Complicated You; Sophisticated Me

“Well?” Heather asked. “Come back to me if you don’t love that girl.”

Dylan closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke, “I’m sorry about what happened back in the past. I had been a jerk to you. I never listened to you…”

Heather waited.

“But…all I can say is, I’m sorry.”

“Dylan, what are you—“

“I can’t go back to you.”

Heather forced herself to him, burying her fingernails tightly to his back. Dylan didn’t pull away. “You can’t let this go, Dylan. I’ve always, always loved you! I love you more than she does!”

Dylan sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“You can’t do this to me. I came home to be with you, don’t you understand that?”

“I’m really sorry, Heather, but I can’t—“

“She doesn’t even love you!”

And that was when Heather burst into tears, and all Dylan could do was apologize.

~

“Are you going already?” The infirmary doctor asked. “Aren’t you going to wait for Dylan?”

“I’m completely fine,” Mika replied as she lifted herself up to sit. “I’m not disabled or anything, and I don’t have to wait for him.”

“It’s dark outside. Do you want me to take you home?”

Mika shook her head, “I don’t want to bother you, Mrs. Hemsworth. I’ll be fine.”

She wouldn’t be fine. Not until she sees Dylan.

Are they going to make up now? she wondered. After all, Heather was really pretty. Compared to her, Mika felt like a disaster.

~

After Mitch arrived to pick Heather up since she was staying at his place, Dylan rushed back to the school clinic.

“Where’s—Mika? Dylan panted.

“I’m afraid Mika’s already gone home, dear,” Dr. Hemsworth said.

Dylan took a cab and went straight to the apartment where Mika stayed. He kept her waiting, and for that he felt very guilty.

Is she safe? Is she all right? Questions about Mika filled his mind. He shouldn’t have gone to meet Heather.

If Heather hadn’t called, would he have told Mika he…loved her?

Again with the insane questions. Dylan sighed.

This was the first time he actually cared for someone so much.

~

Mika passed by Gran’s room and heard her talking to someone.

That voice…

Instinctively, she opened the door and saw Heather with Gran. Gran looked at Mika gravely, while Heather smiled at her.

“Hey, Mika,” she said.

“Come in, dear,” Gran gestured for Mika to take a seat. Mika did not move.

“I wanted to talk to you for a while,” Heather continued.

There was something about that girl that made Mika feel uncomfortable. It was as if she was planning something.

She used to be Dylan’s ex-girlfriend, Mika noted. Maybe she wants to talk about Dylan.

“Let’s talk somewhere else,” Mika said.

“At your room, then?”

Mika nodded. Heather stood up and said goodbye to Gran before she followed after her.

~

“Nice room,” Heather commented as soon as she entered Mika’s apartment.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Mika looked at her straight in the eye. Why was she even bothering to set things with this girl? It was none of her business, anyway.

“Dylan…” Heather began. “Has he ever told you he loves you?”

“He doesn’t.”

“Exactly.”

“What are you trying to say?” Mika asked with unintentional acid. When she looked at Heather, it was as if her blood boiled.

“Me and Dylan? We go all the way back,” Heather moved around the room, then fixed her gaze on Mika. “I want him back.”

“You left him.”

“That was stupid, I know. But when I want something, I will have it.”

Mika sighed, “Is that all you have to say?”

Heather smiled sweetly—coldly. “I loved him first. Give him back to me.”

“That’s not for me to decide,” Mika said. “If he really loves you, he’d leave me. But he won’t leave me, and that’s not really my fault to begin with. He’s the one following me around like a dog.”

“Do you love him?”

Mika thought about it for a while before she answered, “You don’t have to know.”

“I loved him first, Mika. Remember that.”

Heather brushed past Mika. “Goodnight,” she said just as she was about to go out of the room.

Mika couldn’t sleep that night.

Dylan would be better off with Heather, not with me.

It hurt so much that Mika started to cry herself to sleep.