BROKEN ROMANTICS

Mae

Days went by, since me and Aster met in the library. As weeks passed, we met for few minutes, and it turned into hours.
We talked about books and music and art and it was perfect.
With him, it was like we shared the same soul, same thoughts going through our minds. He didn't talk much, I did that part. In between he asks questions and I answer them, making me know that he is listening.
With him, I don't feel annoying for talking too much. In other circumstances, when I talk too much, the guilt would come with it later, going round and round in my mind.
With Weston, one time, I was so excited to tell him about the lame jokes and riddles I had discovered. This riddle was from a book and I was waiting for his text to tell him all about it and how I finished that book series in a week.
He texted, I told him the riddle, getting all giddy. When I was going to tell him about the book, he said he was going to sleep and just texted goodnight.
I still remember, how my heart dropped that day.
It wasn't about the fact that he wanted to sleep, it was that I waited an entire day to tell him something and it didn't even matter. I felt stupid.
In the dark, sitting on my bed, with my phone in my hand, looking at the goodnight and my unsent text. I felt so, so stupid.
I took a deep breath, coming back to earth.
It was all in the past now.
But Aster, he listened to every word that came out of my mouth. I don't know if he even realises how much it meant to me.
He's opening little by little, talking a little more every day, which warms my heart. Because talking for him, means he's comfortable with me.
Next day, I was waiting for Aster after all the classes ended. I shot him a text before and we decided to meet near the school gate.
It was flooded with students, all leaving for the day. Some walking alone, some walking in pairs. Some scrolling through their phones while some having ear phones and looking straight ahead. I couldn't help but wonder, how life is so different for everyone. Some might be happy right now, others might be content and some might be sad and I'll never know. Some might have scars hidden and some might be hiding under different masks and I'll never figure it out.
While I was people watching, someone tapped on my shoulder, taking me out of my thoughts.
I looked at my side to see Aster looking down at me with his black glasses paired with a slight tilt of his lips which brings a full blown smile on mine.
"Hey" he says in his warm voice.
"Hi" I reply and we started walking.
"What were you thinking about before I came?" He asked, surprising me.
"How did you know I was specifically thinking about something?" I look at him with curiosity.
"You have that look when you are in your head." He shrugs while revealing his observation about me.
Something warm curls in my heart at his response. I try to hide that feeling deep inside. It's nothing, it's just a small observation that anybody can make. Which nobody did before him. A voice said in my head.
"Nothing, just wondering about people and how different everyone's lives are." I said while looking straight ahead. "Anyways" I continued.
"I completed White night by Fyodor Dostoyevsky last night." I said and I could see his lips tilt into that smirk.
"Yeah? Tell me about it." He said as we walked towards our bus.
And for some reason, butterflies erupted in my stomach and excitement took a hold of me.
I told him all about it, the sadness and the anger I felt while reading about it, he listened and listened and not once, did that guilt came of talking too much. My heart was just content and light and happy.
While I was speaking, my phone pinged with a notification. I paused mid sentence to check if it was my delivery that had come.
When I saw the notification, all the butterflies, all the lightness from my heart faded away, making it feel hollow and empty as I saw who the notification was from.
It was from Weston.