Florence

Elli

She laughs but at the corner of her eyes she knows liquid is forming. Her friends are totally oblivious about it but she knows it is better off this way. They didn't have to know about it. It is nothing special and so she drinks her beverage with a strained smile fixated on her face.

"Anne," Chino smiles happily at her with a nudge at her elbow. "You've been quiet the whole night."

Kyle nods his head at the comment. "I think I know why."

Chino looks at Kyle with a questioning look as the others stops their conversations. "Tell us."

Anne stares at Kyle pleadingly and shakes her head. "It's nothing."

Kyle bobs his head in understanding and stays quiet. The others are curious now and throw questions at the plump man with a soft smile on his lips. He decides to ignore them with a small laugh and a swig of his beer. She glances at the moon overhead and smiles. It's been a while since she last went out. It is a welcome for her and her system.

Here, she can forget.

"I still want us to be friends…"

Tears suddenly start to prickle her eyes. She forces herself not to cry. Not now. She's happy. She's with friends. She…

"… I can't love you…"

"Does it hurt?"

She turns her head to her friends and raises a brow. "What does?"

Chino frowns at her and reaches out his hand to her face, rubbing the substance away from her cheeks. "You're crying."

She reaches towards her cheeks and feels the wet trails of her tears dripping down to her chin. It isn't supposed to hurt. Her hand falls away from her face and clutches at her shorts with a weak smile. She shakes her head and reaches out for her glass.

"I'm okay."

Feels like… a lifetime,

A thousand days have passed by,

Since I've held you…

Close to me…

"You sure?"

They ask her continuously and she sits there with her hands on her lap, a lazy smile on her lips. She didn't want to tell them. It didn't matter. It is nothing to her. She told herself that night that she wouldn't care. He is far from her reach and she knows it. She just didn't want to acknowledge it.

Because when she talks to him, it feels like he's there.

If I could see that smile upon my face,

I know that I could never again

I need you here with me…

"I thought you didn't drink?"

Kyle asks her with a worried frown. Carlo smiles and pours her a cup and hands it to her. He encouragingly nods his head to her and takes his own swig of liquor and stumbles at his words.

"Let her be!" He laughs. "She enjoyin' 'er life!"

She laughs half-heartedly and takes the cup from his hands. "Let me be happy."

Heaven knows,

What to say,

Even though for right now you're so far away…

"I hate thi' s-song." She slurs as she takes another drink from her cup with a sigh.

"Why?" Chino asks and looks at her flushed face. "I think you've had enough."

"E-enough ain't 'nuff!" She laughs. "I wan' more."

"More!" Carlo cheers and pours her a cup full of beer. "Drink more!"

They both laugh but two spectators looks at them worriedly and a scowl etched on their lips. Kyle shakes his head and stands up, turning down the volume of the radio. She groans and shakes her head, "no" at Kyle.

"I wanna 'ear it!" She whispers.

"I thought you hated it?" Chino asks her curiously.

It's the song that continuously plays in her head.

"It reminds me of him."

I hope and I pray,

Somewhere in your heart,

I'll always stay…

"Where—" she hiccupped. "—the others?"

"They just took a quick stroll. Carlo's too drunk." Kyle tells her. "He might throw up."

"Aah," she nods her head but her brows furrowed. She turns to him and asks, "Do you like me?"

Kyle, taken aback, leans back to his seat and stares at her incredulously. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious," she rests her cheeks on her flattened palms. "I think nobody likes me."

"I do," Kyle answers her with his eyes narrowed. "But only as a friend."

She nods her head and softly giggles. "Of course. Who would be sane enough to like me—" she sniffs. "—as more than a friend?"

"Most of our friends liked you a lot before," he points out with an awkward point of his index finger on her forehead. "You told them you didn't like them back."

"—why didn't I like them back?" She questions as she slides her elbows on the marble table.

"You—" He trails off. "You don't like somebody just because he likes you. You're—" He smiles. "—hard to conquer."

She laughs.

Girl, lately…

My sun doesn't shine without you…

Never noticed,

What it feels like to be without you…

"We're back!" Chino announces and glances at Kyle and Anne's happy faces. "And what happened?"

She giggles and pokes Kyle's side playfully. "He was making me laugh."

Kyle ruffles Anne's hair with a chuckle. She laughs harder and slaps his hands away. "Make him stop!"

They're making her forget.

"I was just being a good friend!" Kyle jokes with her and pushes her gently on the shoulder.

They're making her feel happy.

Feels like I took my last step,

And my last breath in my life… ending…

Have to say what I was just feeling, girl,

Cos my sun doesn't shine… without you…

"Hey Anne!

How are you feeling? I hope you're doing better now!

Take care, Nic."

She reads the text message with a small frown. She looks at the sky and notices the small patches of morning light making its way through the night clouds. She hasn't had the any sleep yet and the dizziness from the liquor is slowly taking its toll on her.

"Anne," Kyle calls her. "Do you want us to walk you home?"

She shakes her head and waves at them shakily. "I'll be fine."

He gives her a grin. "I know you will be."

She smiles back at him and runs back to him. She encircles her arms around him and squeezes him under her. "Thank you," she murmurs softly, a new batch of tears threatens to fall.

"You're too caring, Anne," he replies back with a cheerless smile. "But I know you wouldn't have picked someone who wasn't worth your time and effort."

She chokes at her tears as she let them fall.

"… I can't love you…"

"I know," she whispers back. "I know."

Have you ever seen a flower that never blooms?

See the starless night without the moon…

Well, that's me without you…

"I want what's best for you…"

She thinks she's going crazy because at that moment, she can hear his voice and see his blue eyes staring back at her. She blinks and sways gently. She can hear it. A soft sound trying to snap her out of her senses. Lights blind her and she feels herself being swept her off her feet.

"You deserve better."

She cries. The pain reverberates throughout her body and she feels as if she's suddenly falling.

—"I'm falling, are you falling?" He asks her.

"I already have, rather hard."

"For him?" He questions her.

She mentally slaps herself and answers inwardly, 'no, for you.'

"You're really difficult."

"I'm sorry!"

"… I know."—

"Help!" She hears them. "Please! Call an ambulance—please!"

The distinct sound of his voice etches itself in her ears. She won't forget him now.

"I gave up on love ever existing," he says to her. "But then I think of you and you shouldn't have to go through any of that…"

She closes her eyes tightly. "Too late."

So come back and turn my nights into days…

End