I see you with another girl; eating, laughing and showing skin ship. I can’t lie. It hurts.

It hurts to see you with her when I know that that used to be me. I used to be in her place. I never wanted for us to break apart, but since it happened, there was nothing I could do. 

That day you walked away, you told me things. Things that hurt me even more but I had to accept them. You told me that it wasn’t working out. You told me that we eventually drifted apart. Why? I don’t know. You don’t either. There was one thing you asked though, that I could never seem to answer: “Friends?”

Friends? Friends? How can I be just your friend? Don’t you know the implications of that word? Don’t you know that with that label, I would have to support you when you tell me that she’s your girlfriend? Don’t you know that that word can give you permission to hurt me without it being your intention? Don’t you know that being a friend would limit me to being just that? A friend?

***

“How are you holding up?”

“Great. Just great,” she replied sarcastically.

“Okay, I get it. No need to be all b****y.”

“You asked for it.”

“Mmm. But Sica, why don’t you try to move on? It’s not that hard, I mean... Yuri apparently did it.”

Jessica glared at her.

“Sorry.”

She sighed, “No, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been nothing but a pain in the neck for the past few months now, but I really can’t move on. I loved her... I love her. Seeing her with a new girl makes me want to just break down and cry.”

“Sorry about that Sica. I wish I can do something, but...”

“Yeah, I know.”

***

“Jessica!”

“Jessica!”

She turned around and saw Yuri running towards her with the new girl in tow. Her eyes widened. She quickly turned back and ran away.

She can still hear Yuri shouting but didn’t look back. Not when that girl’s with her, and not while it still hurts.

She arrived at the front of her house. She tried to catch her breath. She looked back and sighed in relief when there was no sign of Yuri. 

She walked to the door just in time before she heard Yuri’s voice.

“Jessica! Please wait!”

She didn’t even turn back. She quickly opened the door and stepped inside the house. She shut the door and heard Yuri knock a few times before finally giving up. She heard a sigh and sound of footsteps walking away. “Let’s go.” She heard Yuri say.

She cried. She ran to her room, ignoring the calls from her mother and sister. 

***

“What happened?”

“She wanted to talk to me.”

“And you didn’t let her?”

“Taeng, she was with the girl! How can I face her?!”

“Why didn’t you listen to her first, Sica?”

“Because nothing she says can help ease the hurt I feel especially when she expects me to play it cool when she has another girl with her.”

“I understand, but you can’t keep running away from her, Sica.”

“Why not?”

“You eventually have to listen to what she has to say. If not, I’ll hunt you down for her.”

***

“Jessica!”

“Oh no, not this again,” she muttered under her breath before running full speed.

“Oh my God, not again!” She heard Yuri say. She would’ve laughed if not for the tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“I’ll handle it Yul!” She heard a familiar voice say. She continued running but turned her head around to see her best friend catching up to her. When Taeyeon was only a few steps away, she lunged her body towards Jessica, causing them both to fall down.

“Ow!! Taeyeon! What are you doing!?” She tried pushing the smaller girl off her.

“Aww, my body hurts.”

“Your fault for jumping at me. Now get off before Yuri catches up!”

Taeyeon ignored her and continued clinging onto her like a koala.

“Mmm, Sica, you smell nice.”

“Yah! That’s gross!” She pushed the laughing girl off her and stood up. By the time she did, Yuri caught up to them. 

“Jessica, please listen to me first,” Yuri said while panting.

She was about to run again but Taeyeon caught her arm. “Sica, you run away again and I will hunt you down,” the older girl said sternly.

She sighed and faced Yuri. On the corner of her eye, she saw a tall young girl standing behind Yuri with an unreadable expression. It’s her. She quickly looked down and tried to hold her tears. 

“Hey,” Yuri said softly. She looked up to see Yuri smiling at her. She wanted to smile back but her gaze shifted to the other girl again.

Yuri noticed and looked behind her. She smiled at the girl. The tall girl smiled then nodded before walking away. Yuri turned back to Jessica. 

“Is she the reason you won’t talk to me?”

Jessica didn’t answer.

“Jessica, Yoona’s my cousin.”

Jessica was shocked.

“And you thought they were together.” She heard someone say followed quickly by a snicker. She looked to her right and saw Taeyeon holding a laugh. She glared at her best friend who held up two hands before running off to where Yoona was. 

“Now that they’re gone, will you listen to me?” Yuri said, smiling.

Jessica nodded.

“First of all, I want to say sorry. Sorry because I never really wanted us to drift apart. I never wanted us to break up, but circumstances didn’t really give us much choice. I don’t know where I went wrong, but I know that you deserved a much better treatment than before. I decided to walk away and think about it for a while. I love you Jessica, I still really do.”

“What? Then why...? Why did you ask me to be your friend then? Don’t you know how much it hurt when you asked me that? I don’t want to be just friends Yul,” she said as tears flowed out of her eyes.

“Isn’t friendship where everything starts? I told you, you deserve a much better treatment, so I want to start over. I don’t want to keep hurting you with the same mistakes. I want us to go back to being friends and back to me trying to win your heart. You deserve that much.”

Jessica didn’t say anything and continued to cry. Yuri hugged her tight and she hugged back.

Minutes later, Yuri pulled away and asked her, “So... friends?”

She smiled through her tears, “Friends.”