Dear M

Chapter 6: Diana

M said goodbye to her, walking toward his class with that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Something was off with her—quieter than usual—but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He pulled out his phone and searched for the contact: Diana <3.

There it was, that little heart. He looked at it for a moment, smirking. I'm so romantic, he thought sarcastically. I barely even like myself, how the hell did I end up liking someone else?

Diana was lucky to go to another school. Less drama. Fewer explanations. He wasn't exactly sure when their relationship shifted into whatever they had now comfort? Habit? Convenience? Whatever. He wasn't gonna think too hard about it. He had a job to do.

M had enough money for these pointless gestures. After all, he'd been working in the family business since he was twelve, a steady source of income that allowed him these small indulgences.

After class, he headed to the mall. Store after store, his arms filled with flowers, chocolates, all those cliché things he'd been told girls liked. But something kept bothering him, a little voice telling him it wasn't enough. He needed something more personal, something that said I thought of you, even though he hadn't... not really.

His eyes landed on a jewelry display. There it was—a necklace with two halves of a heart, engraved with the words "Love You," that fit together when you brought the pieces side by side. Perfect. One half for me, one for her. Romantic, right?

That afternoon, he stood outside Diana's school. Neat, polished—just like her. Leaning against a nearby tree, watching the students leave, his mind started to drift. This isn't going to work. The necklace in his pocket, meant to be a symbol of love, felt more like a burden.

And then he saw her—Diana, with her straight honey-colored hair under a headband, her almond-shaped eyes lighting up when she spotted him. She ran toward him, light and quick on her feet, crashing into him with a hug.

"M***!*" she shouted, "I thought you forgot! Happy birthday to me!"

M smiled, trying to keep the mood light. "Forget? I only forget important things, like exams, the Wi-Fi password, and, well, birthdays."

They both laughed, and as his hand brushed the small box with the necklace in his pocket, he was about to pull it out. But just then, Diana interrupted him.

"Oh my God! You won't believe the day I had. My history teacher almost fainted, and then we had this surprise project that was a total mess..." she said, starting to tell him about how her day had been a rollercoaster of emotions at school, while taking the gifts M had brought for her.

The box stayed in his pocket. M pretended to listen as Diana talked on and on, but his mind was elsewhere. Should I give her the necklace? Something told him no. He didn't know why, but suddenly the gesture felt... empty.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. His new friend had texted him: How did the gift for your girlfriend go?

A knot formed in his stomach. He had talked more with his friend this week than with his own girlfriend. It's not a big deal, right? Just friends. Nothing to worry about, he told himself.

Diana looked at him, waiting for a response, but M could only think about one thing: Should I tell Diana about her?

"What are you thinking about?" Diana asked, leaning toward him.

M swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her question between them. He flashed another smile, this time wider and more forced. "Oh, you know, just thinking about how great I am as a boyfriend," he winked, "at least I'm better than Jim from The Office."

Diana smiled, not really catching the deeper truth behind the joke.

M let out a soft laugh, but his gaze wandered to the horizon, where the line between his thoughts and reality blurred again, as always. In that moment, he realized that the distance between them wasn't just physical; there was an emotional gap that, if left unspoken, could swallow them both whole.

And so, the necklace stayed in his pocket.