Emily and Samuel ✔️

TWENTY-TWO

I remember what you wore on our first date

Leaning back on my chair, I uncrossed my legs and pulled them up on the chair before I hugged my knees to my chest. Without letting my eyes stray from the lead singer in front of me, I placed my head on my left knee.

The band, Ouch Potato who was rehearsing on stage for their performance tomorrow was the only band in school that has stepped forward who is surprisingly good – well, good enough to be performing for tomorrow's event. On top of their amazing vocal skills, each one of them has a certain charisma that forces their audiences to pay attention to them. And everyone was, some of the dancers that we've asked to perform tomorrow were even dancing amongst themselves. One look and you could see that everyone was hooked on their performance and this was just a rehearsal. Everyone but me.

You came into my life

It wasn't like I didn't enjoy their mind-blowing performance because I was. I just couldn't for the life of me bring myself to smile after I've spent the past three hours smiling at everyone around me. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to notice anyway.

It has been a week since the calls and messages stopped and it has been exactly four days before I gave up on all hope and resigned to my fate. I should've seen it coming but I've allowed myself to be blinded to think that someone like Samuel would ever fall for me – much less a long-distance relationship ever working.

And I thought hey

So, instead of letting myself grieve – unless I'm safely snuggled into my bed with my blanket sheltering me from the world – I poured my energy and soul into the Valentines concert decorations at my school and the preparations at my mum's florist. Pretty ironic for a broken-hearted girl to be helping out with Valentines preparation if you asked me.

But my life has never not contradicted myself or shoved some form of irony in my face. Which was why just as I thought I was starting to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart, the words of the song acted as fire and burned whatever was left of my heart, leaving behind the ashes of what used to be my heart.

You know this could be something

"Um, who's your favorite artist?" I asked, hoping that he would take my bait and indulged in this conversation with me instead of the one I have planned for in the first place. Thankfully, he did but not without raising his eyebrow at me with a confused look on his face. I probably deserved it seeing as I practically hauled him out of Hecate's tree-house with a vague explanation thrown his way.

"Ok? Well, I don't really have one but if I had to pick one I'll probably say," his voice trailed off as he narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin in a sophisticated manner with his thumb and index finger. The sight itself almost made me stopped mid-walk just to take a picture of him like that as I stifled the laughter that threatened to burst out. But he probably didn't realize how comical he looked to me because he continued, "it'll either be Simple Plan or Boys Like Girls. What about you?"

Just as I was about to answer him, his hand intertwined with mine as he steered me around the fallen tree branch on the ground. Shaking my head to wake myself up because surely, I was imagining these sparks that kept appearing whenever we touched?

"Um, I can never decide but it'll probably be Lana Del Rey since Hecate was playing it just now. I have a serious case of last song syndrome." Nodding my head at him with a mock serious look on my face. Probably trying to make me feel better about the awkwardness oozing out of me, he threw his head back and laughed as though I've just said the funniest joke in the world.