It was the midsummer of 1982 when an out-of-place city girl forged a friendship with a shy yet outgoing village boy who was completely unaware that his beloved town was bound to face a serious turmoil for not too long.
A KEANU REEVES AU:
⠀° set in 1...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
❝ i just wanna talk, jo! ❞
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: IGNORING IGNORANCE
─────────────────────────
"Jo! Hold up!"
I followed him outside, trying to walk as fast as him. But no matter how much I try to match his pace, he only becomes much more ahead of me.
He was mad and it was evident from the way he acted towards me ─ and I wanted to say sorry for that. I never wanted to cause him all this damage and pain.
"Just go away, Dahlia! I don't wanna fucking see you!" cried Jovi, walking to his backyard and picking up his bicycle. While he did so, I approached him to tell him I wanted to talk, but he only ditched me away like a little fly.
I felt this guilt hanging in my chest, punching me straight in the stomach whenever I talk to him or even just talk to him.
At this point, nothing was butterflies anymore. It was nothing but metal flies no one can ever swat away ─ my stomach churning whenever he's in vicinity.
"Just stay away, Dahlia!" said he without having to look at me.
"I just wanna talk, Jo!"
As he rested his legs on the ground, sitting on the saddle, he turns back to me saying, "I don't wanna see you."
Catching a glimpse of the bicycle that stood beside Jovi's, I immediately take it to hand and ride it albeit the awful balance I have.
At this point, nothing mattered now. All I just wanted was an answer from him.
I wish there was a way I could pedal even faster ─ hoping that very second I could just let him stop on the tracks and have a conversation where we disclose what we want to say.
But it was obvious why I was still where I am at this very second ─ he still wouldn't budge.
The street lights flickered on and off ─ there was no longer any balance. The wheels slid rapidly down the asphalt as I shout Jovi's name from a distance.
My eyesight blurred further as I blink my eyes, looking for that certain silhouette biking underneath the dark sky of stars that never recognized anyone's existences ─ I couldn't see.
Adrenaline pumped through as I pedaled through the cemented roads, untethered in the night wind, losing balance and focus as the flickering lights slowly lose its electricity.
The trees that stood in the dark danced with the wind, the dried-up leaves flying through my skin whenever I fasten my pace.
All I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat tethered and jailed inside my chest ─ my heart was like punching through walls ─ chest tightening ─ throat constricting ─ tears welling up my eyes.
I couldn't feel anything anymore ─ my hands gripping tightly on the handlebars ─ feet pedalling until I lost control of it.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe ou─
Then I heard Jovi's shrill cries ─ because of confusion, I wasn't able to clearly hear what he was saying ─ and when I finally take a glimpse of the light that was headed towards me, I finally knew what those were about.
I tilted my head to the side and saw a light come onto me ─ then a ten-ton truck honking onto me when I stood there baffled and frozen ─ there was no turning back now.
"Dahlia! Watch it!"
But before I could even turn away, and pedal to the other side of the road, the truck's brakes were as unfortunate as my fate.
And my vision blacked out when I felt the ray of the truck's headlights on me, before I heard him scream again, agonized by my fatal crash.
