
That voice I thought I would never hear again called out to me.

I looked at the clock, it displayed "12:30 am"

What was he doing here in the middle of the night?
I decided not to question myself any further.
Though I determined not to talk to him though, he made me go through all that agony, I still was delighted to hear his voice again.
I could listen to him talk over and over until the sun halts burning, until the moon loses its glint
And I loathe myself for that.

I looked out my window, my raven orbs searching for the blue ones and soon enough, I found them.

"Can we talk?"

"If you feel sorry for me then don't be, it wasn't your fault"

I didn't want sympathy or closure.
Before I could shut the window he spoke again,

"It's something important" his eyes were begging for someone to lend him an ear, "for me at least, please listen to me"

"There must be a ladder in the backyard"

He nodded and left me waiting.

After some minutes, he stood there with a ladder in his hand.

"Come on in"

"How about we go to the bridge ?"

"This late at night?" I hesitated for an instant but then again, what if it's something critical?

I cautiously ascended out the window and made my way to the ground as Dan watched my every motion.

The walk to the bridge was awfully quiet.
He looked pale and traumatized to hold a small conversation.

'Something horrible must've happened to him' I thought to myself.

We both walked without breaking the silence.

My eyes never departed from his complexion.
I was busy admiring him that I didn't realise how pretty the sky looked.
My eyes landed on the enormous sky that expanded beyond imagination.
The sky was concealing millions of aspects only for it to behold and only exhibited the delightful aspects like stars that gleamed around the mesmerising glare of the moon like lamps of hope for all the lost souls of the world.
It was truly breathtaking.

Before I could notice we were there, standing on the bridge.
we both sat on the small barrier between the sidewalk and the street.

I stared at his eyes, yearning for the best.
For him to say that he parted ways with her or that he lost a match but all of my foolish wishes were put to an end when he spoke.
And for the first time, I wanted him to not speak any further.
.
.
"Please...save me"