Status: DONE.
Claimed to Be Broken
Almost the Right Choice
Almost the Right Choice.
At night, Lucas forced himself into my dreams. I couldn't do anything about it, not that I wanted to object.
"Lucas," Sofia murmured, "what would you do if..." She trailed off and began to shy away, blushing at what she had almost said.
Lucas turned his head and faced Sofia, tearing his eyes from the outside view of the bus window. "What if what?"
Mustering her courage, Sofia tried again. "What would you do if you were told you'd die if you stayed with me?"
Lucas stared into Sofia's eyes and answered with precision and certainty. "I won't die..." Just like that. His words were followed by a long pause.
"No, just try to picture it. What if? I mean, if you actually will die? Would you try to stay away from me as far as possible?"
Lucas looked away and scoffed, a sly grin playing on his lips. "No, idiot. I'd rather die than do that." He rolled his eyes, then pinched Sofia's cheeks as she protested quietly. However, Sofia still had that pestering guilt in her, nestling wildly at the pit of her stomach, but she tried to ignore that.
"I'm just wondering still. Why be with me? There are lots of girls out there, gorgeous ones at that, who you could easily be with. So why did you choose me?"
Lucas replied with, "Hmm... it's probably your eyes."
Sofia giggled at that. "Eyes? Why?"
"Because they tell me everything about you, and they're always honestly happy."
"... that's it?"
"Yeah, did you expect more?"
Sofia blushed. "N-Not really. I just didn't think you'd like me so much for such a small reason."
Then, at that random moment, Lucas gave an honest to Sofia's previous question.
"If I were to die because of staying with you, then I'll find a way of coming back to you, somehow. I promise." A glint crossed his eyes. He was serious.
"That's impossible," Sofia said, "and incredibly cheesy. Ewwwww!!!" Laughing, she buried her face into his chest. Lucas chuckled quietly, patting her head softly.
"You'll get used to it," Lucas said, grinning. "Maybe I should give you a nickname."
"Oh, God, no." Sofia pushed her face into his neck now.
"Random Girl worked just fine back then," Lucas continued saying, thoughtful. "Maybe I should keep calling you that. It fits you."
Sofia stopped her head-burying and noted, "I hate that."
"Random Girl it is, then."
"You're drunk again." Lucas shifted his foot onto his kitchen floor. "Jerry, stay away from my house."
"Gimme next month's pay, kid. I need it." Jerry's words were a bit slurred.
"I don't have that much money. Go home." Lucas helped Jerry up and guided him out of the house.
"You'll have to pay me tomorrow then. Have the money ready, you damned brat. I need it."
"You're drunk again. How the hell do you expect me to show you any respect if you trash your life like this, huh?" Lucas vented. "I know my mom left me. You say it every fucking day to me. But you're no better than her. You're even worse."
"Stupid kid. If I was sober I would have beaten the living daylights outta you." Jerry staggered.
"Some day, you're gonna realize that there's more to life than drinking and fucking up other people’s lives."
"That's how you were made, ain't that right, kid? 'Cause your mom was drunk at the time. You were a mistake. Your dad didn't wanna accept you and ran away with another prostitute, who he also got pregnant because he was drunk. For you, alcohol is what ruins your life. For me, it's what makes my life."
Lucas looked heavenward. "Oh, shut up."
Days passed, and soon weeks did too, rolling by with no stop. Then a year passed by. Lucas and Sofia had grown much closer to each other by then, and they felt inseparable.
"Lucas, what's wrong?" Sofia was trying to catch up to him, her hair a tumbling mess over her shoulders.
"It’s just... forget it.” He started walking faster, and Sofia glowered at him.
“You don’t think I’m trustworthy enough, do you?” she spat.
Lucas sighed. “C’mon, don’t give me that, Sofia. It’s not because of that.” He stepped closer to Sofia and wrapped her into a loose hug. “That’s not it. My problem doesn’t involve you.”
“Lucas... I’ve been thinking,” Sofia said, “about breaking up with you.”
Lucas’ eyes had been wide with shock. “... what?”
“It’s because of Nina,” Sofia murmured. “She won’t stop telling me about her premonition. She told me that if I stay in a relationship with you, you’ll die.”
“So that’s why you keep asking me about that life-and-death question.”
Sofia was frustrated. “That’s not the point. The point is: Nina’s premonitions are always right. They’re never wrong. And what she’s telling me about your future, that’s her strongest premonition ever. Lucas I have to break up with you.”
“You... are an idiot.” Lucas tilted Sofia’s chin upwards and planted the lightest kiss on Sofia’s lips.
Flustered, Sofia said, “Do that again.”
“Do what? Kiss you?” Lucas raised a brow.
