This story is not entirely based on true events.
Writing is my sanctuary, a canvas where I pour my feelings and transform them into narratives that speak not just to the mind but to the heart. Through storytelling, I give voice to what cannot be spo...
"Are you free later, Maxwell? I need to talk to you" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound calm.
Maxwell glanced at me briefly, his expression neutral, as if he already knew what I was going to say. "Yeah, after class. Meet me by the basketball court?"
I nodded, clutching my notebook tightly to steady my shaking hands. For weeks, we had been skating on thin ice, and I could feel it cracking beneath us.
We met after school as planned. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the court. Maxwell leaned against the fence, arms crossed, his face guarded.
"I can't hiding this feelings anymore, Maxwell" I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know you're still talking to her."
He looked away, jaw tightening. "Haila, I told you, I blocked her like you asked"
"Then explain why I saw her comment on your video yesterday" I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "She used another account, didn't she?"
Maxwell sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's just a friend. I can't control what she does"
"She's more than just a friend, Maxwell. She's why we're falling apart."
We'd had this conversation so many times, it felt like a broken record. Three years together-three long years of love, fights, and endless promises were unraveling because of her.
---
Flashback It started small. I noticed the way Maxwell's face lit up whenever his best friend, Shila, sent him a message. At first, I brushed it off. Of course, he'd be happy; she was his best friend. But as weeks turned into months, it became harder to ignore the way they seemed to share a connection that I couldn't reach.
"Do you like her?" I asked one night, trying to sound casual, though my heart was pounding.
Maxwell laughed, a sound that felt too forced. "Don't be ridiculous, Haila. She's just a friend."
But her name kept coming up. Every day. In every conversation. That name makes us fight ever single day.
---
Present
"Maxwell" I said, my voice breaking, "you're not even trying anymore. We barely talk. You're always on your phone, always hiding something. Do you know how that makes me feel?"
He exhaled sharply. "I'm not hiding anything! You're just overthinking everything."
"Overthinking? You think I'm overthinking when she's constantly texting you, commenting on your posts, and finding new ways to get to you even after you supposedly blocked her?" My voice rose, my emotions spilling out uncontrollably.
"You don't trust me," he muttered, shaking his head.
"How can I when you keep giving me reasons not to?"
---
The fights became a pattern. I'd ask him to cut ties with her completely, and he'd promise to. But then I'd find out he hadn't with a stupid reason told me that he scared to cut her off. Shila was always there, lurking in the shadows of our relationship. Even if Maxwell and I fighting, she is the one who will be his side out of anybody else.
"Why can't you just let her go, Maxwell? Am I not enough for you?" I cried, tears streaming down my face.
"You don't understand!" he snapped. "She's been there for me since before we even met. I can't just cut her out of my life like that."
"And I'm here now, but that doesn't seem to matter to you" I whispered, my voice trembling.
For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then he said the words that shattered everything.
"Maybe we need a break."
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I blinked, unable to process what he'd just said. "A break? After everything we've been through, you want to throw it all away because of her?"
"Haila, we're not happy anymore. We're just hurting each other" he said softly, his voice tinged with regret.
---
That was the last time we spoke. July 29, 2023. The day my world fell apart.
Now, as I sit in the quiet corner of the library, staring at the date scrawled in my diary, I can't help but wonder if I'll ever be able to move on.
The memories of us-of our laughter, our late-night talks, and even our fights-haunt me. And no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to forget the boy who once meant everything to me.
