Under The Jasmine Tree ✔

🖌Recklessness

"Or did you just feel guilty?" Apollo snapped. "Do you know what your friendship did to me? Do you know what your words did to me, Olivia?" His voice slowly rose. "I lost my mom without saying goodbye because I was friends with you. I developed trust issues because of you. I was lonely for the most part of my two years in college because of you. If it weren't for Lyra and Faith, I would've stayed alone for much longer."

Everyone acknowledged that this was Apollo's time to spill 2 years' worth of pain. He had to confront the people who hurt him without even considering his emotions. So, we stayed silent.

"Ben, you made me embarrass myself in public for your own entertainment. You made me jump off a roof, steal from a store, vandalize people's property, you name it. I can't blame all of this on you though, I succumbed to the extensive pressure you three, and every friend you brought around me, put me under. Remember when you introduced me to your other friends by telling them I was 'a quiet kid who does anything you asked him to do'?"

The whole table remained silent. I never heard the detailed extend of the troubles they put him through, and hearing it all now, I realized how much Apollo needed this confrontation.

'Mr. Davis, you cannot dwell on your past. you most certainly cannot hate the whole world because of what fate has done to you. you also can't pour your pain into music and art without telling a soul about your true troubles.'

'What do you expect me to do when the person who you lived for left you alone? do you sit and cry? or do you follow them to the darkness beyond?'

I remembered the first day I met Apollo and what Mr. Benjamin told him. Connecting all the dots, I realized the backstory behind his words. The past he was talking about was with these people. The thing fate has done to him was take his mother away; the person Apollo lived for.

"Wayne, remember all the shit you got me in? The people you made me hurt. Faith was the first victim. You made me tell her how pathetic she is for trying to pursue medicine? How you 'dared' me to prank her and ruin all her notes? That day she cried so hard that I felt her pain. What was worse is that I just faked ruining her papers, so when she found out she cried for nothing, she was more devastated. Thankfully she remained by my side even after you all left me alone. I knew I didn't deserve her." Wayne looked down at his hands in shame.

Apollo turned towards Olivia. "Remember how you told me you liked me? Remember how you lied to me? You only said things like that because you wanted someone to use as a joke. I saw you that night in the skate park when you told all your friends about this 'stupid highschooler who thinks we were actually dating'. They laughed with you."

"All of you made me feel like I was a shell of a human and that I would never find someone who wants to be my friend for me, not for the things I would do for them-" He looked at Ben, "not for their sadistic entertainment-" He turned his glare to Wayne, "and not for their own personal satisfaction." He rested his gaze at Olivia, who's eyes were brimmed with tears.

"I'm thankful though, for everything you did to me, because I finally realized the importance of friends and the blessing of having someone who loves you for simply existing." Apollo stood up from the booth and walked towards me. His hand held mine, and he tugged lightly on my hand, telling me that he had the confrontation he needed.

I stood up and smiled at him softly and whispered, "I'm proud of who you are, Apollo, and who you were and who will become."

We both turned our backs to leave but we were stopped by Wayne's urgent voice. "For all it's worth, we're sorry. For everything." We looked back at them to see all three of them standing up.

"We're sorry for what we did, even though that's unforgivable, and we're sorry for the pain we caused you. I'm glad you found someone that can remind you of your worth." Wayne sent me a sad smile.

Apollo let out a chuckle. "You'll be surprised to find out I forgave you, for everything, a long time ago. I just needed to confront you."

He just needed to confront his past.

Olivia got up and walked up to Apollo. "Does this mean we can be friends again?" Her face held a hopeful smile.

Apollo returned her smile. "Just because I forgave you, doesn't mean I want to be near you." He looked at me with a small smirk and turned around and continued walking away from the diner.

I gasped. "What?" He asked, "Is there something wrong?" He frantically searched my face, trying to figure out if I was in pain.

"We didn't even get to try the karaoke!"

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And just like that, Apollo cut all contact with his old 'friends' after he realized that would be his best for of revenge. To live his life happily without them.

He realized he didn't need them to find happiness or self-acceptance.

"I don't know what it is about this place, but I love it." I sighed in contentment as I leaned my head back on the jasmine tree.

"It's probably because I'm here with you." Apollo smothered my face with playful pecks. I softly pushed him away as I laughed.

"Of course, but I meant something else. It's like I could stay here for the rest of my life." I closed my eyes and listened to the rustling of leaves and the melodies coming from a few birds.

"it's the memories. I love this place so much because it has so many memories. Sad ones, happy ones, and all that's in between." Apollo wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I rested my legs on top of his and leaned on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, telling me it's all real and I'm not just dreaming.

"Lyra, promise me you would never leave me. I would get on my knees and beg you to stay." Apollo propped his chin on the top of my head.

"I will never leave you, Apollo. I will always be in your memory, wont I?"

"I think about you even when you're sitting with me, in my arms. Of course, you'll always be in my memory."

A moment of silence passed between us.

"I'm afraid of getting old." He spoke.

I tilted my head to rest it in the crook of his neck. His voice vibrated through his body. "Because I'm afraid the older I'll become, I'll forget things."

"But isn't that a good thing? You'll forget all your bad memories."

"It also means I'll forget the good ones. I would rather remember all my bad memories than lose the good ones."

I pulled away from his slowly, "well, lets make more good memories to fill your memory storage compartment with them."

His lips quirked up. "What do you suggest?"

I leaned in closer to his lips, till my breath was fanning them. "A few more memories about the taste of your lips." I crashed my lips onto his. I could feel the smirk on his lips as I kissed them.

I couldn't contain my laugher. Apollo pulled away confused. "Why're you laughing?" His eyebrow rose in confusion.

"I remembered the time I saw you smirking at your guitar. I thought I had no chance because of how obsessed you looked." I laid on my back on the ground, gasping for air.

"Too bad. Now I can look at you the same way I looked at my guitar because I'm madly obsessed with you!" He climbed on top of me making me groan.

"Get off, you elephant!"

"You know you love this elephant." He kissed all over my face.

Once I caught my breath, I stared at his brown eyes. "Yes, I do." He leaned closer to my face-

"Wait!" I remembered something. "Did you mean it when you said I was your girlfriend?"

A wide grin stretched on his face. "Of course, I did. You're my best friend and my girlfriend, that's if you want..." His eyes flickered with uncertainty.

"Are you kidding? I would love to!" It was my turn to jump on him. We both erupted in fits of laughter, just laying with each other.

"Somehow, I looked at you as a friend until one day, I realized I loved you." He kissed my temple.

I think I could say I finally Lived.