Butterfly on your Right Shoulder.

Years have passed since they last met. Now, they finally crossed paths again.

“Hey.”

“Oh hi.”

The girl was wearing a white summer dress that reaches just half an inch below her knees and a blue bolero. He was wearing his blue polo, tie  and slacks and it seems like he has an appointment to attend somewhere. He mentioned her to have a seat and spoke:

“So…how many years has it been?”

“Hmm. I dunno. 10 years maybe?”

“Hahaha. We’re so old already. The last time we met, we’re just undergrads. Young.”

“Young, indeed. Still unstable. Directions in life still a mess haha.”

“Oh yeah I remember. So much whining and no hardwork. Hahaha.”

“So, uhm…how are you? I mean…for the past years…”

“Oh me? Hmm. Pursued something different. Now I’m an officeman. Not a doctor that my parents wanted me to be.”

“Oh that’s good.”

“Oh I’m kidding. I’m a doctor. I tried hard to finish it y’know! Haha. I thought that it was really impossible for me because I do not really like it but I learned how to love it. I don’t know what in the world occured to be but I finished it. Oh my God.”

“Hahahahaha! That’s so like you. Still got the vibes of the younger you!”

“Meh hahaha. Uhm well, what about you?”

“Oh me? Nothing special really.”

“Oh come on. That’s just so like you. Not saying more. Spill!”

She chuckled then replied, “Okay. I finished my course and surprisingly, I got into a medical school. Would you believe it? I freaking finished med, too!—-ah sorry for the language haha.”

“Oh it’s fine don’t worry. Let’s talk like what we did back then.”

“Back then…”

“…”

“So uhm.”

The wind was a bit strong on that day. Her locks were flowing freely along with the wind. She tried to keep it down by holding her hair with her hand. He noticed something glitter somewhere but tried to ignore it.

“Ah sorry. Uhm. If it’s okay to ask…”

“Sure sure, it’s okay. We’re friends right?”

Her heart tinged a bit.

“Yeah, we’re friends.” She replied.

“After that day…”

“…”

“What did you do?”

“…”

Silence. The bright atmosphere was immediately abolished and was replaced by a deafening silence. Tension. Palms sweating. Sighs. He deeply closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“After that day? That….”

“…”

“I died you know?”

“Sorry.”

“After that day. When you told me that, my world broke apart. I…didn’t know what to do.”

“…Sorry.”

“After you told me….you know what happened right? I didn’t want to believe it. That it’s ending. Everything’s ending. My world. Ending.”

“…”

“Yeah, didn’t go to school for idk when. Filed LOA for months, I think. Lost appetite, lost weight, cried buckets haha like a girl. Made people go away. Refused all of their help. Became a shut-in.”

She closed her eyes and bowed slightly.

“You broke my heart you know.” He looked at her. He examined every detail of her face, her sad look, her hair. Ah, he missed them all. “You know I cannot handle that kind of thing. You knew how I was hurt before. And when you said that…Ah you’re so evil. The pain was so unbearable. Incomparable to any pain existed.”

“I’m—” She tried to apologize. But she felt that it wouldn’t work so she stopped.

“You didn’t change. You still look the same as your younger self.”

She bitterly bit her lip.

“Your voice is still the same. I really loved your voice, you know? I wanted to hear you talk all the time though you do not talk that much. So when I have the chance to hear your voice, I listen very carefully.”

She finally looked at him again, his eyes meeting hers.

“I really loved you, you know?” He let out a suppressed sob. “You—- “

She started to cry.

“Oh no, no, no! Sorry don’t cry haha. I’m just being emotional here. Don’t mind me. Don’t cry. And I’m fine now! I even graduated, right?” He reached his hand to her and held her face. The he wiped her tears.

“I-I’m sorry….” She said as she sobbed further.

“Ehh. Sorryy. Don’t cry. Smile, please?” He tried to smile for her. But it was a horrible sight. Everything contradicted his words. He wasn’t really smiling, but was crying, too. Aw, man—-the hell’s this?

“Hahaha! It’s just like you. Apologizing every single time even though it’s not your fault.” He patted her head and then chuckled a bit.

“B-But…-sob- Sorry I asked….-sob-” She tried to cover her face but he stopped her.

“It’s okay. I had the right to refuse but I didn’t. Sorry for letting myself go boom. Hahaha.” He touched her hand, and then caressed it along with the glittering thing that he tried to ignore before.

“But I guess you have someone to take care of you now, right?” He smiled.

She closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry. Because of that day…”

“Don’t be sorry. Because of that day, I found a reason to continue my life. With a goal.”

“But—!”

“That day really was the worst day of my life. I’m sorry but I have to tell you this. I’m still in love with you, you know? Hahahaha. I cannot move on, damn. You rock, girl.” He laughed.

She giggled. “But maybe not as much as before. I guess that you have a really pretty girlfriend—-or wife right now! Haha. As if your looks aren’t that great. You’re handsome. The most handsome guy I had ever met in my lifetime, in fact.”

lifetime.

“Reaallyyyyy now. Maybe I have met other women that are prettier than you but i dunno. What the hell did you make me drink? Hahahaha”

“Meaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” She pouted. Ah, what a cutie.

