I felt heartbroken...
My best friend since kindergarten I was about to lose.
What bothered me the most is that it was because of a guy...
I never expected something like that would overcome me.
I heard about that quite often, but I never thought it to be happening to me...
It wasn’t even the normal way, NiMa definitely wasn’t in love with him, she seemed to hate him very much.
Then how was I going to solve this?
Should I give up on ChangMin?
I started sobbing while still wearing his scooter helmet and hugged his waist...
I could never give him up!
Neither could I give up on NiMa...
ChangMin lifted me off the scooter and took my helmet.
Then he hugged me tightly.
‘Gwenchana, DaMae... She’ll come back to you, she’s your best friend! Trust me!’ his words soothed me and I started to believe she would make up with me...
Although, I might not be welcomed before her birthday sleepover.
The best words for how I felt at this moment were that I felt very empty...

‘I forgot to mail you about the time I have to perform...’ ChangMin started to say... ‘but the dance battles are an hour after the lunch break, when do you have to read your poem?’
‘I have to read my poem in half an hour, I should get ready now...’ I said, realizing I didn’t have much time anymore...
I kissed ChangMin on the lips.
‘Annyong! I’ll see you in half an hour, my performance is in the school theatre...’
I waved at him while walking in the direction of the school theatre.
Looking at him next to his scooter, holding 2 helmets with one hand and waving at me made my heart beat twice as fast.
But when I faced the entry of school, my mood darkened...
I was going to face my fears and there was no way to get around them.
I felt a little queasy already...
The bad thing about it all was, I couldn’t count on NiMa to support me in my insecurity.
Neither would my poem help me...
It only made it worse.
This half an hour, I would spend on boasting my confidence.
Where was HeeChul?!

Finally I found him...
‘HeeChul? My confidence is down, can you help me? Make me laugh, please... That might help!’ I asked HeeChul kind of desperate...
HeeChul looked at me with a strange look, then he started to grin even stranger...
‘Youuu? Lack of confidence? Naaa...’ he disagreed?!
‘I don’t need to boast your confidence... You need cheering up... And you need to help me!!’
HeeChul had mood swings?!
His light mood had turned into one of despair...
What was going on with him?
‘HeeChul, now that even you suffer from stage fright, how am I supposed to get my confidence? I’ll see you later! Annyong!’
‘No, wait!!’ HeeChul grabbed my arm... ‘I’m desperate!’
‘Sorry, can’t help you... Ask Gina! She’s over there!’ I pointed to Gina, who just walked past.
‘Oh, crap! Of all the people, Gina is the worst choice in this case!’
HeeChul was blushing?!
This was starting to become a really crazy day!
‘Anyway, never mind...’ HeeChul turned and walked away...
My curious and shocked look had probably discouraged him.
I could tell something was going on, because Mr. Secure felt insecure...

Now that I was back in the room behind the theatre, I only had fifteen minutes left...
I wasn’t the first one to read my writings, I was the third, so I probably had an extra ten minutes.
I really hoped I would do well.
I had practiced a lot and at home I was confident, but now that I was in the theatre, my courage flowed out of me like water out of a colander...
It was awful, I felt like dying...
I knew I had to get rid of that feeling, sooner or later, but I kept wondering why a good writer should perform on stage...
It just made no sense!

I could feel my heart beating in my throat and my hands starting to shake when my name was called.
I had to perform my poem...
If it had been another poem, it would have been easier... but I had made this one and I couldn’t change it.
I walked to the microphone which stood at the centre of the stage.
Before I begun I took a sip of water to stop my throat from being dry.
Then I began to read:

‘Ode to my best friend...’

I saw ChangMin sitting in the front line...
Ever since I spoke the first line, his expression was one of concern...
But now that I’ve started reading, I should finish it successfully!

‘... through thick and thin, we stay strong and true...’

ChangMin’s expression hurt me a little...
He seemed sincerely worried about my unfortunately difficult poem.
His eyes rested on my hands...
I had noticed they were shaking uncontrollably.
Still, I kept reading on, trying to make the best out of it.

‘... we’ll show the world what it means to have a friend like we both have...’

Was this poem never to end...
I tried hard, but couldn’t get the thought of NiMa out of my head.
I just missed her so terribly...

‘... it takes more than a boy to drive... to drive us ... apart...’

Tears started to flow and I ran back to the room behind the curtains of the theatre...
I had just ruined my performance and managed to make myself look stupid in front of my friends and the rest of the school...
Behind the curtains I bumped into a stunned NiMa and ran past her...
No doubt she could guess my poem was about her, but it already was done.
She didn’t like me anymore and she had hurt me like no one else had ever done...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NiMa’s POV:

I feel hurt too.
I shouldn’t have been so mad at her...
Though I still can’t believe she slept with ChangMin!
She should have asked me!
Or at least notify me!
Hm...
Still, I can’t just give up on her, I don’t want to lose her!
I miss her...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While I was softly crying and shaking my stage fright out, I heard someone coming my way...
I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand and looked at the door.
Then the door opened revealing a concerned ChangMin.
I ran to him and he took me in a warm embrace, I started crying on his shoulder...
The tension off the past two days came out and I told him everything that was bothering me, about NiMa, my parents and my worries...

_________~END OF CHAPTER 25~_________

This is really the last chapter of today! ;)