The Moon Shines when the Sun Isn't Around

Part 32

King sat across from Aneira, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him like never before. His eyes were distant, staring off as if he were trying to find the words to explain the storm inside him. He clenched his fists, feeling the raw emotions swirl in his chest—hurt, confusion, and that nagging feeling of betrayal.

"I don't know why it's affecting me so much, Aneira," he started, his voice low and uncertain. "We're just friends. We've always been just friends. But this... this is different. It feels like something more is slipping away, and I don't know why it hurts so bad."

Aneira, ever perceptive, tilted her head. Her tone softened but still carried that familiar edge of sass. "King, you're not made of stone. You act all nonchalant, but you've got feelings like everyone else. Just because you're 'just friends' doesn't mean you can't be hurt. Especially when you care as much as you do. You've always had a soft spot for her, right?"

King sighed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, trying to make sense of it all. He had always been able to keep his emotions in check, but this time, it felt like everything was unraveling. "Yeah, I care about her. Maybe more than I should. But that's not the point... I thought she was different. I really did. And now? It's like she's forgotten I exist."

The words left a bitter taste in his mouth, as if admitting it made it worse. His mind raced, going back to every moment he had been let down by someone he trusted. The memories came rushing back, uninvited. There was the girl who smiled in his face but laughed behind his back. The friends who disappeared the moment things got tough, leaving him standing alone. He had always been too trusting, too willing to believe the best in people, and every time, it had backfired.

Aneira sat there, watching him, her expression serious now. "King, you're not wrong to feel hurt. But you're jumping to conclusions here. Oreo and Daron—what, they're a thing now? Or is it just you feeling replaced?"

King shook his head, frustration building. "I don't know! All I know is she's not the same. We used to talk every day, about everything. Now she barely texts me, barely looks at me in class. And she let Daron take my seat like it was nothing. That's what kills me the most. It's like I've been erased, replaced by someone who doesn't even know her the way I do."

He could feel his chest tightening as the flood of emotions built inside him. He hadn't realized how deep it cut until now, sitting there, voicing his thoughts out loud. "It's not just this. It's like... it's like every time I open up, every time I let someone in, they turn on me. I've been through this before. I thought maybe, just maybe, Oreo wouldn't be like the others."

Aneira leaned in, her voice quieter now. "You think she's using you?"

"I don't know, maybe. It feels like that. I had this hope that she saw me, the real me, you know? Not just as a friend or someone to talk to, but someone she cared about." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "But maybe I was wrong. Maybe she's just like everyone else, and I was stupid to think otherwise."

His voice trembled slightly, and for the first time in a long while, King felt vulnerable. Not just frustrated, but genuinely hurt. His mind couldn't stop replaying the moments where he had been betrayed before. Every memory of being used, of people taking advantage of his kindness, came rushing back. It was as if his brain had compiled a highlight reel of every single time he had been let down, and it was playing on loop, reminding him of how naïve he'd been.

"I always try to be good to people, you know? I don't ask for much. I'm not out here playing games or trying to manipulate anyone. But people keep doing this to me. Every single time. It's like... no matter how hard I try to be good, they always find a way to hurt me. And now Oreo's doing the same thing."