The Love That Could Have Been

10

"Sky," I heard a familiar voice say from behind me.

That voice. How can I ever forget that voice? The voice of the person that I love. My Caelum.

The moment I turned around to face him, my world seemed to have slowed down. He was standing from a distance with a sad smile on his face and his hands in his pockets. This guy. How I miss him so much.

"Cae!" I rushed into him, closing the distance between us and pulling him into an embrace as tears began to stream down my face. "He assaulted me, Cae!"

I felt him wrap his arms around me the moment my body made contact with his, hugging me tightly. I could feel his hands caressing my back as I cried on his shoulders. "He assaulted me!"

"Avery told me everything. I'm sorry, Sky," I hear him cry as he tightens his embrace. And I can feel our hearts loudly beating against each other's chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I'm sorry, my Sky."

And right there in the middle of the Orion Memorial Bridge, amidst the rising sun, I shared all my pain and burdens with Caelum and showed him how broken and vulnerable I was.

—     —     —

"Are you sure about this, Sky?" I heard Caelum ask.

We were at Almeida University and the Semifinals Round was about to start in an hour. Caelum and I are standing in the hallway outside the male restroom where we know Omer Rochester was. And he was alone in there.

"I don't want you to get hurt," he says.

"Dawn and I will be just fine," I assure him. "As long as you're here."

"Alright then. Just be careful. And shout for help immediately whenever he attempts to do something horrible."

I was planning to confront Omer in the restroom. And since I am in the body of Dawn, that means I can't simply just go inside without needing help from someone. I'll have to lock the door since we can't risk anyone from going inside. That's why I asked for Caelum's help to be my watch outside the restroom as Omer and I talked. He will prevent anyone from going inside and call for help whenever something happens.

"Cae," I called his name.

"Yeah?" he replied with an anxious and concerned look on his face.

"Whatever happens, promise me these," I said. "You'll take care of Dawn. And you'll bring her home."

"I promise, Sky," he said.

I gave him a hug before entering the restroom. The familiar scent of antiseptic cleaner hit my nostrils as I closed the door and locked it. I heard running water and the low hum of the ventilation system echoing in the otherwise quiet space. The first thing I saw was a row of urinals against the tiled wall, each standing like a sentry waiting for its next visitor. I moved further into the room, trying my hardest to not have my footsteps echo in the tiled expanse. And there, I saw him. Omer Rochester. He was washing his face in the sink and I was standing from a distance behind him.

The sight of him triggered a surge of rage and disgust throughout my body, twisting my gut into knots. The air suddenly felt heavy with the weight of my disdain. I clenched my fists, my fingers digging into my palms. I could feel the growing fire within me.

"You fag!"

"Is this what you want, huh? This what you want, fag?"

"Shut up, you fag!"

His words echoed in my mind. My jaw tightened, and my teeth ground together as if trying to crush the anger and bitterness welling up within me. How can this guy be so oblivious to the pain he caused? How can he fucking live his life in peace?