“Yes, kiss me.”
A chuckle escaped Lucas’ throat, and he happily obliged, drawing his face forward until his lips pressed against Sofia’s. Soon the kiss deepened, and Sofia’s fingers knotted into Lucas’ hair, scrunching it up. Realizing something, Sofia had to pull away and gasp.
“That’s the last kiss we’ll ever have,” Sofia said. “I’m sorry, Lucas. It’s over.”
“You made the right choice,” Nina said, caressing Sofia’s hair gently. Sofia was weeping so much that her wails could be heard from a mile away. “Shh, you made the right choice.”
“I feel like a can never be happy now,” Sofia sobbed, hiding her face in her arms as she was curled in a fetal position.
“No, Sofia, you’d be much more devastated if you keep getting in contact with that boy.”
“You talk about him like he’s a stranger.”
“He should be. He’s supposed to be out of our lives now,” Nina responded icily.
Sophia’s phone rang incessantly, the ring tone blaring into the room harshly. It took Sofia all of her will power not to answer it. After a hundred more calls, the ringing stopped. Sofia flipped her phone open and listened to all the voice mails she received.
”Sofia, I won’t let you break up with me because of a stupid reason. Let’s at least talk this out.”
“Answer me, dammit. Just, please, answer me. Let’s talk this out.”
“What the hell did I ever do? I’ll change. I’ll do anything. Just don’t do this to me.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you what I was so worked up for earlier. It was because of that guy Jerry. He was being an ass again. There. You happy?”
“Sofia, I’ll be waiting for you at the front of Dairy Queen. I don’t care if I have to wait all night. I’ll see you there.”
Sofia and Nina shared a look. Shaking her head vigorously, Nina said, “No. You are not going.”
“I have to. I know Lucas, and he won’t give up. If he has to wait outside all night, I’m pretty sure he will.”
“No. Sofia, you don’t understand. You cannot go. You can’t. Please. Listen to me. Sofia? Sofia! Sofia! You’re gonna regret this!” Nina said as Sofia zipped outside, heading for disaster.
“I’ll be fine!” Sofia called out. Of course she would be fine, but what about Lucas? Sofia dialed Lucas' phone, holding her breath until he answered.
"Hey."
"Go to the front of the school building. Wait for me there. Don't go anywhere. Stay there."
"Alright..." It took Lucas a minute to realize what was happening, then he digested it. "Alright. I will."
At night, Lucas forced himself into my dreams. I couldn't do anything about it, not that I wanted to object.
"Lucas," Sofia murmured, "what would you do if..." She trailed off and began to shy away, blushing at what she had almost said.
Lucas turned his head and faced Sofia, tearing his eyes from the outside view of the bus window. "What if what?"
Mustering her courage, Sofia tried again. "What would you do if you were told you'd die if you stayed with me?"
Lucas stared into Sofia's eyes and answered with precision and certainty. "I won't die..." Just like that. His words were followed by a long pause.
"No, just try to picture it. What if? I mean, if you actually will die? Would you try to stay away from me as far as possible?"
Lucas looked away and scoffed, a sly grin playing on his lips. "No, idiot. I'd rather die than do that." He rolled his eyes, then pinched Sofia's cheeks as she protested quietly. However, Sofia still had that pestering guilt in her, nestling wildly at the pit of her stomach, but she tried to ignore that.
"I'm just wondering still. Why be with me? There are lots of girls out there, gorgeous ones at that, who you could easily be with. So why did you choose me?"
Lucas replied with, "Hmm... it's probably your eyes."
Sofia giggled at that. "Eyes? Why?"
"Because they tell me everything about you, and they're always honestly happy."
"... that's it?"
"Yeah, did you expect more?"
Sofia blushed. "N-Not really. I just didn't think you'd like me so much for such a small reason."
Then, at that random moment, Lucas gave an honest to Sofia's previous question.
"If I were to die because of staying with you, then I'll find a way of coming back to you, somehow. I promise." A glint crossed his eyes. He was serious.
"That's impossible," Sofia said, "and incredibly cheesy. Ewwwww!!!" Laughing, she buried her face into his chest. Lucas chuckled quietly, patting her head softly.
"You'll get used to it," Lucas said, grinning. "Maybe I should give you a nickname."
"Oh, God, no." Sofia pushed her face into his neck now.
"Random Girl worked just fine back then," Lucas continued saying, thoughtful. "Maybe I should keep calling you that. It fits you."
Sofia stopped her head-burying and noted, "I hate that."
"Random Girl it is, then."
"You're drunk again." Lucas shifted his foot onto his kitchen floor. "Jerry, stay away from my house."
"Gimme next month's pay, kid. I need it." Jerry's words were a bit slurred.
