Chapter 2: You Broke my Heart.

"We need to talk." The text said.

My hands began to shake as tears were already falling down my face. He can't do this to me, not now. I couldn't bring myself to answer the text, but the quicker I did the quicker we could get this over with and go back to normal in a month, per usual.

"Amber?" He texted me once again, "Now."

I could put off the text and we'd be okay by tomorrow, right?

Wrong.

My phone begins to ring… one missed call, two missed calls, three…

"Hello..?" I answer.

"Amber, text me back when I message you!" He angrily commands.

"Are you serious, Ruben? We were just together and now you're texting me talking about we need to talk. I know what that means and I don't like the sound of it, not one bit!"

"Amber, let me speak. This isn't about you."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Amber. I tried, I really did. And even though we never dated it really felt like we did. I really did like you, but we're too toxic and sometimes you more than me."

"No…There is no way you're going to do this to me! I have spent the past two years waiting patiently for you and this is what I get in return? You couldn't man up and do this when I was with you just before."

I sighed, unaware of my sister's presence on the other side of the room.

"Why do you always do this to me?" I quiver out, "It's not fair, Ruben! It's really not." I cry out.

A faint noise plays through the phone, Ruben had hung up.

I proceeded to message him, multiple times it took for me to get a reply.

"Amber, that's enough. I don't know why you still have hope."

He didn't know why I still had hope? My heart shattered as the comfort I needed from him wasn't what I was going to get.

…

1 month later.

"Amber! Hey, Amber!" Aliah calls out down the hall, causing me to swift my head as I spot her.

"Stop-stop walking so fast!" She hisses at me as she yanks on my hair as a form of greeting.

"Ow, Aliah! Stop touching my hair you rat." I insult her.

My hair was brown, dark but not too dark, maybe as dark as dark milk chocolate. I also had curls that weren't in the best shape due to the two years I had spent straightening them… We don't talk about that anymore. My height was 5'2 which is about '6 shorter than Aliah, but we make it work.

"Did you not sleep? You look exhausted." Aliah points out as she grabs me into a hug, whereas I try to resist as I push away her away.

"Of course I slept, obviously I did. If I hadn't slept I'd look much worse than I already do."

"I didn't say you look bad, you could never look bad." Aliah points out as she squishes my cheeks, earning herself a slap across the wrist for touching me again.

"Time for maths…" I groan as we make our way over to class.

I stared out the window, longing for a touch that I was never going to feel again. My heart aching for the only thing in the world that could bring me comfort, more than anybody ever has.

The noise around my dimmed down, my teacher's voice as he explained something about compound interest faded away and I was trapped into my thoughts once again.

The touch of Ruben lingered around my skin as I was hallucinating, feeling his fingers grazing over my hand, his lips on mine… My chest began to tighten as his laugh replayed in my head, as moments of intimacy trailed through my mind filling me with regret. Regret that he was the one person I had ever given every part of myself to, only for him to leave me.

The bell rings and the fog in my mind clears, what a waste of my time that was. You can see how much I just so happen to love maths.

As Aliah and I walk out of the class, Nicole runs up to me "Amber! Amber!" She yells out.

Aliah and I turn our heads around and stand still until she makes it up to us, "Hey!" I say.

"Amber, have you seen?" Nicole asks me.

"Seen what?"

"Nicole…" Aliah warns, "Don't."

"Don't what, Nicole?" I ask abruptly.

1 month later.

"Amber! Hey, Amber!" Aliah calls out down the hall, causing me to swift my head as I spot her.

"Stop-stop walking so fast!" She hisses at me as she yanks on my hair as a form of greeting.

"Ow, Aliah! Stop touching my hair you rat." I insult her.

My hair was brown, dark but not too dark, maybe as dark as dark milk chocolate. I also had curls that weren't in the best shape due to the two years I had spent straightening them… We don't talk about that anymore. My height was 5'2 which is about '6 shorter than Aliah, but we make it work.

"Did you not sleep? You look exhausted." Aliah points out as she grabs me into a hug, whereas I try to resist as I push away her away.

"Of course I slept, obviously I did. If I hadn't slept I'd look much worse than I already do."

"I didn't say you look bad, you could never look bad." Aliah points out as she squishes my cheeks, earning herself a slap across the wrist for touching me again.

"Time for maths…" I groan as we make our way over to class.

I stared out the window, longing for a touch that I was never going to feel again. My heart aching for the only thing in the world that could bring me comfort, more than anybody ever has.

The noise around my dimmed down, my teacher's voice as he explained something about compound interest faded away and I was trapped into my thoughts once again.

The touch of Ruben lingered around my skin as I was hallucinating, feeling his fingers grazing over my hand, his lips on mine… My chest began to tighten as his laugh replayed in my head, as moments of intimacy trailed through my mind filling me with regret. Regret that he was the one person I had ever given every part of myself to, only for him to leave me.

The bell rings and the fog in my mind clears, what a waste of my time that was. You can see how much I just so happen to love maths.

As Aliah and I walk out of the class, Nicole runs up to me "Amber! Amber!" She yells out.

Aliah and I turn our heads around and stand still until she makes it up to us, "Hey!" I say.

"Amber, have you seen?" Nicole asks me.

"Seen what?"

"Nicole…" Aliah warns, "Don't."

"Don't what, Nicole?" I ask abruptly.

"Why don't we take a walk?" She asks, but Aliah grabs ahold of my arm.

"Not now Nicole, we agreed we'd wait until after school."

"Wait for what, what happened? You guys are acting really weird."

"Amber, R-"

"NO!" Aliah cries out, "We're still at school, stop being stupid."

"Fine, but meet me by the gates as soon as school is over." Nicole says before walking away.

