Hopeless Romantic

19. Wounds that don't heal

The weeks flowed on and it was spring before we knew it. The youth of the seasons. The cool winds made the slight heat bearable and the greenery that followed was soothing.
Our Mid-terms went well surprisingly. It was probably because we were nearing the age of 18 next year that people started getting serious. It was about time I would say.
A two-week vacation followed, a break for the students and faculties. Oscar spent his time doing absolutely nothing. He lay in bed wondering what Rio was up to or if she had gone out with her family to the northern part of the country where it was cold, just the way she likes it. He felt like giving her a call and ask her if she had any plans for the last two days. Just as he was about to pick up his phone, it started buzzing and startled him. And as if the gods had planned this, the caller was Rio.
He didn't even think for a second and answered her, "Hey I was just gonna call you now!" Rio who clearly didn't like that proclamation said,
"What for?'
"I don't know I just felt like"
"Okay? Anyways I wanted to tell you something"
"Yea shoot"
"So, you remember the guy we met during our first competition?"

Uh-oh

"We met a lot of guys, which one?"
"The cute guy who won"

I did not like the sound of that. Oscar hadn't noticed it yet though.

"He called me last week." she continued
"Woah, what did he want"
"He asked me out"
"And?"
"I went with him"

I could feel the gravity change in the room; everything became heavier.

His voice shaking, "How was it?"
"It was really fun; he took me out to get tacos and..."
Oscar was holding back his tears, "and?"
"He took me back to his place after dinner and..."
"AND?"
"We made out"

A visible hole in his chest started forming, as if a black hold had been created in his heart.

"Oh okay"
"And after we made out for a while, he-"
Oscar stopped listening, he put his phone on the bed and his body slid off it at the same time on the floor.
He didn't know what he was feeling, he wasn't sure. It was anger, jealousy, hatred, sorrow and everything else other than what Rio wanted him to feel for her accomplishment. He was disgusted at the fact that he felt this way instead of supporting his friend. But she wasn't a friend for him anymore. She grew onto him like a mold that would kill him any day, and the process had just started.
"Hey are you listening?"
"Yea Yea I am"
"It was so beautiful, everything he did was so delicate-"
"Umm listen I'm getting a call from my dad, I'll call you back" he cut her off mid-sentence, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Uh okay"
"I'm happy for you"
"That's all I wanted to hear"
"Bye"
It was the most distant 'bye' that I ever heard. He crept up his bed and held his pillow in his arms. "You know this was bound to happen right?" I said.
"NO I DIDN'T"
"She's a young teenager, she will have crushes on guys'
"I know she is but I can't help wishing that was me"
"Sometimes the best thing you can do in these situations is just forget it happened'
"It's not that easy"
"I know it isn't, but you have to'
"I can't"
"You can''
"I'm not strong enough"
"Then cry over it like a child, a girl that damn good was never gonna fall for you anyways''

Ok I messed that up. I just threw a whole bottle of antiseptic on his fresh wounds.

"I KNOW I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER"
"Then move on you idiot, you're not going to end up with her, you never will"
"I want to try at least, I don't want to regret not having taken my shot"
"Those self-help books are valid for people who have a 50-50 chance, not you who has a 0 percent chance"
"I'm going to wait and I'm going ask her out, I want to try to at least.''
"Go stab yourself already"
"I know she likes me back"
"As a friend, nothing more than that"
"You know what happened two months ago, she said she would be with me forever."

Right, I forgot about that incident. It was a good two months ago as he said. Rio and Oscar were out for a walk near the lake that had frozen due to the snow and was melting gradually, they settled at a wooden pier and lay
as the cool winds blew past their warm faces. "Can we stay like this forever?''
"I have to get home you know"
"Not that way, like can we stay together forever?" "We're not gods Oscar"
"But if we were?"
"Then yeah sure"
The sun set as they lay in silence after that.

Getting back to our discussion.
"She meant that as friends Oscar"
"But still"
"Chill it's not like she's going to settle with that guy"
"Who wouldn't, he smart, tall and good looking, heck I would want to be with him"
"Getting a little naughty aren't you"
"I mean not like that no-"
I laughed and so did he. It broke the tension successfully. We laughed our hearts out.
Our Hearts out.