Hey You

Chapter 1

Nella nodded her head slowly while letting Jane's words simmer deep down and boil her heart to death. "Okay."

Jane swallowed subtly, careful not to show Nella what she was truly feeling.

Nella wiped the tears that continuously flowed from her eyes. "Hindi na kita gugulohin. But before you go, I want you to know na I didn't fall in love with you because you noticed me. Hindi ako na-in love sayo dahil ikaw lang ang nakapansin sakin o dahil ikaw lang ang nag-laan ng oras at atensyon para sakin. No," she shook her head. "Just so you know, minahal kita dahil I THOUGHT na underneath the facade you wear publicly to school, I saw a girl na cares about everyone and everything more than she wants to show. Minahal kita dahil every time we go out, you tell me to hurry towards the door tuwing may nakikita kang matatanda kasi gusto mong pag-buksan sila ng pinto. Minahal kita dahil isang beses ko lang pina-experience sayo yung pag-volunteer sa soup kitchen to feed the less fortunate, gusto mo ng sumama every time pupunta ako. Nadagdagan pa nun yung mga balak mong gawin para makatulong sa iba. Minahal din kita dahil kahit nagiging plantita ka na, kinakantahan mo yung mga plants ko sa bahay. You talk to them like they were your children, OUR children. You showed me na every single one of God's creation is beautiful. You made me appreciate the little things. Pero mali pala ako, it was all a show. Minahal kita because of what I thought I saw in you, not because I don't want to be alone all my life, o na I'll take anyone who shows even the smallest interest sakin. I was fine on my own, Jane. I didn't need people to be happy. Kung forever loner ako, sige tatanggapin ko. I know how to make it on my own. I admit, it was nice having you around. I loved every minute of it. It was nice for a no one like me to have a someone like you, pero tama pala ako. You were too good to be true, at tama ka, hindi ko pinairal yung utak ko. But thank you sa oras mo, sa mga bagay na natutunan ko sayo. They may not be real to you, but I'll keep in my heart the good things that you taught me. You will always be special para sakin even though I meant nothing at all to you. I'll let you go now, and I wish you nothing but the best."

Jane watched as Nella turned her back against her and started walking away. She quickly wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes and hurried towards her car.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" She screamed while she pounded on her steering wheel. Everything she kept inside poured out of her like she was a broken dam.  Her face was completely covered with tears as she started the car. Her tires screeched the moment she backed out of her parking space and stepped on the gas zooming out of the parking lot.

She tried to catch her breath not stepping off the gas pedal. She gripped the steering wheel so tight, her knuckles turned completely white. She stared at the road ahead not caring if she hits anyone or if she causes a collision. She continued to drive like she was in one of the Fast and Furious movies when all of a sudden, the red and blue lights from a police car grabbed her attention.

"Shit," she said under her breath and immediately slowed down and pulled over to the right.

She kept her hands on the steering wheel after she let the windows down.

"Aren't we in a hurry there, miss?" The officer bent over to look at his offender.

"Not really," Jane managed to reply.

"Yeah? Then why were you going 60 on a 30 limit? License and registration please," the officer politely asked.

She complied and did as she was asked. "Go ahead and arrest me, sir. I might as well rot in jail."

The police peeked over his sunglasses. "Why? Did you kill somebody?" He blurted out as a joke.

She exhaled heavily. "Something like that."

This peaked the officer's interest. "I need you to step out of the vehicle, ma'am, so you can tell me what happened."

She obeyed the policeman's instructions without saying a word.

"You have anything on you that could hurt me? Any weapons?" The officer asked while he patted her down.

"Just my sharp tongue," Jane replied quietly.

"A sharp what?" The officer wanted to make sure he heard her right.

"A sharp tongue," she repeated for him.

"Okay?" The officer hesitated, unsure of who and what he was dealing with. "Just for everyone's safety, I'm going to put you in handcuffs. I don't really know what happened so—"

"Sure, go ahead," she nodded. "Then put me in jail for life."

The police frowned while he stared at the woman he thought only needed a traffic stop. "Put your hands behind your back. I'm going to put handcuffs on you now, okay? Then we can talk," he instructed.

Jane quietly did as she was told. Then he placed her at the back of his police car. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

She stared quietly ahead. "I broke up with my girlfriend," she began to explain.

"Okay? And then what happened? You got into a fight?" The officer assumed.

"Something like that," she replied.

"Why don't you tell me what went on during the breakup," he asked.

"I told her we can't be together, that I wasn't into her like she thought I was. I told her she meant nothing to me," she continued  so quietly, the officer barely heard her.

"And then what happened?" He asked.

"I hurt her," she told him.

"Hurt in what way? What did you do?" He asked again.

"I broke up with her and told her that my feelings for her were only pretend," she finally broke down in tears.

"Okay, but did you get aggressive with her? Did you get confrontational with her and did anything to hurt her physically?" The officer asked confused.

"No, but my words could've killed her. I know it killed me," she swallowed.

"Ma'am, is your girlfriend alive?" The policeman had to ask.

She nodded. "Physically, yes. Deep down, I don't know."

"So she's alive and breathing?" He wanted to make sure.

She nodded again.

The officer sighed. "You were talking figuratively this whole time, weren't you?"

She shrugged in response. "But words can harm people, too."

"Well, yes. I know, but your girlfriend's fine? You didn't do anything to her? She's alive?" He wanted to clarify again.

She sighed. "Fine, maybe. I didn't harm her or anything physically. I never  laid a hand on her. I just—broke her heart, probably killed her inside, but she's alive," she told him.

"Ma'am, you know you're bound to be put in jail when you talk like that, you got to be careful with your words," he said while taking the cuffs off.

"I know. I know. I know that, okay?" She said with an intense frustration with herself. "Wait, what are you doing? You're taking my cuffs off? You're letting me go? I'm not going to jail?" Jane asked confused.

"Yep, you're free to go. As messed up as it was to break someone's heart, unfortunately, that's not enough for me to put you under arrest and take you to jail," the officer gave her a kind smile.

Jane exhaled her disappointment. "Breaking someone's heart should be considered a crime."

The officer chuckled. "You're right. It should be."