It started with a lie

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 "Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it..." ~Tom Waits 

I AM LATE - I AM LATE - I AM LATE! 

I was supposed to meet my bestie Esme at the bus station at half past six, and it was already six-forty. My phone had been flooded by her texts for the last ten minutes. WRU? R U ON YOUR WAY? R U EVEN COMING? She's really afraid that I won't turn up. 

It's our annual class gathering and I had been attending every single one for the last eight years since our graduation and for the first time, this year's gathering was one I wasn't looking forward to attending. Because he will be attending.. 

He, namely, my ex. 

Jonas had been my crush for two years before he noticed me and became my first love. Unfortunately we only dated for six months after graduation before he left for UK to pursue his college studies. He was our batch's top student. While he should be studious and nerdy, the gods had blessed him with extraordinary good looks and physique. In his first year, he was greatly sought out with the various clubs and sports teams, in the end he joined the Scouts and there was never a guy more good-looking in uniform than him. 

How we got together, or rather, how he took notice of me, was actually quite surprising. We were in the same class for four years, he knew my name for sure since I was the class rep for a year, but he only took notice of me proper in our senior year. Because we happened to join the same community service that year. Every year, the school would make us participate in some kind of community service as part of our social services. You can choose to volunteer at a orphanage or seniors centre, or pick up rubbish at the beach, or do a flag day, there was a list to select from. In my final year, I opted to volunteer at the hospital's pediatric ward. To my delight, he had signed up for the same and we were the only two. 

I had a crush on him since two years ago from something which I couldn't recall why. While I was really excited and happy to be volunteering with him, I was also super nervous. I mean, who wouldn't be nervous in front of her crush? 

Anyway, so it was thanks to that, we got to know each other, he got to know me more, and I guess he felt that I wasn't too bad and decided to ask me out eventually. Actually for the final six months of school, I sort of revealed to him that I liked him. Then subtly he also told me that he wanted to concentrate on our final exams first, so I respected his decision. But in action, we were already like a couple. He would bring me my favourite yogurt drink if I missed my break, or walk me to the train station if class ended late, or I would take notes for him if he was running errands for the teachers. Probably all our classmates already assumed we were together even before we were officially together. 

I still remembered it was Christmas eve when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I waited for him for three hours because there was a Scouts event he went. And when he finally popped the question, I remembered I was beaming so widely that I couldn't stop. Our next six months together had been bliss. I remembered I was the one who held his hand first because I got so impatient waiting for him to hold my hand, and then on, he kept waiting to hold hands. I had my first kiss after challenging him to kiss me. I was the one who took all the initiative.. except the break up. 

There was no girl, no third party, no quarrel. Just that he had been accepted into the university of Cambridge to study law. He had told me that he had applied for it but we never really thought he might be accepted. While we could continue a long distance relationship, but both of us didn't want that so we decided to part on friendly terms. I remembered I cried for three days. Esme got so fed up with me and scolded me maybe I shouldn't have broken up with him. After he went to UK, we still kept in contact for a few months until college started for me as well and I got busy with work and blah blah and we just drifted apart and lost contact. Then last month, somebody in the group chat mentioned that Jonas was now a very established lawyer and engaged and returning back to Korea. Even though it had been eight years, my heart still did a flip hearing his name. And I just thought it might be awkward to see him again.