THE BLEEDING HEARTS PROGRAM

FIFTY-FIRST TUTORIAL

Even the way he looked at him was like everyone was intruding in their world.

It was all Brielle wanted. She couldn't stand it.

"I see. I can't reciprocate your feelings. I'm sorry Brielle."

Deep down, he had realised that Brielle liked him more than a friend would a long time ago. He ignored it to avoid immediate conflict but, he had realised that ignoring a problem and letting it foster, was silently admitting that you were ready for the consequences.

Raphael had talked to his mother a lot in the time they spent together. He had to accept that he couldn't continue to ignore things and hope they go away.

He just felt guilty and anxious about everything.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to. Let's just forget about it and go back to being friends."

"I don't think we should Brielle. A friend that ignores another's feelings and a friend with anterior motives... it's shitty all around."

"I messed up this time but-"

"I knew you liked me since high school," Raphael admitted softly sighing. The admission not even surprising Brielle. Deep down... she knew.

"I never acknowledged your feelings and continued to date other people."

"Wait," Brielle panicked, "it's not like that. I never told you before so- I'm not mad at you so-"

"I can't forgive you. I'm sorry, even if I could ignore everything else, I can't ignore how you spoke to Junya. I'm so angry about it, I can't let it go."

Ultimately, that's what it boiled down to.

Resentment.

Misplaced guilt. Anger. Sadness. Raphael couldn't look at Brielle the same way. Even if Junya had forgiven him, his heart ached that Brielle made him ever look at Raphael like his intentions weren't pure.

"We're done."

"So that's it? We've been friends for so long and you just want to walk away?"

"Yeah, it's better than pretending that we have more to say."

"Raphael!"

Although Raphael left Brielle sitting there on the bench, his heart didn't feel heavy.

Autumn had come around again and he was reminded again of the first he had meet Junya.
...

"... and maybe the journey was the friends we made along the way."

Yohan snickered as the dean looked at Raphael with an irritated look. Clearly the young man hadn't taken seriously the fact that he was awarded the Summa Cum Laude award.

The man didn't know how someone who easily demonstrated such academic prowess could be so unserious.

"Anyways, thank you Harvard for these amazing three years. I will treasure them forever."

Raphael bowed slightly as everyone erupted in cheers and claps. Amongst the crowd, he saw his mother's smiling face which made him feel at ease.

He never expected this to be his graduation guest lineup but, life changed fast and often.

"I know the dean wanted to freaking strangle you," Sabrina laughed as she handed Raphael a bouquet of roses. "Congratulations friend, I hope we can still meet up and stuff after this - don't become a stranger."

"Nah, of course not," Raphael smiled hugging her, "I'll come see you in Cali and you come to New York for me."

"And then you both come to London for me," Yohan suggested wrapping an arm around both their shoulders before, all three were surprised by a flash.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Carmen apologised holding the camera, "you three just looked so cute- this is an old camera that I found and I'm not sure how to work it-"

"Ma'am do you want us to pose," Sabrina asked positioning herself between the two boys. "Like the way I'm photogenic, videogenic and just overall gorgeous will scare that old camera."

Carmen laughed as she focused again taking pictures of Raphael and his friends. She was glad he was around such good people whilst in college.

"Also Raphael, your phone was receiving a few calls before a message was sent from the same person."

"Yeah," the boy asked curiously as his mother handed him his phone. "Does it say who the calls are from?"

"I don't know- someone you have under Pops. Have you meet someone weird child?"