Us

Somebody told her before that with talent like hers, she had the potential to compete on an international level. She was destined for greatness on uneven bars and balance beams. It was a life that she could've had, before school came into the picture and everything else simply fell into place. There were so many what-if's and maybe's that riddled her mind to no end, and she couldn't let him suffer the same bitter end of regret for her sake.

"Pat, what's stopping you?"

The unspoken words between them were the answers she had been dreading. But she couldn't understand him. He was incredibly intelligent, one of the brightest students of their school, and he was going to waste it here, in this third-world, corrupt and desolate country. Having a full-scholarship abroad meant greener pastures -- a better life so tempting that it would be crazy to refuse.

Meanwhile, what was she? A run-of-the-mill Filipina with no fortune attached to her name, no definite accomplishments to call hers, barely smart enough to pass university. She was just dragging him down.

"Let's," Slowly, lithe fingers intertwined with its better half, lacing together like final pieces of a puzzle, a sweet image to etch in her mind before she could let him go, "break up."