2

Jo

Shoulder

It's so difficult to disregard pain; on the contrary it's even more challenging to keep in mind amiability. We have no mark to expose for contentment. We understand so little from concord. I couldn't deem the verity that he was back, after all this time. Anger ... it's a paralyzing sentiment. Do you know what my problem is? I can't live with the notion that someone might leave. I hated him for going, why couldn't he be the kind of person who stays?

As I am leaning alongside my locker, my gaze gradually moves towards his direction. Danny Desai. He looked… different. His hair was lengthier. He was taller. He had an indistinct facial hair. He was muscular. He wore a white V-neck shirt, black jeans, boots, and a black leather jacket.

His eyes concentrate on me, trying to intimidate me. He gives me one of his signature smirks and I scowl and look away swiftly. Yeah, right. I can tell right off, he must genuinely believe that nothing has changed.

He strolls towards my direction. I try to assemble my backpack and I unsuccessfully try to leave as quickly as possible. However as I try to leave I can feel a hand grasping my arm.

"Jo, can you please wait?!"

I jerk my arm from his touch. "I'm astonished you remember who I am," I say indifferently.

Danny averts looking in my direction; I could perceive the agony in his eyes. But then again why should I be anxious?

"Don't be like that Jo," Danny implores as he offers me a small grin.

"Don't be like what Danny? Do you really think after you've been absent for a whole year, we can just go back to the way things used to be?"

"Jo you don't understand I had to go away…"

"Why Danny? You were supposed to be my best friend," I say.

Danny hangs his head looking at the ground. He's eyeing everything but me. I don't want to hurt him, but why should I feel bad for someone who just walked out of my life so effortlessly.

"You left town without even a vindication to me or your own girlfriend!"

Danny quickly elevates his head and he looks me in my eyes with guilt and sorrow. "Lacey…how is she?"

"I think you lost all rights to know how she is a long time ago," I say emotionlessly.

"I had no choice," Danny says distressingly.

"You broke her Danny," I murmur.

"I didn't mean to."

"I don't know if I believe you. The girl was in love with you and out of nowhere you just leave her in this state of depression. You never called or even wrote her a fucking letter!"

"I said I didn't have a choice!"

"We make choices and then our choices make us."

"It wasn't that simple Jo."

"Do you think it was easy for me to take care of Lacey after what you did? All she did was cry for months. She made so many apologies for your sudden absence. She told me that loving you persistently can't be wrong. Even though you weren't here, she just couldn't just move on. I know she tries to act like she was okay and she didn't need my saving but I was there for her. Where you Danny? Oh wait you can't tell me!"

"Don't you think I know that she hates me for what I did to her?" Danny asked undoubtedly.

"The heartbreaking part of it all is that I don't think she hates you, as much as she tries to. But you weren't there for her when Clara got into her car accident; you weren't there when she protected me from..."

I save myself from revealing to him about Archie…if it wasn't for Lacey he would have- "Is Clara okay? Saved you from what?" Danny asked concerned.

Danny was nothing but a stranger now he didn't deserve the right to know.

"Why do you care?" I asked coldly.

"Jo I beg of you!"

"Seriously Danny why?" I asked as I fold my arms over my chest.

"The first key to happiness is to evade too extensive meditation on the past."

"News flash Desai in three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life without you…it goes on."

"You don't mean that."

"I think were done here. And stay the hell away from Lacey!" I yell.

"That's not the first time I've heard that," Danny mumbles.

"No I mean it Desai I mean it, stay away from my best friend if you know what's good for you," I say as I quickly try to get away from Danny Desai.

As I make my way to the parking lot to go meet Lacey, I feel my phone vibrate. My hands out of nowhere start shaking.

A text message from Archie reads

Jo please… I'm so sorry we need to talk; I swear I won't hurt you... I was drunk that night. And BTW bring Lacey with you.

All of a sudden I felt really dizzy; all I saw was darkness. I heard people from the hallway screaming my name as my body hit the ground.