These Glass Hearts of Ours

Part 2

'Hey!' I said to Joe, who was coming down the stairs.

He looked at me. My mind went blank. All I could hear and think about was the rain outside and the moment I decided to help Miko. I could hear the emergency siren warning inside my heart: do not be a jerk who steals her friend's love.

"The teacher called you to the east gate." I said when no words came.

I ran past him to not let him notice my shimmering eyes from holding back tears.

But the moment I felt my right hand being held, all my willpower to hold back my tears weakened.

I had lost all my then friends because I also fell in love with someone my friend was falling for back then too. Though he never loved both of us back, our friendship broke down when my friends knew my feelings for him. But I just could not let that happen this time. Please, God, don't let that happen this time, not after all these years of secluding myself in the dark.

"I love you, ardently," he said with a shaking tone among the roaring rain rattles. His voice was shaking, but my whole heart was shaken. "I've been in love with you," with nothing but delicacy—as if he was afraid of breaking this glass heart of mine— "will..."

I shook off his hands and ran away. Why was my heart sinking instead of being happy? I could not look back, but I could have already guessed his face, that was left behind.

Joe stood there in the hall for a minute. He had no clue why Esther was crying, nor did he know why she ran away. He had always noticed how she looked his way, how she was blushing when he held her hands, or how loud her heart was beating when he confessed his love for her. He had always been a perspective child but she was the only one he could not fully understand.

But the moment he saw the person waiting at the east gate, he remembered all the things that had happened in the past. There had always been Miko between them every time Esther would approach him. She, who is so kind as to give her opportunity to the others out of kindness, would do something as foolish as that for Miko.

"Joe!" Miko shouted to him while showing him an umbrella.

"It was raining so much so I came to give you an umbrella,"she said.

"I came because Esther said that the teacher was calling for me."

"I know right? She is so funny to make things up," laughing, she gave him the umbrella, "here, take this."

"I love her."

"Huh?"

"I said..."

"No, I know what you mean...," I said.

I knew his meaning. I knew all along his feelings too. I knew that despite him being with me all these years, the moment she came into our world, his mind was no longer with me. She was older and cuter than me. She always could take everyone's attention, however the situation was. She was also thoughtful and funny, unlike me. I did not like the fact that she could easily take over my whole world despite coming in after a few months.

So the only thing I could do was break her mind so she would never think of liking Joe.

"I have already confessed to her, and I will do anything in my power to make her love me back."

I have always loved his cold and stern way of talking, but now that he talks to me like that because of her, I no longer love it.

'So?'

My mind was losing its smile. The garden that I forcefully built has now begun to wither. Turns out that all the flowers in my garden that I thought were roses were actually carnations.

"Don't blame her." He begged. He was begging, but I felt as if he sneered at me.

As he left, I threw the umbrella into the trash can.