It's Not Always a Happy Ending

"I'm so excited!" I hopped up and down on the spot.

 

Tonight was the concert, the one I had been waiting for, because my friends and I were singing in it.

 

"Calm down Sakura." My friend Julie said.

 

"I'm calm!" I said, ceasing the hopping. "See?" And we both burst out laughing.

 

The only thing I was on edge about, was that a guy who was really important to me was going to be here tonight too. Singing and whatnot, but not only that, so was his girlfriend. My heart raged inside me, but I wasn't going to let it get to me.

 

"Come on girls! We need to do a sound check!" The teacher called from the gym. I was about to skip to the gym with Julie, when HE came around the corner.

 

"Hey guys!" He was bouncing as usual.

 

"Hi Jake." Julie said, I just nodded.

 

"I know I'm going to forget one of my lines tonight." Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH, he was standing so close to me. The closest we'd been in a while.

 

"You won't screw up." Did I just talk? What the heck?

 

"Haha, whatever."

 

What was with him and that 'whatever'? It was getting annoying. We walked in for the sound check, and then sat on our risers, as the audience piled in.

 

The concert went well, until the senior band filed out and sat on the bleachers directly across from me. At least they weren't sitting beside each other... At that moment, the girl, Lisa, patted the seat beside her, and Jake sat next to her. He was smiling and looked so happy. I didn't want to look anymore; I could feel the searing pain in my chest. But I couldn't tear my gaze away from them for some reason. It was like my eyes were locked on them, and refused to move. I watched as his hand brushed across her cheek, as he leaned onto her. The smile never leaving his lips, never leaving hers either. His eyes never left her face, and hers never left his. His hand brushed across her cheek a second time and I was sure I would die. I wasn't breathing, I knew I wasn't because I felt my chest tighten, my throat tighten. My heart wasn't beating anymore, well I guess it was or I would have died, but it certainly felt like it wasn't beating.

 

"Sakura?" I felt Julie's hand on my arm. I couldn't bear it anymore. I jumped off the risers as quietly as I could and ran out the door. I ran as fast as I could, slamming my whole body into the double doors that led outside. My side screamed in protest as I ran, I could feel it was sore from the collision, but I didn't care. I turned the corner and collapsed onto the floor. I wanted to cry; let it all out, but no tears came.

 

"DAMN IT!" I yelled, removing my rings and punching the brick wall. My hand throbbed from the impact, but I just shoved my rings back on and pulled my legs in, wrapping my arms around them.

 

I sat in silence, just staring blankly at the world. Looking but not seeing; until I heard footsteps. It was Toya. "Hey Sakura. All of your friends are looking for you, they're worried about you."

 

"Tell them I'm fine." I replied gruffly.

 

"What's wrong?" He asked.

 

I didn't answer.

 

"What happened?"

 

"Jake."

 

"Oh." He knew what that meant. "He's not worth it Sakura. Don't worry, just go in there and have fun."

 

I had been given this speech so many times; I wasn't in the mood for it again. I knew I was an idiot for caring at all, so why did I? I reached out with my hand and he took it, lifting me from the ground.

 

"Come on." And he led me back into the gym.

 

"Are you alright?" Julie whispered to me the moment I resumed my seat on the risers. I nodded.

 

I looked at her briefly and saw the agony on her face. She knew how I felt, but she'd give me time and space. We sang our last set of songs, with Jake, which didn't help all that much. Julie, however, acted like a fool and got me in on it so I wouldn't focus on his voice rising through the air with the music. I was so grateful for that.

 

The minute the concert was over, I dashed outside again. I had just seen him put his arm around her, and it killed me. This time I recovered quicker, though, and returned inside to retrieve my camera and take pictures.

 

"He's right there, Sakura. Didn't you say that he said he'd take a picture with you?" Julie asked, pointing to Jake. I nodded. I wasn't sure if I still wanted the picture with him though, being near him was making my heart beat against my rib cage.

 

"I don't know..."

 

"Oh come on, I'll take it." She said, grabbing the camera from my hand. I sighed, giving in, and let my hand graze against his arm lightly. He turned around.

 

"Picture?" I asked.

 

He looked at me so weird, that I thought I'd wither right then and there. The look on his face was one of annoyance, one that said "holy, why won't this girl leave me alone? Why do I have to do this?"

 

I now decided I didn't want the picture, but Julie still insisted, so we took it. He left the instant the flash went, and Julie showed me the picture. He looked happy for once, but why? That didn't make sense, how did his feelings change so quickly?

 

We took more pictures together, but I still didn't want to go home yet. I was still a little upset, so Julie and I went upstairs and sat on the floor.

 

That's when Jake and his girlfriend turned the corner, laughing, they both looked at me but neither said anything. I looked away quickly.

 

"Okay, why was he looking at you the whole time without saying anything?" Julie asked.

 

"I don't know I whispered." I threw my bracelets across the floor, in agony and in frustration that I still couldn't cry.

 

"Sakura." Julie wrapped her arms around me. I lightly touched her arm, but I was still quite upset. I went on a rampage, yelling about what a pathetic excuse for a human being Jake was, and how he could be so thick and inconsiderate. They walked by a second time, in the middle of my ranting.

 

"And my bracelets are on the other side of the hall." I said as they walked by. Nothing.

 

"He looked at you again." Julie whispered, as she retrieved my bracelets.

 

"I hope he heard every word I said." Was my reply.

 

By this time, I got even more upset, but the anger was seeping away now, to be replaced with uncontrollable and unbearable pain. I could feel a huge tug at my heart, my chest was tight. I couldn't breathe again, I tried really hard but the breath wasn't coming. I clutched my chest, wanting so badly to cry and let it out, but no tears prickled the edges of my eyes. I rolled over and clutched my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth.

 

"Sakura?"

 

I tried to open my mouth to respond but I couldn't. I still wasn't breathing.

 

"Sakura! Breathe!" Julie hugged me and the look of pure concern and worry on her face finally whooshed the breath out of me. The moment the breath escaped my lips there was a searing pain in my heart, I felt for sure I would die right here, right now. Julie wouldn't let go of me, who knows how long we sat there. My breathing came in short, ragged breaths. Finally, I steadied myself a little, but the second I did, Jake and his girlfriend left the music room and walked down the hall.

 

The sight of his huge curls bouncing up and down made me feel like gagging. I lurched forward, but I didn't vomit. "I'm sorry." I heard Julie whisper urgently in my ear. It didn't matter, she couldn't change this.

 

I didn't think it was possible to feel this much pain. Every muscle in my body was trembling, I couldn't move. I shuddered over and over, felt Julie's eyes on me the whole time, making sure I was okay. My breath came out even more broken than before, my heart raced to the point where the room was spinning before me. I was surely going to pass out. I let myself collapse into Julie's arms, not thinking about anything else, drifting...

 

Author's Note

i warn this is a bit intense, especially near the end