I turn to Aliah, "What's happening?"

"Amber… Just wait, okay?" She says.

Before I could open my mouth to say something the bell rings, "Great! I'm late to bio…"

I walk into class and immediately smack my head onto the table, shutting my eyes.

Foot steps…

"Amber." Ms Barkers says as I quickly look up, making eye contact with the woman.

"Yes?" I struggle to say as I'm attempting to open my eyes after being half asleep.

"Did you draw that on the desk?" She asks pointing to a small drawing of a woman with sharp teeth and fire for her.

"No… I don't even have a pen on me."

"Why would you not bring a pen to class?" She asks raising her tone.

"Because I don't want to."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh sh- I meant to say because I don't have one."

"Amber, leave my class and make your way to the office, now!" She yells, embarrassing me in front of the entire class.

I sit outside the office waiting Mr Mount to call me in, knowing that he's going to have a lot to say, as he always does.

Mount knows what happened last month, him and I have a pretty good relationship for a teacher and student. Despite the methods he tries to use when dealing with problems, he's not too bad of a listener when you do have a problem. But he's still a teacher, which is why you have to be cautious, at all times.

"Amber." I hear as the door to his office hadn't even fully opened yet.

I roll my eyes and huff as I stand up straightening my shirt.

"Yes, sir?"

"Come in."

I head into his office and am hit with a warm breeze, lucky man and his heater. The room reeks of coffee and chocolate wrappers are laid around in the most absurd parts of the office, one under his chair, another on rather than in the bin, one of the fan.. how'd he even manage to get one on the fan?

"Amber?"

"Huh, yes?"

"Listen to me when I'm talking."

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"You need to bring a pencil case to class, Amber. This is your last year of High School, the most important and yet… I still don't see a pencil case or even a pen with you."

"I have a laptop… The school makes us buy a laptop so I'm going to use the laptop, because I'll tell you right now that this was NOT cheap."

"I know that it was NOT cheap, but you need to get used to writing with a pen, or else your hands will be a lot more sore during exams at the end of the year."

"I know."

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, how are you coping?"

"Good."

"Amber, I've seen you walking around the halls, your teachers have noticed a difference in your work ethic and the bags on under your eyes… It's not looking good, Amber."

"Sir, I'm doing fine. I just need some time to myself, that's all."

"Amber, we have a school therapist, an entire wellbeing tea-"

I stand up from the seat, "I'm not doing this again, I'm going back to class."

I walk out of his office and shut the door, standing there for a minute I try to catch my breath.

It's okay, Amber. It's fine, you're okay. Just breathe.

I walk down the hallway, passing my locker from two years ago which immediately reminds me of him. The bathroom is my next stop. I lock myself in a stall and let the tears stain my shirt, the saltiness of each drop falling into my mouth as I attempt to cover it with my hand, stopping me from making any noise.

I need to get myself together, so I take a few deep breaths and come out to wash my eyes.

I walk back towards the locker, I can't help the tight feeling that occurs in my chest whenever he comes to mind. Because without him, the world feels so empty. As each day passes by, there seems to be less and less people around, as if they're all just disappearing. The world had never felt so lonely.

I stare at the locker with a blank face as I remember how he'd always accompany me to it. It's funny how much everything changes in just a blink of the eye. One minute you're enjoying school with who you thought was the love of your life, and the next he's moved away. The problem isn't entirely that he moved away, the problem is what happened when he did. He went from being the sweetest boy I had ever met, to someone filled with so much anger, someone that hated to admit that they grew to hate me and my neediness.

Sometimes I think back to the good times, to every time that he's treated me right and I think to myself, 'Why am I sad? If I loved him, then I should be happy for him even if it isn't me that makes him happy. I'm in love with him and that's all that matters.'.

It had since been 30 minutes since I was sent to the office, I needed to get back to class before I got into trouble.

I started walking towards me class, but making a turn I almost bump into someone.

Trevor..

There is nobody who annoys me more than Trevor, well, maybe a few people, but Trevor still annoys me.

"Huh, well look at who it is." He says with a smirk on his face.

I roll my eyes in annoyance, although I'll admit that I enjoy the attention he gives me at times.

"What do you want, Trevor?"

"You."

"Ew, move!" I say as I push past his shoulder.

Sometimes, but only for the smallest moments Trevor makes make forget all about Ruben. But Trevor is Trevor, he flirts with anything and everything.

I take a deep breath as I open the door and walk into the class, I head back to my seat and open up my laptop. I may as well study for the remainder of the time I have left.

As the bell rings and I walk towards my locker I'm stopped by a very angry Nicole.

"Amber, we have to talk now!" She exclaims.

"What the he-" but before I could even finish my sentence she grabs my arm and starts dragging me outside.

"What is wrong with you, Nicole?"

"Amber… I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?" I ask as my heart is racing, what could she possibly be sorry for?

Nicole pulls out her phone and shows me a photo of Aliah sitting on Ruben's lap.

That sinking feeling in my chest, it felt like the cracked pieces of my heart just fell into my stomach. I couldn't breathe properly, my head began to spin and my legs felt numb yet had a shaking sensation.

"That's not real."

"Amber…"

"It's not real, Nicole! This is some sort of sick joke! Please, Nicole…" I whispered as that was all I was able to get out of my mouth right now, a whisper.

Nicole pulled me in for a hug but I pushed her away, hearing her scoff as she hits her back to the brick wall.

"Amber, this isn't my fault. If anything, you should be thanking me!"

I began walking away, my head pointed to the ground as a tear fell from my eyes every few seconds, wiping the snots on my sleeves as they ran down my nose as though they were some sort of race car drivers.

I got to my locker and packed my bag. My destination? Out of school.