In The Next Life

Chapter 2

I met her first in middle school. She had been transferred in my seventh grade year and we had immediately become close, something my dad thought would never happen as most of the kids didn't very much like me at the primary school I had attended. That and I shut everyone out, wanting to be home with In and Dew. We stuck to each other until I transferred schools to be with my family again for high school. I honestly missed her more than I thought I would.

Much to my surprise she transferred into my high school sophomore year, not even a few weeks into that year did we start dating. She asked me out while we were hiding in the corner during a party, watching In and New beat everyone's asses at Just Dance. She had tucked herself against my side, slipping herself under the blanket I had stolen off the couch. She leaned in close to whisper in my ear, "That could be us you know...if you're willing."

Everyone was really supportive and I was head over heels for this girl. She was my everything. We did everything together, I stayed at her house when she wasn't at mine. We didn't tell our parents until the summer before our senior year, though we had the sneaking suspicion they already knew.

Then I started noticing the signs.

She started hanging around this girl I barely knew. The more she was around the more I started to notice it. The way she was acting to me. She would pull away. Fake her smiles. Lie for the first time in years. And then I saw it. The kiss they shared as they dipped into the bathroom believing they were alone. I knew then what I didn't want to believe.

She didnt love me anymore.

~

Jew was startled a bit as a tray was set in front of her. She looked up to see a familiar tall figure with dark hair and gorgeous eyes smiling at her apologetically.

"Sorry?" He asks, confused and Jew just shakes her head.

"No you're fine, New. Just...zoned out for a bit." She looked down at the tray in front of her with a light smile. New always ordered her food extra spicy, a bit of info only he seemed to pick up on that Jew preferred the spice of a dried, hot thai chili that came mixed into the rice of her favorite chicken dish in the engineering canteen.

She was used to her friends buying her food, mainly In and New. Come to think of it, she realized she hadn't paid for lunch since their junior year of high school. She started eating, letting her friends pick up the chatter around her. She was still out of it from seeing Em yesterday, of course she would be there, of course, they all go to the same university. When the chatter abruptly stopped she looked up from her plate confused, only to see In and Dew staring off in the same direction. New moved to block her view but Jew saw what had caught their attention.

Em had walked into the canteen, attached to the arm of an engineering student. She was fairly tall, her dark black hair pulled up in a bun with strands of hair and her black framed glasses framing her face. Shi, Mechanical Engineering.

Jew looks down, growing tense as New stays facing her to block her from their view and vice-versa even as her friends follow their every movement with their mouths and eyes wide in astonishment and confusion. They watched them walk away long enough for them to sit in their seats, before their attention snapped to the poor girl trying to hide in her jacket.

"Jew what the hell was that?"

"Did you two break up?"

"Who was that girl?"

"Do we know her?"

"Why aren't you angry?"

"How are you not upset over this?"

"Why didn't you say anything to us?"

"Hey. Stop." New finally snaps, silencing both of the inquisitors. "Jew? You okay?" He asked carefully once the silence had dragged on long enough. Of course, she didn't look okay. She had gone a bit pale and was just staring at the table in front of her. She pushed her tray away from her and grabbed her bag as she got up and got the hell out of there.

~

Jew slowly opens the door at the quiet knocks. New held out a bag to her with a small smile.

"Dinner. You didn't eat much today." He says quietly, Jew assumes that means In is already In bed.

"Thank you..." she whispers softly, taking the bag from him. She expects him to say something to her about what happened at lunch. But he doesn't.

"Goodnight, Jew." He says, giving her one last smile before walking to his room and quietly shutting the door behind him. Jew stands there in shock for a moment before turning around and closing the door to her own room.

"Goodnight..." she mutters before taking the food over to her desk.