Everything flashed back as if it’s a fresh memory happening at the moment. I saw the young versions of Heaven, Fire, Leaf, Wind, Stone, Greg, Lyndel, and Adlerie playing with me at the playhouse when we were in preschool.
I felt special. All the boys are treating me special because for them, I am their princess. They loved my presence and felt the need to protect me because I was always bullied for being gay at an all-boys school. They served as my knight and shining armour – really making me feel like a princess.
And there goes Ice. We met her during our fourth grade during an interschool sports competition where we fought against their school. Almost all of the boys liked her and I can’t blame them. She looks so cute back then which is still evident at how regal she looks like at the present. They made an effort to know her and because they always wanted to be with her, I started befriending her which eventually turned out to us being best friends.
I was happy. I tell her my secrets and she does the same. I told her how I liked Fire because he’s perfect for me and she told me that she feels the same. That time, we were both happy for each other even amidst having a crush on the same person.
Until one day, she invited me for a walk only to end up with her pushing me so hard making me bumped by a rushing car.
I woke up feeling betrayed. Why did they hide this from me? Why are they trying to act as if nothing happened before?
Is it the reason why they got so mad at me for talking to Ice? Why didn’t they just told me the truth?
“You’re awake,” Heaven said after noticing that I’m already moving.
I looked at him with all the questions in me. Is it also the reason why he changed?
“Am I that friend that you’re talking about?” I asked him with all the pain in me. He looked so shocked when I asked him that and I saw that he immediately thought of an answer so I spoke again. “I can remember it now, Heaven. Why did you hide it from me?” I asked and I instantly felt the tears flow down from my eyes.
“Hans,” he tried to think of a reason again. I felt his discomfort because he didn’t expect me to remember things now but it’s too late to think of an alibi already. I need the truth!
“What?” I asked him. “I can’t even find a valid reason for you to hide everything from me!” I shouted at him.
“I’m not in the place to say it,” he defended himself.
“So all along, you’re just playing with me because I can’t remember a single thing from my past. Great! Thank you for your friendship!” I sarcastically told him and I made sure that he’ll feel how mad I am right now.
“Hans,” I felt the hesitation in his voice.
“I should’ve just chose to went back home,” I told him my regrets.
If this is the kind of friendship that I’ll have to live, it’s better for me not to have anything at all.
“Your dad decided for you to stay away from us because you caught up an accident because of Fire,” I smirked because of what he told me because I couldn’t remember that part.
“Stop lying because I remembered it all, Heaven,” I stopped his lies.
“But that’s the truth!” He insisted which made me stop because I can see in his eyes that he’s really saying the truth. “Fire invited you over for a fake surprise because Ice lied at him and told him to just invite you because you’ll listen. You liked him that much, Hans. And he didn’t know that time that Ice is planning something for your life,” he explained which made everything clearer. So, Ice used Fire as an accomplice to her plan but why?
“Why did she do that?” I asked him. I deserve to know more.
“Because she got so jealous on how we treat you like a princess,” he answered which broke my heart more. I treated her like my best friend but she threw it all up just because she got jealous. “Your dad decided to take you away from us because of Fire. After that, our group was separated because we immediately cut off our ties with Ice but Stone, Adlerie, Lyndel and Greg decided to stay on her side. After finding out the truth, they also cut off their ties with her but refused to reconcile with us because of Fire. But he’s innocent. He was just blinded by his admiration for Ice and that’s the reason why he agreed on her.”
After finding out the truth with a clearer perspective, I can’t help but to cry harder. I felt so heavy. It’s as if I’ve been reliving that moment where I trusted her but she chose to break my heart because she got so jealous.
I can’t believe how she can do that with her innocent look. She looks like an angel but she acted like a devil. She’s the only one I trusted aside from these boys but she threw my trust away just like that.
“I’m sorry for hiding the truth. We knew you can’t remember everything and I honestly thought that it would be better for you to know nothing at all because for sure, you will be hurt. And seeing how you instantly grew connection with Fire, knowing the truth will affect your good relationship now,” he apologetically said while still explaining.
“I don’t take anything against Fire. I just wanted to know the truth,” I informed him so that he won’t assume that I got mad at Fire for what he had done. “Thank you for enlightening me, Heaven. I appreciate your truth even though I know that it was hard for you to tell me these things.”