The Unwritten Chapters

Chapter 4.

When Dominic got home, he closed the door and set his things down before retreating to his room. Standing in front of the mirror, he examined his reflection, his hands tracing the contours of his face and running through his hair. He turned his head from side to side, scrutinizing every imperfection he could find.

His hair was a mess—equal parts unkempt from neglect and the aftermath of skipping haircuts. The bags under his eyes were reminders of countless nights of restless sleep.

What puzzled him was why these flaws suddenly felt so significant. It was as if a switch had flipped; he no longer felt good enough. He glanced at his stomach, rubbing his hands over it with a twinge of disgust. Although he had lost weight since he last saw Serena, it felt as if it had all returned. He poked and pinched at his flesh, inspecting every mark, bruise, and scar. For the first time in a long while, Dominic felt ugly.

He used to consider himself at least decent-looking, maybe not the best but certainly not unattractive. Yet, standing before the mirror, he felt like an ogre. The insecurities crept in like whispers, telling him he wasn't worthy of being seen, that he was unattractive and unworthy of any woman's attention—especially not Serena's.

Serena. Was that what this was all about? He had always found her beautiful, and in the past, he had never felt anxious around her. So why, in this moment, did he feel like he couldn't be near her?

He sighed, stealing one last glance at his reflection before speaking aloud to himself. "You're just overthinking it. She's your friend, and everything is going to be okay. There's no big fight. She's not going to hate you. It'll all be fine." He reassured himself one final time before heading to bed.

The next day, after work, Dominic rushed home to change his clothes. He opted for a plain black T-shirt layered under a matching black jacket, paired with jeans and his black Yeezy 500s. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he did his best to tame his messy, wavy hair into a side part. Feeling somewhat presentable, he headed out the door and drove to the arcade.

Midway through his drive, Dominic's phone rang. It was Hiko. "Hey, Hiko, what's up?" he asked, his voice coming through the car's Bluetooth.

"Hey, uh... so I won't be able to go to the arcade," Hiko said, and Dominic's eyes widened as the words registered.

"What do you mean you're not going? This whole thing was for you!" Dominic barked, frustration bubbling to the surface.

"Well... I asked Lilly if she wanted to go to the arcade, and she said she would love to go out with me, but she wanted to see a movie instead. I didn't even get to tell her that you and whoever you were bringing would show up. I didn't want to lose my chance, so I just went with it."

Dominic rubbed his eyes in exasperation, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Everything okay, bro? I'm sure you will have a fun time..." Hiko's voice came through apologetically.

"Yeah, sure. Enjoy your date. I'm sure I'll have a great time by myself." Dominic's tone softened as he tried to mask his disappointment.

He hung up and parked in the arcade lot, sitting in his car for a moment. What was he going to tell Serena? How would she react when she found out that Hiko wasn't even coming? Maybe she hasn't left home yet; I could just cancel, he thought to himself. But it felt as if the universe was always listening, waiting for the perfect moment to intervene. Just then, his phone lit up with a message: "I'm here." A simple note from Serena.

Dominic's heart raced, matching the frantic beat of a Cherokee drum. He felt dizzy and nauseous. "Shit. Shit. SHIT!" he exclaimed, his frustration mounting. Taking a deep breath, he texted back, "I'm parking right now; I'll meet you at the door," trying to buy himself a moment to collect his thoughts.