"I don't have that much money. Go home." Lucas helped Jerry up and guided him out of the house.
"You'll have to pay me tomorrow then. Have the money ready, you damned brat. I need it."
"You're drunk again. How the hell do you expect me to show you any respect if you trash your life like this, huh?" Lucas vented. "I know my mom left me. You say it every fucking day to me. But you're no better than her. You're even worse."
"Stupid kid. If I was sober I would have beaten the living daylights outta you." Jerry staggered.
"Some day, you're gonna realize that there's more to life than drinking and fucking up other people’s lives."
"That's how you were made, ain't that right, kid? 'Cause your mom was drunk at the time. You were a mistake. Your dad didn't wanna accept you and ran away with another prostitute, who he also got pregnant because he was drunk. For you, alcohol is what ruins your life. For me, it's what makes my life."
Lucas looked heavenward. "Oh, shut up."
Days passed, and soon weeks did too, rolling by with no stop. Then a year passed by. Lucas and Sofia had grown much closer to each other by then, and they felt inseparable.
"Lucas, what's wrong?" Sofia was trying to catch up to him, her hair a tumbling mess over her shoulders.
"It’s just... forget it.” He started walking faster, and Sofia glowered at him.
“You don’t think I’m trustworthy enough, do you?” she spat.
Lucas sighed. “C’mon, don’t give me that, Sofia. It’s not because of that.” He stepped closer to Sofia and wrapped her into a loose hug. “That’s not it. My problem doesn’t involve you.”
“Lucas... I’ve been thinking,” Sofia said, “about breaking up with you.”
Lucas’ eyes had been wide with shock. “... what?”
“It’s because of Nina,” Sofia murmured. “She won’t stop telling me about her premonition. She told me that if I stay in a relationship with you, you’ll die.”
“So that’s why you keep asking me about that life-and-death question.”
Sofia was frustrated. “That’s not the point. The point is: Nina’s premonitions are always right. They’re never wrong. And what she’s telling me about your future, that’s her strongest premonition ever. Lucas I have to break up with you.”
“You... are an idiot.” Lucas tilted Sofia’s chin upwards and planted the lightest kiss on Sofia’s lips.
Flustered, Sofia said, “Do that again.”
“Do what? Kiss you?” Lucas raised a brow.
“Yes, kiss me.”
A chuckle escaped Lucas’ throat, and he happily obliged, drawing his face forward until his lips pressed against Sofia’s. Soon the kiss deepened, and Sofia’s fingers knotted into Lucas’ hair, scrunching it up. Realizing something, Sofia had to pull away and gasp.
“That’s the last kiss we’ll ever have,” Sofia said. “I’m sorry, Lucas. It’s over.”
“You made the right choice,” Nina said, caressing Sofia’s hair gently. Sofia was weeping so much that her wails could be heard from a mile away. “Shh, you made the right choice.”
“I feel like a can never be happy now,” Sofia sobbed, hiding her face in her arms as she was curled in a fetal position.
“No, Sofia, you’d be much more devastated if you keep getting in contact with that boy.”
“You talk about him like he’s a stranger.”
“He should be. He’s supposed to be out of our lives now,” Nina responded icily.
Sophia’s phone rang incessantly, the ring tone blaring into the room harshly. It took Sofia all of her will power not to answer it. After a hundred more calls, the ringing stopped. Sofia flipped her phone open and listened to all the voice mails she received.
”Sofia, I won’t let you break up with me because of a stupid reason. Let’s at least talk this out.”
“Answer me, dammit. Just, please, answer me. Let’s talk this out.”
“What the hell did I ever do? I’ll change. I’ll do anything. Just don’t do this to me.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you what I was so worked up for earlier. It was because of that guy Jerry. He was being an ass again. There. You happy?”
“Sofia, I’ll be waiting for you at the front of Dairy Queen. I don’t care if I have to wait all night. I’ll see you there.”
Sofia and Nina shared a look. Shaking her head vigorously, Nina said, “No. You are not going.”
“I have to. I know Lucas, and he won’t give up. If he has to wait outside all night, I’m pretty sure he will.”
“No. Sofia, you don’t understand. You cannot go. You can’t. Please. Listen to me. Sofia? Sofia! Sofia! You’re gonna regret this!” Nina said as Sofia zipped outside, heading for disaster.
“I’ll be fine!” Sofia called out. Of course she would be fine, but what about Lucas? Sofia dialed Lucas' phone, holding her breath until he answered.
"Hey."
"Go to the front of the school building. Wait for me there. Don't go anywhere. Stay there."
"Alright..." It took Lucas a minute to realize what was happening, then he digested it. "Alright. I will."