Friya's Bracelet

"What was that?" she asked. They're both scrutinizing the insides of the bracelet. That's when Feline knew what it said. She widened her eyes as Sean looked at her. She cracked her mouth open, trying to remember where did she saw it.

"Do you... own this? It's yours, am I right?" Sean blinked. Feline bit her lip for a moment. She tilted her head to one side. The first time she saw that bracelet... was the first time her heart got broken into pieces. Feline remembered the time she went upstairs, thumping her chest repeatedly.

Feline staggered, but Sean caught him. She fell down on his arm, but she recovered herself still. The beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, onto her temples. She tried to compose herself, but she seemed lost in thought. Sean hid the bracelet once again, asking her, "Are you okay? Did you remember something that's why you fell?"

Feline shook her head. She didn't know what to do. Feline only seen that bracelet once, twice, thrice... or even for the nth time already because... Something came up in her mind. She needed to cool his head down. Of course, what can he do?

"No. I just... wanted to say to you it's mine," Feline stuttered a little at first. She stood up as she held out her hand, trying to take Friya's bracelet out. Sean tilted his head to one side, smiled, and retrieved it.

"It's the same as your name, so... I expected it would be yours," Sean chuckled. He touched her forearm. Feline was so surprised with the touch that she froze. Sean also did the same thing, but he continued. He wore the bracelet on her wrist as Feline looked at how brilliant his hair was.

The orange gleam of the horizon gave his face a faint glow. She didn't know why, but at that moment, the time stunned on its own. She stared at Sean's face as cute as a button. Sean straightened the bracelet on her wrist, and he looked up.

It's slow at first. Gradual. Like Feline was watching a scene from a movie that slowed down two times. They stared into each other eyes, reading their pupils. Sean chuckled at her, tapping her shoulder. She woke up in an instant, and the surroundings became crowdy.

Honks of the vehicles were all over the place, and the relaxing air of the village. It whished at the moment, and she swallowed. She averted her eyes towards the bracelet in her hand. The initials weren't her name, so.. how could it be hers?

Whatever, it's now hers. She placed her hands on the sides, trying to bring back her heart in its normal state. Sean placed his hands on the back. He doesn't want to touch her out of her consent. It will make the atmosphere uncomfortable as it was.

Sean slipped his hands on his jacket. Feline tucked in hers too and smiled. They both walked inside the village with beams plastered on their lips. Sean and Feline talked about how good their days were.

...

"Friya," Feline called out into that school corridor. Everyone has gone through their lockers, to their rooms, to the cafeteria, or even to the park. Friya stopped. Her hands stayed on the side. Her jet black, medium hair was flowing over her shoulders.

The rain was forming in the clouds, the storm and the thunder were coming right up. The gloomy air around hindered Feline to say what she wanted. It felt like the atmosphere wanted her to speak it all out. She's trying to... but when her eyes landed on Friya's wrist, she halted.

Feline stared at it as she turned around. Friya looked at her eyes with innocence, those eyes that don't know how to be angry. Feline didn't know if she should be mad, or if she should calm down and take things down. It's as if those eyes said that she wasn't mistaken for any choices in her life.

"Feline, what do you want to talk about?" Friya asked, getting impatient every second. She had a class in 10 minutes, yet Feline was taking up that much time being silent rather than talking. She resisted herself to tap her feet on the ground as Feline cracked her mouth open.

"Friya, I was just going to ask if... you have a relationship with...," Feline straightened her words. She tried to smoothen out her rolled tongue, but she couldn't. Feline swallowed before continuing, but Friya shut her up with a yes.

She went on, "Are you asking about me and Sean? Yeah. We are in a relationship."

Feline's world shut tight after a minute. Her world stopped, with those words tumbling out of Friya's mouth. The rain dripped down slowly as Friya smiled at her. Feline stared at it. Her eyes were emotionless.

Friya motioned for her to go ahead. "I should... go ahead. I have a class in 5 minutes. If you still have questions, I'll answer them next time."

Feline didn't even nod. But Friya turned around, ran up the steps. Her heels stomped in the corridors, resonating. She turned at a staircase, leaving Feline in the middle of the hallway. Feline stared at the shiny floors after a split second, looking up.

She darted her eyes everywhere, trying to mend that wounded heart. Feline hissed, the tears came up. She couldn't move, her breathing must have stopped in a split second. The ache just spread like wildfire in her bones, in her blood...

She pivoted around. She ran up the steps, running away from the pain she once accustomed to. Who else would cry in the middle of the day class because of a boy? A boy who likes somebody else rather than her?

Feline barged into the stairs. Her feet were heavy. It got heavier as she reached the last floor of the building. That's where she broke down in tears that her knees crouched down on its own.

She sobbed uncontrollably. Her shoulders shook at the momentum. Feline buried her eyes close to her knees, and cradled down like a baby. She stayed like that for a moment... trying to vent it out. Her cries were the only ones heard all over the floor.