Rave & Roses {A Rema Fanfic}

36 - ZARA

Rema's collaboration with Selena Gomez for his song Calm Down truly broke the internet. The track went straight to number one on every platform, and I couldn't be prouder of him. Seeing him achieve that level of success was surreal, especially knowing how much effort and heart he put into everything. I was genuinely happy for him, watching his hard work pay off in ways that no one could deny.

Our lives had fallen into some semblance of normalcy again. Things weren't perfect, but they were manageable. We were still keeping things private, just as we'd planned. Only our closest friends knew about what had really been happening between us. And I liked it that way. I wasn't ready to share everything with the world just yet, and honestly, I felt safe behind the privacy we had managed to protect.

But then there was Michael.

Even with everything seemingly returning to normal, Michael still wasn't talking to me. He'd made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wanted nothing to do with me—nothing to do with Divine or our situation. It hurt more than I cared to admit. Michael had been my best friend for so long, and to have that friendship thrown away so easily felt like a betrayal I wasn't prepared for.

Despite the ache in my chest, I knew I had to respect his space, just like Divine had advised. He wasn't ready to hear my side of things. And as much as it crushed me to keep my distance from him, I knew that pushing him would only make things worse. For now, all I could do was wait. Let him cool down. Let him come to his own conclusions. It was hard, but I had to accept it.

And maybe, just maybe, if things worked out, he'd come back around. But if not, I'd have to find a way to carry on without that piece of my life I thought I'd never lose.

As the days wore on, the pressure continued to mount. Michael remained silent, and the label seemed to be scrambling. I could feel the tension building. It wasn't just about the music anymore. This was about our lives, our relationships, and whether we could make it through all the chaos.

Then, out of nowhere, a new piece of news broke—Michael had been spotted out with Arya. The rumor mill went into overdrive, speculating that Michael was siding with Arya after all. That stung, deeper than I expected. Had Michael really taken her side, or was there more to the story? Was he just trying to protect her for his own reasons, or was there something else behind his silence?

The news hit me like a punch to the gut. Michael, the one person who had always been there for me, was seen out with Arya? The same Arya who had caused so much damage to me, to us? My stomach twisted with a mix of confusion and betrayal. I couldn't wrap my head around it. What was Michael thinking? Was he really siding with her after everything that happened?

The rumor mill was spinning out of control. Everyone had their own theories—some said Michael was just doing it to keep the peace, others whispered that he might be reconciling with Arya, maybe even rekindling a friendship with her. But none of it made sense to me. Why now? Why after all this time?

I couldn't help but feel like Michael had turned his back on me. Was it his pride? Was it the lingering anger he felt over what happened between us? Or was it just that he couldn't bear the idea of choosing between family and loyalty? I had no answers, only questions that gnawed at me day and night.

Meanwhile, i was quietly falling apart. Every new rumor, every mention of Michael, seemed to push her further into herself. I tried to act like it didn't bother me, like i didn't care, but It hurt every time the subject came up. I was worried about Michael, worried that their bond might be irreparably broken. And it broke my heart to see her suffer like this.

As for me, I knew I couldn't just sit by and let things fester. I had to do something, but I didn't know what. Trying to reach out to Michael felt like a lost cause at this point. He wasn't ready to hear me. He wasn't ready to hear anything.