Prologue

"WHAT?! WE'RE BREAKING UP?"

The young adult voice echoed through the empty atmosphere as some waiters turned to the young couple (or was to be) at the end of the corner of Johnnie's Fried Chicken restaurant.

Embarrassed, the teenager sat down and covered her face, wishing it was just a nightmare and wanted to wake up from this. Thank goodness no one else heard it as the restaurant is a ghost town on Thursdays. Similarly, the young man reddens from the impact as he draws closer to her.

"You see? You're just not the girl for me," he whispers. "You're just too weird."

Emma looked up at him, displaying sadness in her blue eyes. "But Benji, we have dated for almost a year now and you said you liked how weird I am. Was that the reason we went out?"

Slouching in his chair, the young man stitched his back under his red long-sleeve shirt. "Yeah, I did. But the truth is...I'm not an honest person."

Emma's heart drops and the world around her becomes blurry as she attempts to cope with reality. They have been dating for over nine months and this week she'll turn seventeen on New Year's Eve.

Emmaline Bright planned to ask Benjamin Crow out to a bonfire party next week to celebrate New Year's and her birthday together. She really thought of him as her boyfriend, her half, her one and only. How could something end like this?

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, feeling a sting in her throat. "Why do you want to break up? Is it something I have done that turns you off?"

Benjamin pats his head and sighs. "Jeez, I feel so guilty right now. How would I put this?"

"What are you saying?" Emma asks, raising her eyebrows. "What are you-"

"Please, Emma, don't make this harder for me." He replayed before she could finish her sentence.

Before the awkward conversation went any further, Emma's phone rang. Emma pulled out her phone only to see her mother calling her. She knew why her mother called her but didn't want to answer. Not right now.

Emma turns off her cell phone, turning to Benjamin. "Benji, is this a joke? Are you pranking me again? Are your friends filming this? I told you I didn't want to be in any of your YouTube videos."

Benjamin swallowed a rock. "No, Emma. Not this time."

Emma looked at him; she felt pain within her eye sockets as she detected it was going to cry. "I don't understand. What's going on with you?"

For a long pause, the dark-haired teenager looked up and replied in a whisper. "I cheated."

"What did you say?" Emma heard it but hoped it wasn't what she was thinking.

"Don't make me repeat myself; I cheated on you!" Ben says.

"What?!" Emma's voice shatters. "What the hell are you-With who!?"

"Uh... with Jessica."

"Jessica? Jessica Jewels?"

"Yes"

"Are you serious!?"

He paused. "Yes"

In Emma's mind, it was as if her world had fallen before her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. How could a popular school basketball player fall over someone like Jessica?

Jessica Jewels was her annoying tooth-faced neighbor next door and went to the same school as she did. She and Jewels grew up together and never got along maybe because they are different from each other.

Jessica was quiet, calm, and an intelligent student. She was on top of the classes, won multiple science projects, and served as the school's chairman throughout her senior year. Emma was the opposite; sociable, free-spirited, and a bit of an airhead. Though Emma never won any science fairs, she won multiple art and crafts competitions and hung out with the popular kids.

Emma and Jessica were famous for picking up the rivalry in the neighborhood as they always pick fights. Emma is the prettiest blonde while Jessica is the superior nerd.

Emma remembers Jessica being around where she and Benjamin had been dating for the past nine months. She always has a pitiful look on her face. She doesn't know why, but for the same reason, it ticks her off.

Jessica is a worn-off noisy bitch.

"What!? Why the hell would you do that?" Emma's voice grew louder. "Are you telling me you cheated on me with Jessica and you want to break up because of her?"

Benjamin lowers his head. "Emma, please keep it down, there are still people around-."

"I DON'T CARE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND!"

Emma yelled, standing up and slamming both hands on the wooden table. "YOU CALL ME TO HAVE A TALK HERE OF ALL PLACES JUST SO YOU CAN TELL ME YOU CHEATED ON ME AND BROKE UP WITH ME!?"

Benjamin remained silent as he felt eyes on him from the waiters, whispering and chuckling. Emma's phone rings again, so she turns off her phone before facing the teenage jock.

Benjamin Crow was the only one she could trust among all the people she trusted. Before he came into her life, she had her best friend, Katherine Monet. Katherine (also known as Katie) lives in the same neighborhood as Emma and does everything for each other until her father gets another job because he quit his old job.

When her friend left, it felt like every day was the same for her: alone, cold, dull, and empty. However, everything changed when Benjamin entered her life. He was smart, strong, funny, and cute; she knew she had fallen for him. It was because of him that she became one of his popular friends. She felt like somebody, like a celebrity.

