The Boy Next Door

Finally

The night was rough for the both of you.

As soon as you locked the door, you jumped straight on your bed to cry yourself to sleep. But sleep never came. Everything hurt and no amount of tears could alleviate the ache in your heart.

About an hour in, Mark started knocking on your door. You didn't understand a thing he was saying because he was trying to speak through his sobs. Your pride wouldn't let you go to comfort him even as your heart begged for you to do so.

You realised that this was why you were hurting so much. You had tricked yourself to thinking that it was about losing Yoongi when deep down you knew that it was because of Mark. Everything always led back to him.

After the repercussions of Bam's party, you did try your best to get over him. You avoided him and concentrated on loving yourself. You even went back to dating thinking that it would help. You succeeded in everything but moving on. Yoongi was great, but he wasn't Mark.

Thinking back to the events leading up to now, you couldn't understand the hostility he threw at you tonight. He said that 'you fucked everything up' and that 'you weren't that special'. As the hurtful words rung in your head, a few questions started to arise. Did he really mean them? Or was it the alcohol talking? Why would he say those things? Were you strong enough to find out?

Another hour later and Mark was still at your door. He was softly tapping at it, quietly begging for you to let him in. His voice was raspy from talking through all his sobbing and you probably wouldn't have heard his apologies if you hadn't gone to sit behind the door. This was the best your pride had allowed you to do.

Sleep was about to consume you from where you were sitting, when a soft thud jolted you wide awake. You put your ear against the door to try and listen out for Mark but couldn't hear anything. Your mind was telling you to stay put, but your heart had come out stronger. There was no way that you wouldn't check on him, worried about what could be happening.

You opened the door quietly and peeked your head out to see him lying on the floor. You were filled with panic for a moment until you saw his chest rise up and down as he breathed. He'd fallen asleep. You shook your head before taking this moment to sit beside him and watch him.

Mark looked so peaceful like this. You smiled sadly, knowing that this moment wouldn't last. You brushed his hair away from his face and etched this image in your memory, knowing that after tonight, nothing would ever be the same and that there was a chance that you'd never get to do this again.

You might be angry at him right now but you knew that you couldn't leave him lying on the floor like this. You tried to wake him up to no avail, he was out like a light. You also tried to lift him up but unfortunately his tiredness made him dead weight. There was only one thing left to do, so you went to his room to grab his pillow and blanket so that you could at least make him comfortable as he slept on the floor.

You braved a kiss on his temple, your lips lingering as long as they could. You looked back at him one last time, before going back to lock yourself in your room.

xxx

You plopped yourself down on the table by the window in your campus library. It was far too early for anyone else but the librarian to be there, so it allowed you a few more hours of peace. You left your apartment in haste this morning, not wanting to be there when Mark woke up, and you didn't know where else to go.

You checked your watch after a while and headed off to where you needed to be. As soon as you exited the library however, you were met with strangers' questioning stares as they whispered things to each other. It looked like the news that you and Yoongi were no longer together already hit campus. You shouldn't have expected anything different. He was rather popular after all.