[if you haven't read chapter 00, please read it before you begin this one.]
DIEGO FOSTER
A wide smile broke out on my face when I peeked at the red roses I was holding.
It was so difficult to believe I had waited for this moment for over 2 years now. Being the shy little idiot I am, I could never tell my best friend that I was in love with her — have been, actually, since a while now. But I'm her idiot and I wouldn't mind being one my whole life if that's what it takes to make her smile.
I remember the way her eyes always twinkle whenever she calls me that. Idiot. She had called me an idiot on multiple occasions now — whenever I tried to tease her with someone else in school, when I called roses red instead of maroon, when I joked about marrying her someday. But today, there would be no facades, no need to hide behind silly what ifs. Just the truth. My truth. That I'm madly, irrevocably and stupidly in love with my best friend.
And this time, nothing can stop me from saying it out loud today.
The plastic on the bouquet crinkled under my nervous grip and I opened the box to find the ruby ring refracting colours under the soft sunlight. The pendant was just the way it was supposed to be — a half heart and the other half was supposed to stay with me. Everything was perfect. It had to be. After all, my love deserves the whole world — only the best. And I had spent years of my life trying to be someone who could deserve someone as perfect as her.
Running a hand through my hair and muttering a prayer for strength, I strode towards the school building to find her and tell her just how much I love her. Right since I first laid my eyes on her at that Christmas party, right since we locked eyes and smiled at each other, flashing our broken teeth, I fell for her bit by bit each day. How could I not? One look into those grey eyes and all you'd want to do is swim in that vast ocean of nothingness. That was the day I realised there was no coming back, all I wanted to do was drown into her. And I haven't been able to get my eyes off of her ever since.
Something inside me tells me she's going to be a big part of my future; I'm positive of it.
My touch soft and gentle, I brushed my thumb over the rose petals once, fantasising about the way blood would rush to her pale cheeks when she would see the bouquet. After all, maroon was her favourite colour, be it on anything. Her mobile cover, the colour of her nails, the ruby studded on this ring, these deep red roses or even-
My fingers stayed stuck to the petals when something hovering above me caught my attention. I tried to squint my eyes to get a better look but in an instant, the shadowy figure blocked the sunlight from my view.
The ruby ring stopped shining under the light, turning into a darker shade and an anxious feeling took over my gut. I wasn't sure if it was anger or fear that made me want to yell at this person for ruining my sweet moments of daydreaming. They better not spoil my soon-to-be most cherished memory with Lyra with antics like these.
Shifting aside, I twisted my head slightly to figure what was happening on the terrace but the sun shone brighter, blinding me temporarily. A palm over my head, I tried to narrow my eyes to find answers. That's when it hit me. There stood a sleek figure with long, black hair flying in all directions. My vision was still blurred and black from staring into the sun and it felt like she was going through the same, rubbing her eyes hastily.
I couldn't see her face but a voice inside my head bet her eyes were grey. Wait, I knew this girl! Lyra.
But what was she doing on the terrace anyway? And why was she ditching lectures? Not that Lyra was a serious student anymore — something had changed recently and she barely managed to maintain the minimum level of attendance but this was so unlike her. She wasn't even dressed in our maroon school uniform; still in her black dress from the party yesterday.
Before I could draw a conclusion or calm my unsteady questions, I saw her shift closer to the edge. And before I could manage to speak up or fathom words from my lost vocabulary, she jumped, leaving me dumbfounded.
In no time, her body crashed against the very ground I stood on. Blood raced from her face-fallen body and I let go of everything I was holding in my hands to run towards her. My feet kept trembling and I found myself tripping on the smooth floor, wondering if it was too late. "Lyra?" I tried to scream but no sound came out of my sore throat.
Slowly making my way closer, I turned her on her back and sat next to her. Cradling her bloody face between my palms, I tried to rub the maroon tint away and checked if she was still breathing. She wasn't. Wiping the blood on her face with my handkerchief, I frantically ran my fingers through her hair, hoping this would wake her up with a startle.
She hated it when anyone touched her hair.
Gathering all my courage, I let out a long, shaky exhale and struggled to make my vocal cords work "L- Lyra?" I breathed heavily. "It's me. Diego."
No answer.
"Baby, can you hear me? I'm Diego." I tried to shake her, as if she was just asleep. "Your idiot. Talk to me, Lyra." An involuntary stream of tears left my eyes and I mentally cursed at the way not even my own body was listening to me. "Please?" I barely managed to whisper.
I could hear footsteps rush towards us but I couldn't bother to look away.
"Okay." My voice was hopeful again, as I remembered now. "I know you're mad at me for leaving you alone at Connor's party yesterday. I am sorry, Lyra. I shouldn't have. But that doesn't mean you do this again-"
When she didn't move even the slightest, I lost my patience.
"Oh come on now, I know you're going to say "Diego, I'm dead" and I'll have to fake-cry like I always do." He smirked once. "But I must say, I'm impressed. This time, you've done this with proper planning and all, huh?"
It was one thing to pull pranks but this time, Lyra was pulling a very elaborate one, just to watch me suffer. Just so I could understand how pissed she was and realise that she wasn't going to forgive me easily this time. Especially after the way I ignored her yesterday.
