𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 • 𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙩 • ✓

{13th of July - e.c}

with my heart threatening to leap out inside my throat, my feet carried me swiftly to the lockers as fast as possible with one hand grabbing onto the violin case, and the other hand covering my scarlet red face. it wasn't until i reached to my locker before i finally stopped running, heavy panting filling the empty hallway. with a turn of a key, i opened my locker to see my concert attire, hung neatly on a hanger, greeting me in the most elegant way possible.

upon seeing it, i smiled.

as i ran my fingers down the side of the seamless suit, my hands touch something against the wall of the locker from behind the cloth. curious, i lifted the piece to see an old photo of me and my ex that i had seemingly forgotten to throw out of my life. i peeled it off and took a good look at it.

it was one of the good times, where he brought me to a deserted beach and we spent the whole afternoon having that paradise to ourselves. it was sheer bliss, and i couldn't forget how happy i was, as the photo captured it all.

i was too focused on remembrances that i had not realised someone had crept up behind me.

a muscular arm coiled itself around my waist.

i flinched and made myself turn around to face whoever it was before the arm's fingers could sustain its grasp on me. as i did, i was mortified and shocked to find myself face to face with a figure i didn't want to remember.

"hello my beloved eddy, fancy seeing you here."

his low baritone voice rung in my ear, and his chilly breath tickling the edge of my face, sending shivers running down my spine. he had an arm leaned on my locker and his body tilted to shield me and his face from whoever that might pass by. he tried to brush the strands of my hair away from my face, but i slapped his hand off first, giving him a sharp glare.

"don't touch me."

"don't be so harsh," he mumbles softly, leaning against the locker next to mine so that he towers over me. "don't you miss me?"

"i'm not yours anymore, so stop calling me like i'm still your property because no i am now freehold property of myself so thank you, next."

his face showed slight annoyance when i spat that on him.

"dear me, you haven't changed for the past few years. aren't you tired of keeping this up?"

"i should be asking you this question because no, you're the same even then and now, no matter you were an arrogant sportsman or a fake musician."

"can't you see? i'm in the same music university as you are, ed. i am a musician now." he exclaimed, his hands flung high up onto the air before he leans down again near my face. "so why won't you love me now that i had become a musician again?"

"even if you became a musician for me, you're not truly into music."

his eyebrow twitched, irritancy visibly showing across his face.

"what's so good about music?!" he exclaimed at last, voice filled with exasperation. i stared at him in disgust by his words. "why's my love for you incomparable to your love for music? what had music ever gave you, that has more value than what i had ever given you? why do you treasure it so much? is it that valuable? i don't understand!"

"because our love used to consist of music, lucas!" i snapped at him, tired of his words, tired of his attitude, tired of his meaningless arguments and tired of basically his forced and constant appearance into my life. he flinched backwards and bit his lower lip as i continued to speak.

"our life was rhythmic with music. both of us had the same passion and love for music and each other. when you downgraded musicians, i was deeply hurt. it was as if you've never understood my heart in the first place. when you tore my composition for you in two, so did my heart. when you said what i composed was trash, i've spent months thinking, 'do we musicians really compose trash? is music really not a beautiful thing at all?'"

i stopped to catch my breath.

"i've stopped thinking like that because i was reminded of how music fuelled my life, how it drove a burning determination and desire to achieve accomplishments that i never knew i could. you were once part of that drive, but not anymore ever since you stepped out of music. how am i supposed to entrust you with all of my heart if you can't even truly and fully accept what made me who i am today? i will never accept you again, no matter how hard you try. so stop wasting all your efforts on me and move on from me like how you did with music years back."

it was a moment of silence between the two of us before he spoke again.

"my, my, ed, you've changed a lot."

"first of all, stop calling me that and second of all i changed because of you so-"

"you used to be this young teen that was constantly bullied and was afraid to fight back. i was always the one who lend you a shoulder and a body to shield yourself from. sadly, no matter how fierce you try to look-"

one of his hands pinned my right hand to the locker and the other grasped my left wrist, a bit too tightly. i winced in pain as his hold just got stronger.

"-you don't scare me at all."

"let go of me lucas." i hissed at him, trying to wriggle my hand out of his grip but to no avail. it wasn't until i heard a familiar voice that made him break his grip immediately that i shoved him away from me. but his gaze was more focused on someone that appeared at the opposite side of the corridor.

"i don't think bullying is a great thing to do here given that this university had a prestigious reputation don't you think?"

my eyes widen.

brett?

"and bullying our friend definitely has to face some serious consequences..." another familiar voice spoke followed by a series of slow punching.

ray?!

"hah," lucas's voice made me spin my head towards his direction again, who wore a scowl on his face. something about his tone made me shiver. "you're off the hook this time eddy, but you won't be the next time i see you."

with that, he dashed out the other side of the hallway, with threats and shouts flying from ray. i stood in front of my locker, fearing of his words before a hand tapped on my shoulder.

"you okay?"

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a.n: *cringe* ahhhh I'm so sorry for the long chapter! longest by far of what I've written but I hope you guys had enjoyed reading it because I am so proud of it! there's a continuation of this chapter on brett's perspective so stick around for it! happy reading!

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