A Little, Black Book

Triangle

The stereo of the car was purring a low melodic song. I didn't recognize it, but it sounded like something I've heard before. I realized it wasn't the song I knew, but the emotions that resonated with me. A story about misery and pain; about loss.

I've loved few people in my long life in this realm because humans disappear in the blink of an eye. I've had many people ripped away from me, and it's only hurt once. Hurt so much I couldn't bear it.

They were ripped away from my life. I lost a piece of myself.

I vaguely remembered the day my world came crashing down. She was my friend, Nancy Nguyen. People would deceive her smart, athletic, and drop dead gorgeous.

We played games together, even studied together even though I didn't need to. One fatal day in October the equation of me + Nancy = calm days stopped being true. The equation changed. The new variable was my friend, Andy Tran.

Andy was everything I was not. Charming. Handsome. A veritable genius, he was the envy of our campus. Even more so when he started dating Nancy.

It took every fiber of my being not to yell out in jealousy. The very thought of HIM going out with her made my blood boil to it's absolute point.

What was worse is that she acted like she just didn't stomp all over my heart. When she came to visit me at my house, she would still play games and still act friendly around me. And yet, when Andy showed up, she was like a leech to him. It sickened my stomach seeing them so happy. Seeing her so happy. Seeing him happy.

Of course, he asked her to marry him, and obviously she accepted. With a diamond ring sealing the deal, he asked me to be his best man. He had the audacity to do something as important as this. I couldn't decline, even if his choice in marrying her is what drove me to the point of blind fury.

On the day of their wedding, they asked to take a picture with them to mark the occasion. With the bride in the middle, Andy, Nancy and I took the photo. I tried to feign a genuine smile, and it paid off. No one could tell I just wanted to paint the wall with my brains.

With a simple toast congratulating the wedded couple, and suppressing my tears, I took my leave.

And here I am, in the middle of a dead street looking at the photo they gave me. The photo of Andy and Nancy Tran.

No. She doesn't deserve that. "NGUYEN!!" In one move, I ripped the photo in a third, removing me from their tight embrace.

As the tears ran down my face, I moved my picture over hers. It was Andy who should've embraced me...