Emotional Butterfly

t w e n t y t w o

Enough

After the other person finally stops playing the ring around the roses with me, I get a glimpse of their face. To my dismay, it’s the golden boy himself, Kevin, who’s currently dragging me to God knows where. I try to yank my hand free from his grip, but he has other plans.

"What the hell are you doing, Kevin? Let go of my hand!" I yell at him.

"Not now, Anvaila. Just wait a goddamn minute," he orders. The audacity. First, he comes out of nowhere, grabs my hand, and pulls me along without asking. Then, he has the nerve to tell me to wait.

When we reach one of the rooms upstairs, he pushes me inside and shuts the door. Ah, yes. The classic 'drag the girl into a room' move. What next, Kevin? Tied to the railroad tracks? Seriously, what is he doing? This is creeping me out.

"What in the world are you doing, Kevin?" I demand, raising my voice.

"I'm just trying to talk things out with you, Vaila," he replies softly, taking a few steps closer.

"There's nothing to talk about. Our friendship is over. You don’t get to drag me into a room without my permission," I snap.

"No, no, you don't mean that. Our friendship means too much to you, just like it does to me," he insists. Sure, Kevin. Our ‘friendship.’ More like my never-ending emotional rollercoaster ride.

"Vaila, I know what happened wasn’t great, and I’m ashamed I didn’t stand up for you. But you know how Selene would have reacted. I just don’t want to lose you." Oh, sure. Blame the girlfriend. Classic. Maybe you should try growing a spine next time.

I sigh, trying to control the anger boiling inside me. "Kevin, our friendship mattered to me, but it was always one-sided. You thought of me as a friend, but I was the one who cared too much. And what did I get in return? Humiliation from your girlfriend. Even if you know that if it came down to choosing between me and her, you'd always choose her. I've made peace with that."

He shakes his head. "No, you don't understand. Selene is—"I cut him off.

"I understand perfectly, Kevin. Selene is your girlfriend, and I was just a convenient friend. But I can't keep pretending that it's okay for her to treat me like dirt."

He steps closer, desperation in his eyes. "And I don't need more friends. I can live without you being my friend," I say firmly.

"But I can't live without you," he whispers softly. "Vaila, I—"

"Kevin, stop!" I cry, my voice breaking. "You can't just say things like that. You don't get to make me feel like I matter only when it suits you."

He looks at me, his expression pained. "I know I've made mistakes. I should've stood up for you. I should've been a better friend. But I was scared of Selene. You know how she can be."

I let out a bitter laugh, tears welling up in my eyes. "Scared of Selene? And what about me, Kevin? What about my feelings? I was there for you through everything. I listened to you, supported you, cared about you more than I should've. And every time Selene humiliated me, you just stood there. Do you have any idea how that feels?"

"I do, Vaila, I do," he pleads, reaching out to touch my arm. "But I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to lose you or her. I was stuck."

I pull away, shaking my head. "No, you weren't stuck, Kevin. You were choosing. Every single time, you chose her. You chose to let her treat me like garbage. You chose to stay silent. And that silence spoke louder than anything you could ever say."

He swallows hard, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I was wrong, okay? I was wrong, and I'm sorry. But please, don't walk away from me. I need you."