15-Love

Green grass. A great way to spend the afternoon groaning in pain on the green grass.

Yena begs to differ.

Clearly what she would have said earlier if it weren't for the fact that she was looking at the greenery. The greenery that her attention was focusing solely on. Or perhaps, because of the fact that a pretty flower lay among the greenery.

How easy would it be just to pluck it right off its prickly stem? Easy enough, Yena guarantees.

But her assurance does not guarantee the fact that such actions come with consequences.

Like her groans grovelling straight into the green grass.

Where else in the world could she find this luck of being the recent target for a tennis ball on a wonderful cloudy afternoon, instead of being curled up at home. With just the breeze from the fan to accompany her thoughts on that flower.

Then again, just her luck to find a frantic ball of emotions offering a hand to help her out of this misery. 

Correction, a pretty ball of emotions. 

Thanking the great heavens above was the only thing that crossed her mind as Yena’s hand found itself latched on a certain pretty flower. Adding a touch of spice like all writers do, Yena found herself back on the grass. This time, her heart growing a whole new garden of purple lilacs amongst the stubborn weeds.

“How long are you going to stare?” The pretty flower spoke, slapping Yena back to the reality that she was indeed lying and barely inches away from finding herself melting into those eyes.

Eyes that make you want to stop in your tracks, rewind itself in your memory and fawn over the depth it held. Like an abandoned reservoir atop a hill, the misty dew hanging above it yet the charming ripples surfacing every now and then, pulling you deeper into it till you find yourself sinking deep. With no safety vests or lifeguards around, you only have your conscience to tell you that writing a paragraph of eyes was one way to tell you that you had enough to say for now.

With her single cell of conscience, swimming back into her mind, Yena found herself rolling away, apologising profusely. “Sorry, I must have lost my balance.” 

However, the pretty flower begged to differ, citing that her unconventional place of practice was to be blamed. I mean, who would play tennis out in the empty field when there was a slightly run down tennis court right down the road, with a much flatter ground and no green grasses for their love to land upon.

“I’m Chaewon. Of Class 3-2.”

A pretty hand outstretched for Yena to shake slowly, just for 2 ovals on the z-axis before she took it back to rub against her other hand.

Now back to Yena’s chaotic mind, all over a simple handshake that barely lasted two rounds on the z-axis. Hands that Yena wanted to grasp on for all eternity, not wanting to let go with the haunting fear of losing their owner. Hands that she found herself wanting to drop a few bits of strawberry chocolate into. Hands that seemed to fit right into hers like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece.

It would be rude to leave the pretty flower without a word and Yena opted to leave one clue, in the hopes that her luck would play its cards right and draw them back together.

“Class 3-1.”

15 - all

The next time the green grass and her purple lilac met again, they knew each other’s names to the point that it was useless to even use them. Calling each other with actions was enough to get the other’s attention even if it was just for a mere smile.

Love has its way of doing strange things to everyone and it just happened that it worked its magic on Yena. 

A funny thought comes across her mind. 

“There’s basically no difference between a lover and a stalker. If you think about it, long and hard on the veranda, they both chase after their object of desire. The only difference is that one is behind bars while the other is left with a scar on their heart.”

A voice interrupts behind with a smirk that Yena could envision clearly, even if she didn’t turn around.

“So basically pick your poison? Harsh,” in a sharp breath, the purple lilac continued with an approving nod, “but admirable.”

With an expression that Chaewon could only phrase as being stuck in a Physics class with no formulas but just a bunch of solutions, the younger girl struck out a Capri Sun, the yellow straw peeking between her scruffed fingers.

Fingers that Yena learnt not to question, besides sweeter answers come to those that wait patiently.

And there it was, just the two of them enjoying their Capri Suns as the sun began to set, bearing a strong resemblance to their straws. Back on the green grass as their free hands found picking at random grass blades, just anticipating the present that awaited them.

It was just a few days, an ungodly amount of hours when the purple lilac bloomed under the sunlight, sharing a kiss with her first love.

More of planting a kiss on her gold medal was the better sentence for it.

A sweet reward for her patience on holding out in this back and forth ball game. But, the reward she was anticipating was far sweeter than a pack of gummy bears, the red ones especially, and they were just waiting for her on the green grass. With a pack of gummy bears and two Capri Suns just for them to enjoy.

30 - 15

“Break up? Why?” Yena sputtered the bitter phrase, repeating herself like a broken recorder.

All Chaewon could do was bite down the tears threatening to fall off the last bit of her sanity.  It was better this way, for them to break off this pathetic thing she could call a relationship.

Squeezing tightly on the tennis ball, Chaewon mustered every last bit of her loving self. The one she showed to her two loves, except it will be down to one in the future.

Saying the only thing that could firmly put her words in place, though she had a hint of desperation creeping up her heart, it was just a little too late for her to take back the words that left her.

“Being with you, it's like the unwanted gummy bear missing a head and stuck in the lonely corner of the wrapper. And especially the red ones.”

