The One Left Behind

Real World

Chapter 14

Cosette

It was just two in the morning when I felt someone shaking me lightly and calling my name. I sleepily opened my eyes and saw Andrei standing beside my bed.

"Hmm... why?" I asked still half asleep as I sat up scratching my eye.

"Your dad's on the phone." My system automatically turned on upon hearing that. "Dad, why?"

"Just talk to him." He went out of my room as I stood up, I saw Ryan still sleeping soundly hair dishevelled. I walked downstairs and took the phone.

"Hey dad!"

"Sette... you've got to go home now, the jet is already ready at the port for your dismissal." He stated.

"W-what? Why? I still have a couple of four more days, before going home." I reasoned out.

"I have no time for this right now Sette, we'll talk when you get here." He immediately hung up after. I was dumbfounded for a few minutes.

"So... what did he say?" Andrei asked as he lean on the door near the stair case.

"That I'm going home... now."

"Right." His brows scrunched towards each other. Did he know? I can't really trust anyone here, can I?

I went up to my room still out of my mind, when I saw Ryan on my bed did I only came back crashing down to earth. I sighed heavily and started dressing up some skinny jeans and a shirt. I don't know why but my tears won't stop falling as I put on my light brown boots. I didn't bother to pack my things, all I packed with me is my three cameras, the photos from my Polaroid camera and my phone. I left a letter to Ryan so he will know where I am when he woke up. I left it on the bedside table and went down where Andrei is already prepared to drive me to the airport. I took my skateboard with me and hit the road.

Gosh! I didn't know it'll end like this. I already saw this coming, yet I denied it to myself since I don't want this to happen too.

"Have a safe trip." Andrei smiled at me as we part. I can't smile, I can't even pretend anymore.

"Thanks."

"Its alright... everything is going to be fine." He assured.

"I wish." I sadly smiled, as I climbed up the stairs of the jet. I waved to him one last time before going inside.

I'm quite proud to myself cause I know I will never regret anything that I have done this summer, if I have any regrets... that must be for I haven't told him that I love him. I love him forever, but its time to face the real world. And its outside the island of Batanes, where we had seek comfort to. Cause the world is huge, too huge for just two people that can never be together.

Ryan

I woke up by the harsh sunlight against my face, I sat up when I felt that I was alone in bed. I was about to go get ready for our activity today, when I noticed a letter on the bedside table. I picked it up and read it out loud, yet as I read it further my voice stopped working so its me on my mind.

It was a story.

Once there was a princess, she's... different, well at least that's what she felt. To her, everyday is like a boring book that she can't stop reading again and again, not because she wanted to... but she's obligated to. She had everything, every single thing she ever wished or not, she's... happy. Well she should be anyway.

Yet as she grew old, she learned something. She learned that you can never really have everything, that's just irrational. So she tried to find out what she doesn't have yet, she stayed in her room and just think what she lack. So she think... think... and think.

All day she spent, but can think of nothing. So she decided to move along, and just forget about it. Like they say, "what you don't know wouldn't hurt you."

She went along her life, she enjoyed it. Until her father, the king told him that her heart is already promised to a prince before she was even born. The princess never gave it a thought, she's way too young to think about marriage and stuff. She ignored it, and that's what she regret most.

Cause one normal day, a jerk lad came to her as she was walking on the meadows. He was so carefree, so jolly to the point its annoying, so crazy and so... free. She never liked him, she told him awful things. She criticized everything about him, she was never nice to him. She hoped for him to just go away, and leave her alone.

Yet one day, the lad came to her a black rose on hand. He confessed a love that felt so true, hence she couldn't understand. She turned him down, she was harsh... too harsh.

She never came back to the meadows again.

One night she couldn't sleep, the poor lad's words wrung into her mind again and again. Until days passed, words still repeating. So she decided to go to the meadows, in search for the lad that won't leave her mind.

She knew something is happening inside her heart, she knew something was wrong. But she was too scared to try, she was too scared to try at first. She was terrified to get hurt, so she chose to reject him. She chose to hurt the person she loves, than to hurt herself. Yet she regretted, so when tomorrow came, she ran back to the meadows to meet the lad.

And there she saw the lad, and her heart started to beat like a drum. She talked to the lad, and the lad told her that... he loved her no more. She was hurt, of course. Yet she loved him, and she doesn't want any regrets now or ever. So she agreed to be friends. And friends they did become.

The princess fell, so fast and hard that she forgot everything when they were together. She forgot everything, she forgot that she was a princess, she forgot that she was different. She forgot everything she wanted... and realized that he is everything she ever wanted.

But they were living in the real world, and every dream there are crushed into pieces... and theirs isn't an exception.

Oh God, tell me... please tell me this is a joke. My tears stained the paper a bit, making the ink smudge a little yet still readable.

The princess fell back to the ground and on her wounds she remembered everything, everything that the real world has told her.

And right there she realized what she don't have... freedom.

Freedom to love the person that truly has her heart. Cause she wasn't free, she never was... and she was so scared.

So scared.

Yet she stood up and decided to enjoy everything they still have, even though she's still terrified. She took a chance, because she knows he'll always be worth it. He'll be worth every pain, he'll be worth every thing.

She stood up cause she doesn't want to have any regrets, she wants to live. Not live that you'll wake up every morning doing the same thing, but live and say once in this lifetime I have loved someone and he loved me back.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for breaking your heart.

And that's the only word I could say... the princess learned so many things, she grew. She learned to love... to be free... and she also learned that this world is nothing but an illusion, as long as we held that truth this world couldn't feed us crap such as their reality.

The world is too big, Ryan. Its too huge to just rotate, around two people. Life has too many issues than just love, baby. But if its you, I'd gladly take as many risks I could if it means I can stay beside you even just for a while. But everything has limitations, and this is the end of my line. Yet yours can go like... forever, cause your free and I'm not.

Do you wanna know what I have wished? I wished I find what I really wanted... and it came true! Yet sadly, I can't keep it... cause I wasn't free.

I love you, baby.

Goodbye.