Shattered Reflections

Update Chapter 32

August 5, 2024

David was texting Kai, trying to set up another hangout. He had suggested a double date with Ally and Fae, thinking it would be a good way to bring everyone together again. The reply he received was not what he expected.

"Sorry to be a buzzkill, I don't want to be friends with Fae," Kai had texted back.

David's eyes widened. "Dawg, what? You guys were close though."

Kai's response was immediate. "I stopped being friends with her after I got sick. It wasn't something wrong with her, I just don't want to be friends with her."

David stared at his phone, his mind racing. He didn't understand. Kai and Fae had been inseparable not too long ago. He quickly typed back, "Okay, I'll figure something out."

Fae was at a bar with her friend Helen, nursing her third drink of the night. The music was loud, the lights dim, and the atmosphere was a blur of laughter and conversations. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it, focusing on the present moment, trying to drown out the thoughts of Kai.

Helen, noticing Fae's distraction, leaned in closer. "Hey, what's up? You've been staring at that drink for the last ten minutes."

Fae sighed, taking a long sip before responding. "It's Kai. He's been acting weird, and David just sent me a message."

Helen rolled her eyes. "That guy is a mess. You need to forget about him and have some fun tonight."

Fae's phone buzzed again. She pulled it out and saw the notification from David. Reluctantly, she opened it.

David: "Dawg, Kai said he doesn't want to be friends with you anymore."

Fae's heart sank, the alcohol doing little to numb the pain. She showed the message to Helen, who frowned.

"What the fuck? What's his problem now?"

"He said he got sick. David thinks it's his depression or maybe he's talking to someone else." Said Fae.

Helen shook her head. "He's not worth your time, Fae. You deserve so much better."

Fae's phone buzzed again, another message from David.

David: "It's time to move on, Fae."

Fae took another sip, her hands trembling slightly. She quickly typed back.

Fae: "I am. I just miss him."

David: "Damn bro, shit's making me tear up."

Helen snatched the phone from Fae's hand, reading the messages with a scowl. "He's right. You need to move on. That guy is toxic."

Fae: "Depressed people push away those who care about them on purpose. He doesn't want to change, that's on him. I pity him."

David: "Dawg, I wish you guys worked out."

Fae's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away, trying to keep her emotions in check. She took a deep breath and typed back.

Fae: "Me too, more than anything. I was one of the only people he was comfortable with."

David: "I swear, it's so weird. I could tell he liked you back. There were instances where we'd be talking and your name would slip out from Kai. I'd just laugh it off, but I could tell he liked you because he was thinking about you a lot."

Fae's tears started to fall, and she wiped them away quickly. Helen put a comforting arm around her.

Fae: "Stop, you're making me cry."

David: "I feel like it's for your own good that you guys didn't work out. He wouldn't be able to hold a relationship well."

Fae: "I just wonder if any of it was real."

David: "Trust me, it definitely was."

Atleast it was all real.

Fae put her phone down on the bar, staring at the screen as if it held the answers to all her problems. "Why does it hurt so much, Helen? Why can't I just let go?"

Helen hugged her tightly. "Because you cared about him. But you have to realize that he's not good for you. You need to find someone who treats you right."

Fae nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of David's words and her own feelings. She knew she had to move on, but the pain was still fresh, the wound still raw.

Fae and Helen stayed out at the bar till late that night, the alcohol flowing freely as they tried to drown their sorrows. The bar's neon lights cast a hazy glow, and the music was loud enough to make conversation nearly impossible. But that was fine; Fae didn't feel like talking much anyway.

Helen ordered another round of drinks, and they clinked their glasses together, toasting to better days ahead.

"Here's to leaving the past behind," Helen said, her words slurring slightly.

Fae nodded, taking a long sip from her drink. "Yeah, fuck the past."

They laughed, though Fae's laughter was tinged with sadness. As the night wore on, they danced, laughed, and shared stories, the alcohol loosening their tongues and their inhibitions. Helen was a good friend, always there to lift Fae's spirits when she needed it most.

At one point, they found themselves sitting at a corner table, the bar quieter now as the night drew to a close. Helen looked at Fae, her eyes serious.

"You're gonna get through this, you know," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Kai's just a chapter in your life, not the whole story."

Fae nodded, tears welling up again. "I know, but it fucking hurts, Helen. I thought he might actually care."

Helen reached across the table, squeezing Fae's hand. "I know it does. But you're strong, and you'll come out of this even stronger. And I'll be here every step of the way."

Fae smiled through her tears, grateful for Helen's unwavering support. "Thanks, Helen. I don't know what I'd do without you."

They stayed at the bar until it closed, the staff gently ushering them out into the cool night air. Fae stumbled slightly, the alcohol making her steps unsteady, but Helen was there to support her.

"Let's get you home," Helen said, guiding Fae towards a waiting taxi.

Back at Fae's place, they collapsed onto her bed, still giggling and whispering into the night. Helen stayed over, not wanting to leave Fae alone. They fell asleep side by side, Fae's heart a little lighter knowing she had someone who cared about her.