Prompt Me

Angst: The Necklace

There are 5 stages of grief and our poor Ah Si went through all of them in a very short span. Here's his story.

Stage 1: Denial

Ah Si stood on the rooftop of the music building, his hands shoved deep into his jacket's pockets, an icy feeling slowly seeping through his body as he gazed steadily at Lei. His old friend had asked him to meet up here and he could already sense that he was not going to like what Lei had to say.

"Si, what do you plan to do with Shancai?"

Ah Si wanted to tell him that it was none of his God damn business and to go to hell. But then he recalled with painful clarity that Shancai had seen him that morning and her first instinct was to run away from him. Just like she did before; just like she always will. If he had thought that it was going to be difficult seeing Shancai again after she carelessly broke his heart and took off to God knows where just to avoid him, he was quickly coming to the realization that it was a lot harder to know that she was back and still avoiding him.

Because it meant that she wasn't going to tell him that she missed him, or that she had changed her mind about breaking up with him, or that she really did care for him - even if it was only a little bit - during that brief month that they were together. The most blissful month of his entire life until it was ruthlessly yanked away from him by the girl he adored most in the entire world. The very day after she had shyly tugged on his tie and kissed him with what he thought had been the first inkling of love. What an idiot he had been. What a fool.

Ah Si could hardly breathe, his heart was so shattered.

She never loved him. She never even gave a damn.

"I've got nothing to do with her anymore. Isn't that obvious?"

Ah Si could feel the bile rise in his throat, his heart constricting as he forced those alien words out of his mouth, words he never dreamed he would be saying when it came to Shancai.

"Shancai's feelings, her life, and her future have nothing to do with you anymore?"

Ah Si wanted to punch Lei in his smug face. He wanted to punch anything and everything! How dare Lei question his sincerity? Shancai's feelings, her life, her future... they were the most important things in the world to Ah Si! But he had absolutely no right to any of them; they belonged only to Shancai and she refused to share them with him. Because she didn't trust him. Because she didn't love him.

"Lei, since when are you interested in other people's business? I know. Because it's Shancai, right? That's why you're so interested."

Even as he spoke those words, Ah Si wished to God that Lei would deny them. He had always been tremendously insecure when it came to his old friend and the insecurity was compounded a hundredfold when it came to Shancai. But Lei didn't deny it; that bastard actually declared his intentions to pursue her. To twist the knife further into Ah Si's back, Lei told Ah Si that he had backed off before and was now doubting his decision to do so - effectively telling Ah Si that he had put his trust in the wrong person and that Ah Si had failed where Lei will not. Voicing out loud Ah Si's deepest fears.

"This time, I want to compete with you in pursuing Shancai. I don't want to see her cry because of you. If you've already given up on her, then please wish me well... just like I did before."

That asshole was threatening him! Lei was kicking him where it would hurt the most. Lei knew there was no competition because Shancai had already decided that Ah Si wasn't good enough for her. She wasn't heartbroken or crying over their breakup – she was the one who had initiated it! Ah Si had no choice but to give up on their relationship because Shancai refused to give him an honest chance. He was utterly, completely on the losing end with no way out. Ah Si couldn't take any of this anymore; he had to get the hell out of there. If there was anyone that he couldn't show weakness in front of, it was Lei. He turned to walk away when Lei's voice stopped him.