Stars Fading

Comfort Blanket

Dara was waiting by her phone hoping it would ring. It has already been a week and Jiyong haven’t called or texted her. It might be because of something she said. They never get to see each other that often since Jiyong got himself a girlfriend. She wanted to call him but remembering what Bom told her about Eula; she didn’t not know. She was about to turn her night light off when her phone rang. She excitedly answered, “hello?” she paused, “Tabi.”

“expecting someone else?”  he teased. “turning you night light off this early.” He remarked.

Dara looked out her window, “what are you doing here?” she asked with a smile on her face.

“do you want me to go?”

The lights went off and the phone call was disconnected which gave Top a heavy heart. Then the front door opened. “you can’t stay there forever. Come in.” she ushered him to the kitchen, “what brings you here?”

“I was just driving around thinking of something to do when I saw that lights on.”

Dara poured some tea on his cup, “you don’t live near here. So who are you visiting? For real this time.”

Top coyly smiled, “you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” he said as he got up and went out to the garden. “D, how are you handling it?”

“handling what? School?”

“No! this whole Jiyong-Eula thing.” Top couldn’t help but ask. He has been in love with Dara ever since and has mastered reading Dara’s emotions. “you can tell me anything, even if it hurts.” He said pertaining to hearing about things that might ruin his chances of having her.

“even if it hurts?” Dara smiled. “it hasn’t been hurting since you came to the rescue.” She leaned on his shoulders, “it’s just that I got so used to having him around so much, it’s difficult to adjust now that he is not. I just miss him sometimes.”

“it’s like having your comfort blanket taken away from you.” he said as he lightly placed his head on her head. “but you will eventually grow out of it. You just have to learn to let go.”

“yeah, I guess.” Top placed his arms around her shoulders. “thanks for being around Tabi.”

Top smiled and kissed her head.Sometimes I wish she’d realized she’s the one I’ve been visiting around here. If only she knows I feel for her just like how she feels when she talks about Jiyong. It’s just not the right time to tell her yet. She has a lot of things on her mind. He told himself.

Top decided to go home an hour later when her realized Dara was falling asleep on his arms, “D, it’s getting late. I got to get going.”

Dara stood up and gave him a tight embrace as she ushered him out the front door. “thanks tabi!”

Dara was too sleepy to notice her  phone, it was ringing continuously on the top of the counter but she didn’t notice. It was Jiyong. He too was outside her house. He saw Top’s car parked outside, “what is he doing here this late?” He continued to call but no one would pick up. 

“hey, Ji!” Top called out. “why didn’t you come in?”

Jiyong glanced at the door hoping to get a glimpse of Dara, “I just got here.” He lied. He arrived 5 minutes after Tabi did but didn’t have the guts to knock. He remembered a conversation he had with Dara a week ago.

[flash back]

Jiyong called later than his usual time, “hey baby girl!” he said.

Dara was all smile to hear him call her that, “hello to you too! So? Wassup?”

Jiyong talked about how much he missed her, he asked about her locker and if it was still giving her a hard time.

“the locker? Oh it’s dead.”

“after almost four years?”

“yeah, the door broke. Tabi kinda hit it a bit hard so the door fell off.” She mused.

She continued the story which gave Jiyong a tight chest. “so you have been spending a lot of time with Top lately.”

“yeah, I know it’s weird, right? He doesn’t sneak up on people as much now. he even comes on time.”

Jiyong realized what he was missing lately. The smile on Dara’s face, the way she wrinkles her nose,   the untimely banters but what he missed the most was being by her side. “D, you free tomorrow?”

“I don’t know yet. Don’t you have anything planned with Eula? I don’t what her to think I’m stealing your time.” She desolately said. “it’s just that….”

Jiyong fell quiet knowing what Dara was about to say.

“it’s just that, you have a girlfriend and I don’t want to be a problem for both of you.”

“What? You were never a problem.” Jiyong  assured.

Dara sighed and continued, “you know I’m a girl…”

“what you are?” Jiyong interrupted.

“come on J, let me finish.” She complained, “its just I know when a girl sees something out of nothing.” She continued elaborating the facts about how a girl sees things differently from boys, “calling me in the middle of the night might be nothing between us but she might think differently. You coming over here anytime you want may be seen as something else. You are in a new relationship. I  just don’t want to mess that up for you.” she finished with a heavy heart. She doesn’t want him to stop calling but she has to protect herself too.

“why are you doing this D?”

“because I LOVE you!” she blurted, “I love you my dear BEST FRIEND and I don’t want to ruin your chance with true love.”

[end of flash back]

“jiyong!” Top called, “are you okay?”

Jiyong snapped from his trance, “yeah! Is she okay?” he said wait looking at her room window.

“she’s getting by. She has a lot of things on her mind though.”

“such as?” he asked.

Top walked towards his car, “I’m not in liberty to say. Client-Confidant privilege.” He joked, “I’ll go ahead dude!” then he drove off. 

Jiyong really wanted to see Dara. But knowing her, they would talk the whole and she would eventually tell him to stop coming by. D, what is happening to us? he said as he got in his car.

Dara was by her window when she saw a car drove away, it looked like Jiyong's car but it cant be him she told herself. A squeeze in her heart made her realized she misses him more than ever but this she has to endure -- alone.