I've come to realize that I will always be the second best,

That you will no longer come for me when I call for help

That I will always be waiting in vain for you...

And though this is the hardest decision I have to make, 

It's about time to unlove you...

--

Chun came home that night, weary and frustrated. He blames himself for Ella's fever, and for making her wait for a long time. He didn't expect that he had to stay long at the hospital because of the tests done on Tiffany. He knew he should have called or messaged Ella to tell her about it earlier. 

When he entered their home, he was greeted by his mother, who was sitting by the couch. "Good that you're home. Where have you been? I thought you're with Ella?" his mom quizzed him. "I was supposed to see her, but Tiffany got an emergency." he answered. "Tiffany again? Chun, you're spending way too much time with her. Even us, your family, hasn't been seeing you lately because of that girl." she scolded him. Chun could only lower his head as he listened to her. "Look, Chun, you're too young to get serious with that girl. There's a lot of things you can do aside from not leaving her side. And Ella... how could you make her wait for so long!" her mother said. 

He looked up at her mother, puzzled as to how she knew about it. "Ella came here a while ago, looking for you. That girl was so drenched when she came here. Anyway, she left something for you at the kitchen. That girl... she's still as thoughtful as ever." she said shaking her head. Chun thanked her mom, and then went to the kitchen. On the counter top, he saw a box. Inside it was his favorite Mocha cake.

That made him feel guiltier than ever. 

--

Monday came and Chun waited outside Ella's house. He decided to make it up to her, and drive her to school. A few minutes later, Ella came out of the door, surprised to see him. 

"Chun, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I'm sorry about last Friday..." he said sheepishly. "I want to make it up to you today. How about we go to school together?"

"But what about Tiffany?"

"Well, she can't go to school today. She still have a sprain after her fall last Friday. Actually, I want to explain to you what happened that day..."

"Something happened to Tiffany?"

"She fell on the ground during their cheer leading practice. Her parents are still abroad, so her friends decided to call me instead."

"You should have told me earlier, then I wouldn't have to wait a long time for you."

He couldn't hear a hint of anger in her voice as she speaks. Hoever, it seems that she doesn't give a care at all. "I know. I'm sorry about it. So, shall we go?" he asked. Ella shook her head. "Actually Chun, I can't go to school with you." she said. He gave her a puzzled look. "But why?" he asked. 

Before Ella could answer, he heard someone calling her. "Hey, Ella!" Chun looked back, and saw Calvin walking up to her. He looked at Ella, and saw him smiling at her. "Hey, senior! You're early. Let's go?" she asked. Calvin nodded her head. Ella then looked at Chun. "Sorry, Chun. I have to go. We have something to do before the first class starts." she explained. 

She didn't wait for Chun to react. She immediately took Calvin's hand and walked away from him. Chun could only watch as they walk awayfrom him. He could see Ella's lighting up as she talking to their senior. He had never seen Ella look that way at anyone, not even at Lego or him. Somehow, hefelt hurt once again, and he doesn't know why everytime he sees her with someone else, he suddenly feels jealous. 

--

"Are you  all right?" 

Calvin asked as the two of them were rehearsing at the Music Club's room. Ella looked up at him. "I am." she said. She took the guitar, began to strum some notes. "Since what happened last Friday, are you sure you're all right?" he asked. again. Ella paused for a while, and looked down on her guitar. "There is a girl who had been waiting for the door before her to open. She had been standing there for a very long time. She have two choices - one is to wait for it to open, no matter how long it takes, another is to give up and find another open door. What do you think she should choose?" she asked him. 

Calvin thought for a while. "Depends on how important it is for her to get through the door before her. Wait for it, and she will be greatly rewarded. But if it doesn't open anymore, then she's just wasting her time. Therefore, she should move on and find another door that will let her in." he answered. Ella just smiled and nodded her head. "I guess after what happened last Friday, my answer to that question changed."

"And that is?"

"It's the same as your answer."

Ella let out a sigh. "I guess no matter how much I wait, no matter how I stood still, that door before me won't open. As you told me last Friday, I won't wait for him anymore. You're right, I'm just wasting my time." she said. "If he can't see your worth,it's his loss, not yours." Calvin commented. Ella smiled at him. "If one day, someone gives you a key to another door, don't hesitate and accept it. Maybe, what's behind that door is much better than what's behind the closed door you are waiting for." he said. She nodded her head. "I'll keep that in mind, senior."

