1: "Just between us, did the love affair maim you too?"
All Too Well - Taylor Swift
"Will you be my best man?"
Hearing those words knocked the air out of the anteater. It felt as if someone had shot him in the chest.
Biting back tears and a cough, the anteater replied, "Yeah, of course, man. I'd love to be the best man at your wedding."
The coyote's eyes gleamed hearing the anteater's response. He smiled brightly like a little kid who's been told that he was going to get a new toy. The anteater's cough from earlier came back and he tried to muffle it but failed.
"Are you alright? That cough sounds nasty" Asked the coyote, voice filled with concern.
"Yeah I'm fine, it's nothing. Hey, uh, I gotta go do something but I'm really happy about your engagement. I'll grade these papers and I'll see you tomorrow."
The anteater turned around without hearing the coyote's response, almost sprinting up the stairs to get out of the classroom. Once he was outside, the cough he was holding in was let out. The cough was a horrible pain in the anteater's throat that felt like it would never end. Finally, he coughed out what was stuck in his throat.
In his hand laid a single yellow chrysanthemum.
2. "What a sad beautiful tragic love affair"
Sad Beautiful Tragic - Taylor Swift
"Congrats on your recovery dude!" One of the anteater's teammates said while roughly patting his back in a show of camaraderie.
"Alright then, how about we go out as a team and celebrate your recovery?" Another teammate added.
"Guys, there's really no need. The injury wasn't even that serious." The anteater replied.
"Yeah, it was. You're our captain and you're THE number 11."
"Okay, okay, fine, we'll go out to celebrate my 'recovery'" The anteater said with a sigh.
---------------
They were going out to eat at this new fancy restaurant number 6 found. The wait was long but once they got in and were seated, they started to order. The anteater was lost in his thoughts thinking about the coyote.
"Hey, I think someone's proposing over there." One of his teammates said.
The anteater looked over to where his teammate pointed since his daydreaming had already been disturbed. When he finally looked over, his heart shattered into a million pieces. Kneeling on the ground with a ring in his hand was the coyote. Soon after, cheers erupted after the person the coyote proposed to said yes. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion but all the anteater wanted to do was shrivel up and disappear.
"Hey guys, I don't feel so well tonight so I'm gonna just go home." The anteater said while trying not to sob in the middle of the restaurant.
"Are you sure man?" One of his teammates asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine later, I promise. I'll see you guys later."
The anteater walked out of the restaurant with tears streaming down his face.
3. "This slope is treacherous. And I, I, I like it,"
Treacherous - Taylor Swift
'Crutches are so annoying' thought the anteater as he was trying to get to the coyote's class.
'I should've stayed home...' he thought.
Finally, the anteater made it to the classroom. No one was there yet. He slowly went to the coyote's office. Once there, he tried opening the door while holding his crutches to no avail. The doors could not be opened the way he's doing it. He was considering just going home but suddenly, the doors opened. It was the coyote who greeted him.
"Hey, what's goin-," There was a quick silence, "You look different... I just can't put my finger on what.." The coyote said with a chuckle. "But in all seriousness, why are you here if you're injured? You know you don't have to come to work if you're injured... right?"
'I came today to TA for you because I'm in love with you' The anteater thought. He wished he had the confidence to say it out loud but he didn't want to ruin the friendship they had.
"I need money duh." He decided to say, brushing away his previous thoughts.
"Well, I'll be nice and give you the chapter test they took in class to grade today." The coyote joked.
"That's soooo thoughtful of you." The anteater drawled sarcastically.
The pair soon set into a comfortable rhythm grading papers and just basking in each other's presence.
The anteater knew what he felt was a slippery slope, but he didn't care.
4. "And when I felt like I was an old cardigan. Under someone's bed. You put me on and said I was your favorite"
Cardigan - Taylor Swift
It was the start of the winter quarter. The anteater had so much to do especially since it was his second year of graduate school. He managed to get a TA job from the school with a new macroeconomic professor slightly older than him. He had to go meet the professor soon. Volleyball season would also start soon during spring. He was swamped between work and school, not to mention how he was still dealing with scars from the past.
He looked at his phone and remembered that he was supposed to be meeting the professor who he'll TA for soon. He picked up the work he was doing and started to head over to the professor's office. While he was rushing over there, hoping to not be late for the meeting, he accidentally bumped into a coyote accidentally spilling the stuff he was carrying.
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. You see, I might be late for this meeting so," The anteater was rambling to a complete stranger while trying to pick up his papers. To the anteater's surprise, the coyote bent down to help him pick up his stuff. "It's alright, I know what it was like in grad school."
"Again, I'm really sorry about bumping into you." The anteater did an awkward bow and left the scene quickly. When he made it to the professor's office, the professor wasn't there.
'Wow, I was rushing to make sure I made it on time and he's not even here' The anteater thought angrily. He then heard footsteps from behind, so he quickly turned around to see the professor who was late. He was surprised to see that the professor he'll TA for was the coyote who he accidentally bumped into. 'The charming coyote is the professor?' he thought.
"Ah, I see you're my TA. Well, I hope that we'll get along." The coyote said smiling, holding out his hand to the anteater for a handshake. Afterward, the coyote invited the anteater inside, "Let's go inside my office and I'll talk about what you'll have to do."
The anteater returned a smile as he was invited in. When he was inside, the coyote told him he could take a seat so they could talk.
As the anteater chose a seat, he thought about the rollercoaster that transpired in one day.
He was glad to make a new friend.
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