fragile

4

She rubbed her arm, staring after the two guys that had pushed past her, racing to who knows where.

The guy with the shaggy espresso hair turned his head to briefly look at her but didn't stop. She knew who he was— the whole school did.

It was Colton—the guy that had caused a scene the other day because he beat the guy to a pulp.

He was pretty scary when he wanted to be but no one seemed to hate him. So she had always assumed that meant he was a good guy.

Mira had a habit of trying to see the good in people all the time.

"Sorry!" he yelled back at her, offhandedly as if he was distracted. But he looked strange; worried and rattled as if something big was going on.

Mira didn't bother saying anything in response. Her arm was still too sore for her to care. But as she watched them speed away in their car, she had wondered:

What was it that they were going through?

That was the one question that echoed in her head as she walked towards her house. Just when she was about to turn in her street, her phone rang.

Mick's voice flooded through her ears. "Hey. Mira, can I talk to you?"

She stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, I just...I just need to talk to you," he said, clearing his throat.

"Okay. Um, meet me at our usual place in ten minutes?"

"Alright."

Mick, Willow and Mira had all gotten pretty close. It was weird because she didn't ever think they would become such good friends but they had.

Even though she was content with hanging out with them and Mick especially, Mira didn't feel too good about the meeting.

He sounded nervous as if he was planning something. As she made her way down to their local meet up spot at a mini cafe, she sat down on their usual table near the back.

She didn't know how long she sat there, waiting, but he eventually came.

Mick looked good as always. He was wearing a plain white shirt with faded blue jeans. As his eyes spotted hers, his eyes glinted with something.

She thought it was joy.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked as soon as he slid into the seat opposite her.

"Look," he said, getting straight to the point, "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now but since I'm with Willow all the time, I couldn't."

"What?" Mira was confused.

"I like you."

Time had stopped. Her ears had stopped working.

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"I like you," he repeated, whispering those words as if it was a sin.

Under any other circumstance, she would have been happy but this was her best friends boyfriend.

And she wasn't that type of person.

A deep frown made its way onto her lips. "Mick, are you crazy?"

He blinked as if shocked by her response. "Huh?"

"You've been drinking, haven't you?"

"What? No, Mira. I'm being honest with you right now."

"You're with Willow! She loves you, Mick. What are you saying?"

"Well that may be the case but I don't love her. I love y—"

"No, don't say it." Mira stood up abruptly. She took her bag, shaking her head at him. "You're lying. How could you, Mick? How could you do that to her? You know how much you mean to her. You know how much she loves you."

As she walked out of the cafe, her ears began to ring once again. Tears built up in her eyes as she forced herself to walk out. Mira suppressed the urge to walk back in and slap him multiple times.

What she didn't know was that that moment, that one single moment, was the turning point in her simple life.