"Lyra? Making this shit more realistic? Fine. I challenge you." I chuckled darkly. "I'm coming to tickle you. Lay like this, like a corpse if you can anymore."
Just as my hands darted towards her waist, someone let out an ear-piercing shriek from behind and I was forced to cover my ears. "Lord, damn! Jasper." The lady yelled at the top of her voice again. "Jasper! Call an ambulance, fast." She ordered, breathless, running towards us.
"Lyra? Oh God!" She covered her mouth. Her gaze shifted towards me and she spoke, her voice more sympathetic now. "Diego? Is she breathing?"
I shook my head, confused. Suddenly, I was conscious about the way I looked. Every part of my body felt numb. Except my palm which could feel blood constantly ooze out of Lyra's face. I was just like the body before me — cold, almost lifeless, dead. My lips curled into a proud smile at Lyra's realistic acting.
Within minutes, a bus arrived and a man dressed in blues pulled out a stretcher and another tried to lift Lyra away from my arms and I watched, helpless, as the scene before me turned from maroon to blue. Did they even know Lyra hated blue? Why were they ruining my special day by dressing up in a colour Lyra hated? Why did-
Wait, why were they taking Lyra away? Did they not know she was the safest in my arms? "What do you think you're doing?" I screamed at the top of my voice, slapping his hand away from my love. "Don't touch her!"
"Kid-" The principal rubbed my shoulder, unsure of what to say when those people carried her away.
Oh wait, she knew us. Both of us. She would definitely understand. I turned to her and pleaded. "Ma'am, you know Lyra. Sh- She is just playing. Pulling a stupid prank. B- Because I told her yesterday that she doesn't have any effect on me."
"Diego-"
"She is acting! This is just a prank. She will wake up-"
The man with a stethoscope around his necklace, probably a doctor, cleared his throat and declared with a fallen face. "We're sorry." He shook his head. "She's already dead."
"What rubbish!" I got up and ran towards the stretcher on which Lyra was lying. Could she have hired these doctors as a part of her prank too? This was too much, way out of line now. "She's going to talk to me now. Watch!" I challenged the men in blue.
"Lyra?" I rubbed her pale cheek and more blood oozed out. "This is enough. Stop this bloody nonsense of yours. You really enjoy my attention, don't you?"
She didn't move. Her grey eyes never opened again.
"For fuck's sake, Lyra! Respond. Please. For heaven's sake!"
"I'll go make an announcement in the school not to panic. Some students may have watched this from their classroom windows. I'll be back." The principal announced to no one in particular.
The guy from the ambulance spoke way too rudely. "Bro, she is dead. For real. Get a grip-"
"Don't you freaking dare." I glared at him, clenching my jaw. "Lyra." I held her face again. "For the last time. Look at this. I brought everything with your favourite colour on it. Remind me again, which is your favourite colour?"
When she still kept up with her act, I gripped her wrist way too tightly but when I loosened my grip and let go, her hand banged against the metal on the side of the stretcher. That must've hurt but she didn't wince even once.
Was she really dead? No, she couldn't be-
"She can't die like this." I couldn't recognise my own broken voice.
The man began pushing her stretcher inside the ambulance. I had to stop him; she was just playing with me. I knew it. I kept pleading but he didn't listen. I couldn't hold myself anymore and simply followed my instinct next and did what my thoughts told me to.
I picked up the girl — who ruined my plan of confessing my love for her — from the stretcher and held her up in my arms. I seated her comfortably on a bench next to us and hugged her tight, squeezing my eyes shut. It felt so good hugging her like this. I hope she feels the tingles, too.
Wake up, wake up love. I thought to myself, hoping she could hear the words in my silence somehow.
When I saw the Principal stepping closer, probably to take her away, I leaned even closer and did what I was supposed to do. Nothing can stop me from saying it out loud today. And I intended to keep my word.
Pressing my cheek on hers, I whispered into her ear — for nobody else but her to hear. "I love you, Lyra. Do you love me, too?"
But sometimes, some moments can't be turned back. Sometimes, things don't go the way you planned. Sometimes, you are a minute too late. And your life changes completely in that moment.
She was gone when the man carried her away while I sat on the lonely bench, all by myself, without an answer. The ghost of my words still echoed in my ears. The silence that followed shook me to the core. Her blood was all over me, completely staining my white shirt now, turning it into a colour she loved way too much.
She didn't tell me if she loved me back. She didn't answer a single question.
Apparently, all she could tell me was that her favourite colour was so scarlet. A shade of the love I felt for her, a shade of the anger growing inside me right now, a shade of blood on my palms.
It was maroon.
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RANDOM QUESTION: Which is your favourite colour?
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Author's Note - Heya, people! How have you all been? Liked this chapter?
Do let me know if there is something missing in my writing. How was the first chapter? What do you think Diego looks like? Do you like his name? What do you think of Lyra's fall/jump? Do you feel emotional? Do you just feel the anger build? Why, do you think, did she jump? What will happen to Diego, now? :(
Comment your assumptions, even the silliest of them!
Edit: RIP to all the amazing inline comments I lost while rewriting this chapter :'(
This story is originally from 2015 and I intend to keep the original story intact so my major changes in this novel version will be focused on adding some scenes (especially the ones relevant to the sequel) and changing my writing style a bit. Hope you like this version as well <3
Take care. Keep smiling.
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