Mercury

9°C

"Mila, I need your help. You need to go out with me tomorrow." I beg Mila through the phone.

"Why? Have you, by accident, realised your love for fashion whatsoever?" she teases.

"What do you think?"

"No."

"Uh-huh."

Mila breaks into a small laugh, and I smile along too. "Anyway," I say, "Troy asked me out for lunch tomorrow. For 'homework', he says. I need to reject him."

"Oooh! Drama!" she squeals. I roll my eyes and disregard her reply.

"Why won't you go out with him?" she asks.

It hits me like how lightning strikes the ground. That’s actually a very good question. Why won't I go out with him? I think for a while. After a moment, I come up with a very professional answer.

"He's an idiot. I don't like idiots," I say confidently with a smirk.

Mila chuckles, "As much as I love to help you, August, I have plans tomorrow."

"Are you cheating on me?" I demand jokingly.

"No!" Mila shouts, but after a while, she gives in. "Well, yes, kind of."

"You-" "Give me a moment to explain! Y-You know, I like this guy called Justin... Justin Rose. You know him, right?"

I mentally scroll through the list of people I know, and the absolutely beautiful name ‘Justin Rose’ clicks. Justin is Sam's best friend, but we've never talked before, though I had met him at Sam's funeral. I can’t help but wonder if he hates me too.

“Yeah. What happened to the supermarket cute guy?” I sneer.

“Um,” Mila says, “he is the supermarket cute guy.”

I gasp a little too loudly, but I really am surprised. After Mila and I talk for some more, we realise it isn’t going to work out and she definitely isn’t going to sacrifice her love life for my… well, mental well-being. Having lunch with Troy is going to be so torturous that I don’t think I can think properly after that.

I hang up and sigh as it’s confirmed that I will have to go on a ‘date’ with Troy, and just by thinking about that makes me feel guilty towards Sam, somehow.

People who break up with their partners usually move on pretty quickly, especially if it’s mutual. They both agree that their feelings have faded, and carrying on the relationship will bring about no good. When they break up, they’re usually overwhelmed with relief, and maybe a little bit of sadness, but it isn’t hard for them to forget about it. If it isn’t mutual, one side of the couple will be immensely depressed after the breakup, but they will realise soon that it isn’t worth it to cry over it.

Well, if the guy cheats on the girl or vice versa, regardless of whether it’s on purpose or not, let’s just say it is a relationship that should never have started, and its outcome would probably be the same with a one-sided breakup, although it actually is kind of mutual.

But what if nobody wanted the break up, and fate breaks them up?

That’s what’s happened to Sam and I. We were forced to break apart, and even if I decide to move on from the relationship, it’ll be a debt that I owe Sam forever. I get to be alive to find another partner and live happily ever after. It isn’t really fair for Sam. He’s alone without me, without a companion.

Nobody wanted the break up, and it really, really isn’t fair.

-

I stare at the mouth-watering plate of meatballs covered with smooth pasta sauce on my table. I whiff the dish in front of me and I swear, I almost faint due to this beautiful aroma lingering in the air. This is so sinful.