“I’m just kidding hahahaha. Uhm…so, I have to ask. That ring…”

“Oh this? Heehee. I promised someone. And until now, I’m still hoping. By wearing this ring…I’m still hoping that he’ll go back to me.”

He turned silent.

“I really loved him. His eyes, his nose, his face…everything. Even though he was whiny and a spoiled brat, I still loved him. I’m an idiot for making him go away.” She closed her eyes then smiled sweetly as she touched her ring. “I regret…everything.”

Gradually, he started to recognize something. The ring…where have he seen—-

White roses everywhere.

A flat line.

Broken world.

Flashbacks.

He suddenly talked after minutes of silence.

“I remember.”

She cried.

“I…fucking remember.”

“I want to go back, but I can’t. I cannot anymore. I regret…”

“No…”

“I really regret…”

“Stop…”

“I wanted to stay by your side and not leave you alone…”

“I said, stop!”

Silence.

“I never wanted to die, you know.” She finally said it.

—-

“Hey!”

“Yo! So…what’s the news all about?”

“Uhm…don’t panic, okay?”

“Uhm…okay?”

She let out a deep breath.

“I have cancer.”

“Seriously? We have cancer for the lesson to—-“

“I have brain cancer.” She emphasized her point.

“Y-you’re joking, right?”

“…” She shook her head but then she faced him and smiled at him. “I have cancer. I’ll be gone in a week.”

He stood up.

“I refuse to accept this.”

“It is the truth. I wasn’t planning on telling you until I died but yeah, I felt an urge that I had to tell you this. Uhm so yeah haha. That’s it. Thanks for everything.” She chuckled a bit.

“AND YOU’RE FINE WITH THAT!? Why. Why only now? Is it not curable—-” He realized that it’s a stupid question to ask. He sat down beside her. “I cannot accept. Why…” He cried.

After seeing him like that, his hopeless eyes, his tears…she also cried.

“I don’t wanna die……..”

His eyes opened widely as he heard her plea and hugged her all of a sudden.

“You will not die. You will not. I will be with you. You’ll survive. So, please, fight.”

She nodded in reply.

But it was too late.

After a week, she passed away.

He was beside her all of the time.

He didn’t come to school.

He just stayed by her side.

Until the very last moment that her heart is beating.

And with the last beat, she smiled. For him.

…he then slipped a ring in her finger when she was about to be buried.

—-

“Always by your side.” She read the inscription in her ring. “I really treasure this. Thank you very much for giving this to me.”

He was still crying. He knew. He knew that the girl that he had loved for all of his life…the girl in front of her, is an illusion. Her face, features, voice…everything. He’s just longing for her. Enough to see delusions of the girl he had loved. And he even imagined that she had finished college.

“And I still love you. Sooooo much.” She smiled. Oh how he had missed that lovely smile. Even though it was just a memory. A fabrication made by his mind. And then she stood up, and hugged him. And then he cried like a baby.

“I’m sorryyyy. I wasn’t able to give you what you deserve. I wasn’t able to make you happy…”

“No! Definitely not! You’ve given me enough happiness, okay? Even though it was short, I was really happy. Even now. That I still exist in your heart. That I’m still there.”

“It’s because I don’t want to lose you even more!”

“That’s why you have to find someone that would make you happy. I don’t want to see you suffer anymore because of me.”

“No…”

“Yes, you will. Someday,you will meet that person. Definitely. I assure you.” She kissed his forehead and hugged him tighter.

”_____________….” He uttered her name. And then, she vanished.

He continued to cry.

Poor, poor soul.

After a few minutes…

“I really do look like a psycho right now…haha.” And then he noticed a ring on the table.

“Eternally by your side.” 

He stood up and walked away with a smile on his face.

And oh, something’s glittering on his finger.

“Damn it, I’m supposed to be a skeptical but what is this. I’m just clinging to false hope. Gawd, I’m so sorry but I cannot give up just yet.”

Maybe he’s still not ready to accept what she said about finding someone else. (Well maybe because it’s just an illusion) But one thing’s sure for him, she would be with him wherever his feet would take him.

“Hey!” she playfully poked his cheeks while she smiled brightly.

“Heeeyyy!” He poked her back. “What took you so long? Psshhh.”

“Sorryyyyyyyyyy. But I’m already here, okay? Don’t be so maaaaddddd” She pouted.

“Okay fiiinnneee!” He patted her head and smiled.

Ah…those days.

“I wonder if I’ll meet you sooner if I die now…”

And then…

—————-END——————

TROLOLOLOLO HAHAHAHAHA. Rushed ending. Dunno why I wrote this. Just thought of this when I was in the train. Oh-kayyyy. O.O I was crying when I made this HAHAHA I KIDD. But really, with enough imagination, it’s a tear-jerker…supposedly. Or I didn’t described it well. Grammar check? FAIL. HAHAHA. Sorry. I suuuuck. But I had to get this load off my mind. Teehee. Open-ended. Because I’m such a troll. 8D

And I also expect a lot of typo in this shit. HAHAHA. Forgive meeee