A LUMP IN MY CHEST

PERCY'S POV.

I ran straight towards the hotel’s entrance door, without glancing back, not even for a second.

The security men watched me as I whisked past them, struggling to catch my breath.

One of them turned to look at me for a while before averting his gaze.

He seem to be concerned about me but changed his mind. Of course, my clothes were disheveled and I was running like I saw a ghost in broad daylight.

I stopped running once I was outside the hotel. Something prompted me to go back and beg those security men for help, but I waved aside the dumb thought.

What could they possibly do? I mean, the police didn't even take me seriously. Even worse, what if they work for him?

“Ahh shit!” I groaned from the frustration.

The street was oddly quiet, except for a few luxurious cars coming out from the parking lot.

At this point, can I even call it an assault when I willingly walked in there last night?

I really don't want to sleep with him again.

Last night left me messed up–Body and soul.

But if I don't, he'll go ahead and get married to the love of my life, leaving me regretful and miserable forever.

“Arghhh! This is giving me a headache!” I ran my ten fingers through my hair. Pulling along some strands.

I need to get out of here.

Finally a cab came along and I boarded it, heading for my dorm.

The moment I opened the door I saw Dave sprawled out on my bed.

Wasn't he supposed to spend the night at his girlfriend's place? What's he doing here?

He was asleep, so I tip-toed around, trying not to wake him up.

“Where did you go?”

I froze up at the sound of his voice.

“Good morning, Dave,” I greeted him with an awkward smile.

He raised an eyebrow while his eyes scanned me from head to toe.

“I …I went h..home.” I stammered.

“That’s not true. You wouldn’t go home so late at night,” he eyed me suspiciously.

“I did. You left, and..d I was feeling lonely and down so I went home. I really did.” I lied.

“You…” he squinted his eyes and sat up on the bed. While I stood before him, fiddling with my fingers, like a kid that was caught stealing candy at night.

“You didn’t go see that Regnald guy. Did you?”

“No way!” I blurted out almost immediately.

He stared at me for a while before nodding his head.

“Right… there's no way you are that dumb to actually go see him yourself right?” he chuckled.

“Hahaha yeah. You're right,” I wiped off the sweat from my head before dashing into the bathroom.

I went back to my life. Throughout the week, I was attending my classes, submitting projects and running around the town with my friend Travis.

Everything was like usual. Except for the lump in my chest that gets bigger every time someone mentions Sonya.

“Hey… I barely see her around. Sonya,” Travis said one evening as we were returning from school. He wanted us to have dinner at his apartment so we were heading there.

“Huh? Oh yeah.” I responded without interest.

“you guys broke up?”

“No!” I snapped at him.

“Easy, lover boy,” he teased.

“I was just curious, it's been quite some time since you guys went on your little dates.” he giggled.

I wondered what's so funny.

When he realized that I wasn't happy, he stopped smiling like an idiot and held my shoulders.

“Are you tired? Should I give you a massage?” He massaged my shoulders softly.

“Get off me,” I brushed his hands off and walked past him.

“oh don’t be like that…” he had a stupid smile on his face as he trudged after me.

The mentioning of Sonya had soured my mood, ruining my appetite as well.

Fuck, I'll just go back to my dorm, and take a shower.

I stopped to hail a cab.

“What are you doing?” Travis asked when he caught up to me.

“going back to my dorm. I lost my appetite.”

“shit Percy don't do this. You finally agreed to eat with me, now you're bailing out?” He held me back.

“Sorry pal, next time.” A cab arrived and I entered it.

“I won't let you back out next time, okay?” he shouted after the taxi with a pair of sad, disappointed eyes.

“Yeah…” I whispered. Even though he wouldn't hear it.

I had a lot of thoughts during the ride.

That Regnald guy seems to have forgotten about me. So If I talked things out with Sonya, would everything work out?

She rarely picks my calls or replies to my texts.

Her excuses were always the same.

Rehearsal, family meetings and whatnot.

I sighed and sank into the cab seat.

My hands went to my backpack and I brought out the invitation card. Since that day, I had always carried it with me. Fearing I would lose it, or someone might pick it up.

Like Nosey Dave. He's been staying a lot at the dorm lately.

It was past six o'clock. I took a bath and lay down to sleep since I was still hungry. But I couldn't.

I kept turning and tossing till I heard someone sniffling from the other side of the room.

It was Dave, he was lying with his back towards me.

“Hey. Dave,” I stood up and walked towards him, how come I didn't notice he was inside the room all this while?

And… was he crying?

“Dave, what's wrong?” I pulled him towards me and he was indeed crying.

“Hey, man, what's up?! What's making you cry?” I sat on the bed beside him, confused on how to console him.

“It's Cherry…” He mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Cherry broke up with me…” he sobbed.

I went still for a minute.

They broke up. Cherry and Dave.

The word ‘breakup’ kept thumping inside my head.

My breath hitched as I came to face what will become my reality.

Dave was crying because Cherry ended their seven-year relationship.

I looked at him with pity… and a hint of fear.

I wanted to pat him on the back and tell him it'll be fine, but I couldn't do it.

I could only muster up strength to drag my legs back to my bed and collapse into it.

My phone lit up with a buzz.

It was a text message from an unknown number that read:

Hi, Cutie. It's the weekend again.