Benjamin was her man: he was her first crush; he was her first date, he was her first kiss, he was the first man she slept with, he was the first man she told all her secrets to, he was her everything to her.

But now he wants to break up because he wants to be with that four-eyed know it all?

"WHY, BENJI? WHY WOULD YOU BREAK UP WITH ME? DID YOU KNOW HOW MISERABLE I WAS BACK THEN? WHAT DOES SHE HAVE BUT I DON'T?"

Emma's eyes streamed with tears, but her expression was filled with anger. The dark-haired teenager looked speechless but took a deep breath.

"She listens." He replied.

Emma didn't speak, but instead glanced at him confused.

"When we were together, I thought I had found the girl for me. My other half. Even so, there were times when you didn't listen to me or care about me. You often get jealous when I'm around other girls, you don't respect my privacy, so you check on my iPhone without my permission, you are too clingy to be by my side and you always make a scene when we're in public like you're doing right now."

Emma was out of words. She never knew she would hurt his feelings. Pain struck her chest. She just didn't want to be alone.

"But Jessica is different: she listens to me, respects me, and treats me like a normal human being would do."

Benjiman's compliments about Jessica felt like thousands of daggers pinning through Emma's heart. It's just horrible when her man talks sweetly about her arch-enemy.

"But why didn't you tell me I annoyed you?" She asks. "I could have listened."

"I did." He replied. "But as I said earlier, you don't listen."

With that said, Benjamin Crow stood up from his seat and walked towards the exit. Emma's mind came to her as she ran to Benjamin.

"Benji! Benji, I'm sorry! I didn't know I hurt you that way! I was being stupid!"

She pleaded. "Please, Benji! Give me another chance! I can change! Believe me when I say I still love you whether you cheat or not!"

As they walked out of the restaurant, the weather had previously been sunny, but it was now pouring cats and dogs. The teen girl instantly regretted wearing a thigh-length dress and leather cone shoes.

Benjamin got onto his motorbike and injected his key. Emma still clings to him pulling his arm and crying at this point.

"Benji, please I cannot live without you!" she cries. "Please Benji stay!"

In shock, the boy roughly pulled his arm away from her before looking at her with despise in his eyes. In an instant, Emma stepped away from him, speechless.

"Don't call me "Benji" anymore, it's annoying." He replied coldly. "Goodbye, Emma."

As soon as Benjamin put on his helmet, he sped off, leaving Emma looking at the cold distance behind him.

She could feel her heart racing and her knees trembling. In Emma's mind, she recalls the memories of what had happened today: She accidentally dropped her toothbrush in the toilet, she walked to school hungry because she doesn't want to hear her parents arguing, her homework got torn by a neighbor's dog and got an F in Physics, her favorite shirt got spilled on print during building construction when walking home and now she was dumped by her boyfriend.

Emma was overwhelmed with emotions. She felt like the world crumbled around her. She was completely broken. She tried to keep it together and be strong, but she just couldn't do it. She began to cry, and all her emotions, all her pain came flooding out. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Within a moment, she heard her phone ring from her purse. While wapping her tears, she pulled out her phone to see her mom's number again. She hesitated. She doesn't know how to react right after breaking up with her now ex-boyfriend.

But right now she needs comfort, she needs to put herself together, or else her mother would call the police thinking her daughter got kidnap or something.

She just needs a few minutes to breathe and calm down. She's sure her mother will understand once she explains what happened. She takes a few deep breaths before answering.

MOM: Hello? Emma, are you there?

EMMA: Yeah Mom, what do you want?

MOM: I want you to come home immediately young lady. I have something really urgent that you and your younger sister need to hear.

EMMA: *sigh* "Mom, I know what you're planning to do: We're moving, right?"

There was a pause at the other end.

MOM: How did you know that?

EMMA: When I came home, I went to your room to ask you a favor, but then I remembered you were at your friend's house for your book club meeting. When I was about to leave, I noticed the landline had sent a voice message. When I turn it on, your boss tells you that you have a new job in another city. So yeah.

Their other end had a long pause. She felt calm and quiet, eager to move to the big city as soon as possible. At first, she was upset because she'd be far away from her boyfriend and miss her old friends. However, after today she was dumped and there is a possibility that the waiters (who were watching the whole thing) will spread gossip throughout the town and reach the school she attends.

And when it did, her reputation will be ruined. No point for the popular kids to hang out with her when Benjiman stops dating her. Meant as well to pack her bags and just leave as far as possible.

MOM: "Yes, that's true. But there is another reason."

EMMA: "Hmm? And what's that?"

MOM: *sigh* "Your father and I are getting a divorce."

Chapter end