⌗ 47; third person ✎ᝰ
{seven months later}

Mason exits her car with a handful of notes, a water bottle, and hopes and dreams. She closes her car door shut and locks it in a hurry.

"You look terrible." Mara puts an arm around Mason's shoulder as she laughed. "Did you not get any sleep last night?" The girl wondered.

Mason sighed deeply before shaking her head. "No. I was too busy rewatching my lecture." A pout forms on her lips. "You look happy today."

Mara leans her head against the side of Mason's and nods. "Of course. I get to see you first thing in the morning." She beamed.

Mason rolled her eyes. "I'm not the first thing. You probably saw yourself in the mirror." Her commentary left Mara in a fit of laughter.

"I mean you're not totally wrong." Mara said. "But you are the first thing I would've wanted to see this morning..." Her flirtatious nature left Mason red in the face. "Someone's red."

Mason tried her hardest to bring the attention away from her tomato like appearance as they made their way through the bustling halls of their university campus. It was filled to the absolute brim with students of all majors—the early morning could not keep them in bed.

Her heart fluttered at the warmth of the girl next to her. She couldn't deny it any longer. Mason was starting to catch feelings. No, scratch that. She already has feelings.

It's been months since that unspeakable experience. Mason barely even spoke of it. In fact, she seemed too well kept for someone that went through a break up for the first time.

Mara was worried that her best friend had been bottling her feelings. Her countless attempts were little to no use. Mason was too far gone. Everything had been left unsaid. Unspoken, and in a grave six feet under with what she once felt. Mara couldn't help but worry. It didn't seem healthy for Mason to be coping this way.

Her break up with Mavis was just as bad. Things did not go as planned. Their relationship had gone down into flames. She kept it under wraps for months. She didn't have to heart to tell Mason and Elly the truth of why Mavis had left and taken a spontaneous trip of her own to Singapore, and with an indefinite return.

The best friends spent countless days together. Minutes turned to hours and hours into days. Riley's warmth had now been replaced by the inevitable presence of another. Mara had been there for her ever since. Her best friend had not once left her side. Mason couldn't quite understand why she could forget Riley so easily. Why the latter was pushed to the very back of her memories remain a secret to everyone,

but herself.

The truth is: she still loves Riley. She couldn't ever love another person the way she does for her. No one could ever quite compare. That's where her heart lies, and still does. But that poses the question, 'what's this feeling for Mara that burns deep within my soul?'

It kept her awake for days at a time. Her perfect sleep schedule had turned into sleepless nights and endless coffee cups. It was her worst nightmare. How could she love one person while liking someone else? Her head throbbed.

Mason went straight to Google—a mind of it's own with endless answers—and possibilities. Studies say that it's 'human nature'. Mason couldn't agree nor disagree. All those articles convinced her it was totally fine! As long as her 'crush' was merely a fantasy and nothing more.

She couldn't quite understand it. Nor could she draw the line at a simple fantasy. How could she keep things merely a fantasy when her heart craved something it shouldn't? Mara's warmth wasn't the only thing she craved at night.

Mason wished so desperately to feel Mara's lips against her own. What would it be like if they kissed? Would it be fireworks? A circus?

She couldn't live like this. Her heart yearned for two different people. Two people that hit a little too close to home. She feared the day she'd eventually have to chose. Riley, however, remained superior. Mason didn't have it to delete their pictures off her phone, with the mere hope that they'd be able to fix things.

Mason would find herself stalking the latter on her social media late at night—in the comfort of her studio apartment in the bustling city.

Riley, although 8000km away, seemed like she had never left. Traces of her were almost everywhere. Is that why I can't get rid of you? Mason thought to herself? Her pictures, her clothes, her perfume bottle that sits on the corner of Mason's vanity. But nothing could tear
her apart as much as the wish list that sits at the bottom of her drawer—untouched.

Riley seemed to have moved on. Her relationship with Andy had been more apparent than ever before. Koen would constantly post their pictures like he was some sort of fan site. Nix couldn't give a damn. Mason would always go back to the bobbed girl's twitter where 'I'm still rooting for Mason' is written in her bio.

At least someone's still rooting for me, Mason thought again. She knew deep down that Andy had intent. That's the whole reason why the latter had flown in from the land down under in the first place—to take what was 'rightfully' hers. Mason couldn't help but laugh, and then cry. Perhaps, Riley was meant to be Andy's.

Her heart broke as much as it mended itself. It had been a constant cycle since the day she walked out and left Riley on her knees. Mason never looked back. She lives till this day with deep regret and resentment towards herself.

Should things have ended differently?

Her thoughts are therefore interrupted when Mara squeezes her hand. "Bub. You ok?"

Mason shakes her head. "Sorry. I just remembered something. Just deliverables." She points to the stack of notes in her grasp. "We should go find a table. We can get started?"

Mara kisses her forehead and nods, "Let's go."