30 - all

It was useless. Every shot she served came back in the form of an image of a very helpless Yena, all alone on the grass as her tears joined the dew on the dying patch.

Breakups aren't supposed to hurt for the one who initiated it, right?

That's where Chaewon was painfully wrong. It hurts all over. Not just emotionally but physically too.

The hurt she was projecting on herself was worse than the constant nightmares that come to visit Chaewon in the dead of the night. The constant shower of bony flesh on her body and the fact that she couldn't protect herself from it, just made her miserable and above all pity for herself.

That's the highest kind of hell that life has to offer. Being pitiful of yourself to the point that you didn't feel a need to take another gulp of oxygen. 

'To hell with it ', Chaewon uttered to the green fence lining the court. 

The evening draft blowing by, reminded her how painfully alone she was in this court. There was no one around to hear her cry, letting out the guilt on her shoulder for breaking it off. The looming fear that everything just might become worse all just because of her words. Then again, there was no one around to play with. No one around to tell her that she shouldn't suffer alone on the cold hard court.

With her back plastered on the court, Chaewon could hear her sobs echoing around her, being the comfort for the night. 

All as she wondered, how much pain the other girl was in?

40 - 30

It was futile. Thinking that she even had a hope with Chaewon.

The green grass patch where they shared their first memories of each other, their first kiss on the cheek and their first and last breakup.

All that remained now was a dying brown patch, begging for just a bit of water. Even a droplet would suffice. But it wouldn't satisfy the turmoil that her heart was digging deep into.

Breakups hurt, not just for the one who initiated it but the people in it. 

But was it even supposed to hurt this badly?

It felt a constant high pitch ring drilling into her head as she struggled to breath. One deep breath in, she closed her hands round her ears, trying to block out the haunting thoughts of Chaewon possibly falling out of love with her, way before they shared their first kiss.

Second deep breath in, it was impossible to come to such a conclusion. Besides, the kiss they shared wasn't tainted with any fears that something irrational could happen anytime. The only thing that was tainted was their hearts, marred with the idea of becoming each other’s last.

Third breath out, rationality was the only way to see things through. And Yena found herself staring straight at Chaewon, crying all alone on the cold tennis court, her agonising cries wrapping itself tightly around Yena’s heart.

All Yena could think of was how much pain the other girl was in?

40 - all

Red grass. A terrible way to end the afternoon groaning in pain on the red grass.

Yena begs to differ.

Her attention merely lied on the fact that a pretty flower lay among the greenery, waiting for someone to pluck the life out of it.

How easy would it be just to pluck it right off its prickly stem? Easy enough, Yena guarantees.

But her confidence did not guarantee the fact that her actions came with consequences.

Like her groans grovelling straight into the red grass.

Where else in the world could she find this luck of being the recent target for a tennis ball on a miserable clear night, instead of being curled up at home. 

Then again, she could only count on herself, not luck to finish up the work she promised to do so.

Thanking the great heavens above was the only thing that crossed her mind as Yena’s hand found itself latched on a certain pretty flower. Adding a touch of spice like no sane person does, Yena found herself back on the grass. This time, seeing the pretty lilac’s heartbeat slow down to a still drum.

“How long are you going to stare?” Her conscience spoke, slapping Yena back to the reality that she was indeed lying and barely inches away from finding herself melting into those lifeless eyes.

Eyes that held an abandoned soul, the misty dew surrounding her actions as Yena dug her feet into the ground, the spikes on her boots slowly sinking into the soil, gripping her heart tightly as she looked round. With no one to watch her acts, she only had her conscience to act upon till time was up and she would be left to write a paragraph which would never be enough to justify her situation

Yena nearly lost her balance if it weren’t for the fact that the tennis court was abandoned and there were plenty of creeper vines to grab onto.

Of course, there were other things to grab onto such as her lover’s hands.

Hands that Yena would find a tad too cold for her liking. Hands that were covered in a caked up mixture of blood and soil. Hands that seemed to fit right into Yena’s own hands for the very last time before they were handcuffed.

But before Yena could flee to nowhere in particular, she had to say her own take on things. Besides, It would be rude to leave the audience without a word.

Now, where to begin?

Ah, of course, love.

Love makes one do crazy things and in this case a good whack with a tennis racket to the back of a head was plenty enough to deliver the message.

There’s basically no difference between a lover and a stalker. If you think about it, long and hard on the veranda, they both chase after their object of desire. The only difference is that one is behind bars while the other is left with a scar on their heart.

Breakups just happen to be one of the main challenges of love and it is unfortunate to say that Yena just didn’t see through her three breaths.

And all they could think of was how much pain they caused to each other as they breathed their last sweet gulp of oxygen. As sweet as the last piece of gummy bear at the corner of the bag.

And we have come to the end of Love-all. I hope you enjoyed the little twist at the end. :) If there are any wrong tennis terms, feel free to leave me a dm or leave it in my curious cat. But other than that, have a nice day ahead and good morning/evening to fellow and new readers ahead. Feel free comments or upvotes too.