Like a name carved on the shore and washed away easily by the waves, we carried on our lives.  Our promises forgotten.

---oOo---

The tables turned when we reached High School.  I was now the one pestering him to do the homeworks and school projects at my house.  I even bargained that his friends can come over.  But he's always calling me off.  In school, its like I get invisible too.  WHAT CAN I DO?  WHAT CAN I DO?!  Though we meet on the hallways, he barely spares me a glance, a smile, nor a 'hello'.

It was hard to put your finger on when things changed between them.

There was this one time in 7th grade, as I remember.  He was still the popular boy, not just in class, but all over the campus.  He's Mr. Popular, I understood that part.  But why cant he separate the public life to the private one?  Does the popularity made its way to his head?

We grew distant from each other.  

As I had observed, his routine would be like this:  He always goes out every weekends--either goes out-of-town, hanging out with his friends, or hitting on girls.  At school nights, he's out again with friends, partying.  I dont know how he manages his time.  The hell I care with him.  As if he cares for me.

I, on the other hand, stays over either at Bom's or CL's place for school-related stuffs or just for fun.  Now that puberty separated Jiyong and I, I grew fond of them.

Sometimes on Friday afternoons after school when I am all alone, I watch Jiyong, his friends and a few girls from his class going out the campus.  They'd be heading out on either the amusement park, over the movie house, or on the arcade at the mall.  I'd hear them laughing and talking as I stand alone, waiting for the bus to arrive in front of the school, avoiding to look at Ji's pleading eyes.  Its always the same look in his eyes, but never he tried to approach me.  Sometimes I enjoyed making believe I was excluded because I was unwanted.  I could even work myslef up to a fury of self-pity.  But my misery just happens during Fridays.  I could always distract myself off with songs we need to memorize for the band during Mondays to Thursdays, even on Saturdays.  Thanks to my bandmates, Bom, CL, and Minji.  After all, all I have is them.

But one rainy Friday afternoon, while waiting for the bus, Jiyong suddenly separated from his group and strode towards the stop where I was sitting.  I was humming a song when I sensed him nearing.  He was grinning with his hair bleached blonde and headphones around his neck.  Finally, an alone time with my best friend!

"You look like a hippie," I told him.

"You look like a cockroach with stomachache," he told me and yanked one of my ponytails.  "What's up?"

"Nothing much.  How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Oh Ji, I remembered.  About the phone call last week." I reminded him.  Maybe he just forgot.

"What about it?  Well, make it fast.  I'm meeting someone."  He kept looking at his watch.  Wow, he did a great job on inviting me and forgetting his own invitiation.

"Who?"  I asked.

"What are you--an owl?"

"No.  Listen, Ji.  You promised me last week..."  I haven't had the chance to finish my sentence as a girl walked out of the school, waving and yelled, "Jiyong!"

He smiled and nodded at her, then looked at me as he was trying to remember what I was talking about.

"Who was that?" I asked him.  "Your girlfriend?  Why doesnt she comb her hair?"

He started laughing, pulled me by my arm to stand and said, "Here, Sunye.  Here's one of my main reasons that I'm about to lose my sanity."

"Hi," I said to her unpleasantly.  So this was the reason why Jiyong joined me here.  This ape!  Aish.  He was going to introduce his 'girlfriend' to me.  He got himself a girlfriend and I being the best friend was well informed.  Well informed.

I stared at Sunye.  In spite of her messy hair which I assume was from sprinting to meet Jiyong so eagerly, I couldnt help but notice that she had a pretty face, a soft, fair complexion, and white, even teeth.  She displayed every one of them in my direction.  "Hi, Dara!" she said enthusiastically to me.  I took a complete dislike to her.

"Well?"  I said, turning to Jiyong.  "Are you going to change plans again?  I thought we're going to spend time together, for old times sake.  You promised me you would."

"I never promised anything," he said, putting his right arm around Sunye's shoulder and letting go of my arm.

"Yes, you did.  You said you'd give it a try."

"I never--"

"Yes, you did.  You did!"

"What's the problem?"  I heard Sunye asked, directing a sympathetic look in my direction which I found particularly irritating.

"This dumb kid," he began, getting Sunye's book from her grasp, "is annoying me that we should spend time together since its been a long time that we bonded.  I told her I'd try but our date suddenly came up."

"Well, I cant blame her," said Sunye with one of those cutesy little pouty movements.  "We barely spend time together too.  And I hated it."

Jiyong was looking at her.  Sunye was looking at him.  And finally, nobody was looking at me.

"Well, you promised me last week over the phone!"  I shouted at the both of them.

"Why wont you come with us?  It'd be good to know you more sonce your Ji's best friend."  Sunye said.  No, I wont be a chaperone to them.  I wont be a third wheel.  I shook my head and muttered, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Jiyong came up to me and said, "Look, Dara, I have to go to some place now, but come and talk to me at my place tomorrow.  Okay?"

"But tomorrow, Bom and I would be at school to practice for the decathlon competition next week."  I reasoned.

"Then maybe at afternoon?  I'm sure you'd be available at afternoon."

"No.  At afternoon we'd be with CL and Minzy to practice for the battle of the bands next month alongside Kevin, Joon, Wooyoung, Taehwan, and Taecyeon.  We still need to compose one more song and help the boys band to practice.  I dont have enough time, Ji."  I retorted.

"But I cant really cancel on Sunye now, Dara.  I'm really sorry.  I'll try next week, okay?"

"Dont worry Dara, I'm on your side.  I'll give him a good talking to."

I ignored her.  I ignored him.  And walked home in the company of raindrops and gush of cold wind.  I didnt take the bus for I know we'd be jammed in there, the three of us.  Him, Sunye, and me.

After that incident, I distanced myself from him permanently.  I treated him the same way as he had to me.

I never felt so disappointed in my whole life, not after what had happened on the bus stop.