--

Ella came home late in the afternoon. The first person he saw was Chun standing by the door. "Ella, can we talk?" he asked. Ella let out a sigh. She had  a long day, and the last thing she wanted was to see Chun. "Chun, I'm tired... can we put this off till tomorrow?" she asked in weary tone. "You had always been busy. Everytime I try to talk to you after class, you just run off."

"I have a lot of things to do."

"I know you're busy, but please listen to me for a second."

"Chun I'm tired."

Ella faced him with a weary lookon her face. "It's not just about school or my other activities, I'm tired of you. Had it ever occured to you that all this time, I was the one begging for your time? Each time you make a promise to make it up to me, you fail me. No, I'm not just talking about last Friday. It has happened all the time. You always say you miss me, but you don't make an effort to change that. And no matter how many times you say sorry, that doesn't change the fact that you already hurt me as your best friend. All this time, I tried to understand you. I always accept your excuses. But I do have my limits, Chun. I can't always be there for you, if you can't give me a nick of your time." she said in a hurt tone. 

Chun lowered his head. He knew he hurt her too many times, he hadbroken too many times that she was tired of it. "I know Tiffany is important to you. I have other things important to me as well, but you always come first. I've always thought that maybe now that Tiffany isn't on the same school as us, you would change the way you treat me. I was wrong, because it just worsened. I know you're trying to explain your side now. It's OK, I understand. And maybe it's the last time I will try to understand you, because right now, I'm giving up on you. I'm giving up because it's not worth it anymore. I'm giving up on you because I know that no matter how hard I try, I will only be your second best. I just don't want to be someone else's second best anymore, not from someone like you, Chun." 

As she turned her back Chun pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry..." he choked. She could hear him crying. "I know I've broken too many promises... but please, don't end our friendship... please don't give up on me. I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry if you always felt that you don't matter to me anymore. Ella, you will always be important to me, no matter what. Just please, Ella... please... don't give up on me... on us... on this friendship...." he begged her. It took her great strength to push Chun away from him. "I'm not giving up on our friendship, Chun. It's just you that I'm giving up. Because I'm tired... really tired..." she said. 

With that, she left Chun on his own.

--

Chun was all alone at the swing after trying to talk to Ella. He was hurt with what she told him a while ago, but he knows she wasbeing true about what she feels about their situation. What hurts him the most is that Ella had decided to give up on him, and he blames himself for making Ella decide on that. 

"Hey, are you all right?" 

He looked up, and saw Calvin walking up to him. "Uh, yeah, I am. What are you doing here?" Chun asked. "Just brought some notes to Ella for her to review." Calvin said. He then sat on the swing beside him. "You and Ella are really close, huh?" Chun asked. Calvin simply smiled. "Well, you can say that. We realized we both had the same interests."

"We used to be that close before."

"Used to? But you're her best friend, right?"

"Well, it seems like we're gowing apart anyway."

Chun let out a sigh. "It was Ella who helped me have a girlfriend. Tiffany was her classmate back in high school, and she helped me become close to her, until she became our girlfriend. After she helped me with my dream girl, she hada boyfriend. It was Lego, one of my classmates. I don't know when it started, or how, but it seems like since then, we've grown apart. I'd like to think that it's because she doesn't want to be a third wheel to me and Tiffany, but it's like she keeps pushing me away, she keeps on distancing herself from me. I'm not even sure if she still considers me as her best friend." he said.

Calvin just listened to him as he speaks. "I'm used to us being doing things together. We used to be peas in a pod. I know I've been overprotective of her, but it's because I don't want her to get hurt. She always says that we both need space, that we can't always be together, that we have to be independent... I don't know. I know I've done to many mistakes in our friendship, but that doesn't mean she should push me away. Honestly, it hurts." he added. "It only hurts because you care for her." Calvin said. "She's right. You both need space to grow, but that doesn't mean that the friendship will end." he added. Chun nodded his head. "Of course I care for her. I..." he paused for a while, and looked at Calvin.

Suddenly, he had this clear realization of his feelings. "I love her..." he said to himself silently. "It hurts when she push me away, because I love her..."

--

"Can I ask you something?"

He looked at him as he waits for his question.

"What is she to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you like her?"

Silence. 

He looked at him straight into his eyes. "I love her ever since I laid my eyes on her."