WOSO One-Shots

Slide (Erin Cuthbert)

From the hot strobe lights and the spiked punch bliss
And the long walks home in the dark we'll miss
Nobody teaches you how to reminisce
Nobody teaches you to hurt like this

Erin and I first met when we were in secondary school. We started off as best friends and then grew into more. We played for the same club for three years until I blew out both knees within a year apart and wasn't able to play football anymore.

When she made it big and got signed to Glasgow City, I made it a priority to go to university in Glasgow.

When she got offered a contract to play for Chelsea, we decided to try long-distance. She actually insisted on it. But what's funny about that is she is the one who broke my heart a year later because the 'distance was too much.' She was my first love.

Then we slide into the arms of someone else
Yeah, we slide into the arms of someone else

A month later, she posted a picture with another girl. She moved on while I still cried every time I thought of her. 

No stupid, broke kids
Was that ever even us? Do we know what we missed?
Nobody teaches you how to win big
Nobody said there's no reverse on this

We did everything together. Had our first drink, illegally and legally. Had our first kiss. Had the cheesy, stereotypical American prom.

I did a lot of thinking and I realise that I can't take any of that back. The memory will always be there. The memory of her in my arms. The memory of the smile she had whenever she saw me. Everything will haunt me.

Then we slide into the arms of someone else
Yeah, we slide into the arms of someone else
In disguise, we get a little better at controlling ourselves around midnight
Then we slide into the arms of someone else

I ended up graduating with a degree in law in four years because I dove headfirst into school, trying to keep my mind away from the thought of her. It kind of worked. I still thought of her when I heard a certain song. I still found myself drawing her crystal blue eyes in class.

I still thought about her every day.

Nobody wants to, nobody wants to
Nobody wants to, nobody wants to
Nobody wants to wake up alone
Then we slide into the arms of someone else
Then we slide into the arms of someone else
In disguise, we get a little better at controlling ourselves around midnight
But then we slide into the arms of some, someone else

After I got off my flight to London, I found myself in a Costa's downtown. I was here on business. 

I found a nice corner booth and set up my laptop there. I had to write some essay for my online Criminology class. I'm just trying to broaden my horizons because I want to specialize in criminal defence. My goal is to help wrongly convicted minors, especially those who are less privileged.

I look up from my computer and see a flash of blonde. It almost looks like someone I've seen before. 

The person turns around and my breath catches in my throat. It's Erin.

We make eye-contact and she starts coming my way. Shit. What do I say? 'Hi, fuck you for breaking my heart'?

"Hey." She says.

"Hey."

She sits down across from me. "Sure. Go ahead and sit there!" I say sarcastically.

"Look, I didn't know what to do when I moved to London. I was scared to be without you. I was scared that I wasn't taking this adventure with you. I broke up with you because I wasn't falling asleep in your arms every night and I wasn't going to be able to live without you-"

I cut her off, "You know if we were still together when I finished school, I was going to move to London. Leave my family. Leave my home, just to be with you."

A tear falls onto her cheek. "I know that. I just fucked up. The kind of fuck-up that can't be forgiven and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. It hurt me too. I cried for days on end. I didn't go to training because I was too much of a mess to go. I didn't want my teammates to see my tear-stained face. When you break someone's heart, it breaks you too."

I grab her hand from across the table. "Don't cry."

She moves across to my side of the table. "What are you working on?" She asks.

"An essay for an online criminology class I'm taking."

"That's cool." I turn my head towards her and look into her eyes. We both lean in and share a passionate kiss. I feel the same spark that I felt back in secondary school. 

We pull away dawning massive smiles. For the rest of the time, we sit there in silence enjoying each other's presence.

The weight of the world is love
Under the burden of solitude, under the burden of dissatisfaction the weight, the weight we carry is love
And so must rest in the arms of love, at last, must rest in the arms of love