He Realises.

after lunch, lila made colin play some pool with her. he didn't really want to but since she was his new friend, he obliged.
"lighten up," lila said, kissing him on the cheek. colin didn't like it at all. he didn't know why. in the past when pretty girls like lila kisses him, he would smile but this time his face was as bleak as the dark clouds on a rainy day. just at that moment, his phone rang.
"continue to play without me. it's a business call," colin said to lila before disappearing out of the pool parlour. actually the call was from tyler and not some business call. he just wanted to get away from lila for a while. before colin could greet him, tyler started to shout over the phone,"where the hell are you? do you know that shayna is leaving for london next friday? why aren't you stopping her? she's going with that twerp of a doctor!"
"hold up ty. you're speaking too fast," colin said.
"fine. where the hell are you?"
"i'm playing pool... with lila."
"fuck! you can still enjoy yourself with some girl when the woman that you love is leaving the country with another man?"
"shut up ty. i know she's leaving."
"then why the hell aren't you going to do anything about it?" tyler asked, sounding angry.
"what can i do ty? it's over. she's fallen for that doctor."
"you shut the fuck up about that doctor. go and tell her how much you love her and want her before it's too late!" tyler started to scream on the phone. his best friend was even more panic about shayna's departure than he was! colin thought about it. he should come clean with what he has felt for her. it would be too late if she left without knowing how much she meant to him.

"alright. i'll go tell her." he finally said to his friend before putting down the phone.

***

"i had a lovely night with your family," timothy said, hugging shayna as soon they were out of her house and out of sight from the parents, "but i enjoy the time with you more."
"oh timmy, stop being mushy with me," shayna giggled as she leant close to timothy. she could smell his cologne, that strong but fruity smell.
"i'm serious shay. you're the best girlfriend a guy could ever have. though it's only been four hours but that's besides the point," timothy laughed.
"you're so silly."
"i love you." timothy said, expecting a reply but shayna just smiled and kissed him on the cheek. timothy didn't think much of it and kissed her back but this time on the lips. as shayna closed her eyes to enjoy the kiss of her new boyfriend, an image of colin's face flashed in front of her. she had a shock and pulled away from the kiss.
"are you ok? did i do anything wrong?" timothy asked, stroking her hair.
"no... nothing. i'm just tired. sorry," shayna said, cupping her face with her hands.
"yeah. you had a you better go back and rest," timothy said, "i want my girl to always be as beautiful as you are now and not tired or upset."
"thanks timmy. have a good rest too," shayna said s she watched timothy walk down the stairs alone. she wasn't tired. she was afraid. afraid of what colin might say or what might happen in the future. she liked timothy a lot but she liked colin loads too.

just then her phone rang. it was colin. she hesitated to pick the call up but she wanted to hear his voice and talk to him about stuff. she pressed the 'answer' button.
"shayna? where are you? can we talk? please? i need to see you," colin's voice sounded hoarse and as though he had been crying.
"i'm at home."
"please come downstairs for a moment? i'm here waitng up for you," colin pleaded.
shayna sighed, "ok. give me a minute." she hung up and tucked her phone in her back pocket of her shorts and grabbed the envelope before rushing downstairs to meet colin.

***

there he was, standing in front of his car. he looked unshaven and his clothes were all ruffled. his hair was unkempt and in his hand there was a beer bottle. he had been drinking. his face showed it all. it was red and his eyes were in a daze. shayna ran to him and touched his face. it felt really hot. she started to tear and then cry.
"what are you doing to yourself drinking like this? haven't i told you to take care of yourself? why are you always making me worry about you?" shayna said, her voice cracked to become sobs and cries from her heart. colin placed the bottle down on his car hood and embraced her.
"hush my darling. please don't cry. i'm sorry," he said. colin didn't smell of any cologne nor fragrant scent. he reeked of alcohol and tears from her eyes. colin brought shayna back from a heaven with timothy into harsh reality with him.
"you always make me cry," she said, trying to say it softly.

"i love you shayna. you know it," colin said, "and i know all about it"
"you do?" shayna asked, thinking that he might know that she was timothy's girlfriend now.
"yes. i know every single thing there is to know," colin said, thinking it was about her scholarship to london.
"i'm sorry colin. i had to. it was the right thing. besides, he takes care of me," shayna said.
"i know."
"... and my decision to be with timothy wouldn't affect our friendship?"
"it... WHAT?! you're with timothy now? for real?" colin said, realising that they were thinking about different things. he threw his arms out and accidently hit his beer bottle. colin felt as though his heart has just also been shattered into cold pieces of glass along with the bottle as he heard the news.

"i thought you knew!" shayna said.
"NO! i only knew you were going to london with him and not be attached to him!"
"i'm sorry," shayna said, her sobs turning into serious crying. colin stepped up to her and placed his hands on her shoulder.
he then shook her violently, "why? why did you agree to it? why didn't you think about us? how is he better than what we have?" it hurt and shayna cried as she pulled herself out of his grasp.
"because he doesn't make me cry like you do," shayna said in between her sobs. she handed him the envelope and kissed him on the cheek before running back up to her house.

shayna cried non stop throughout the night. she didn't know what else to do. the red marks that colin left with all that tugging on her arms have disappeared but yet she felt both their pain. she didn't know who her heart belonged to. however, right now... the only way was going to be with timothy.

***

colin drove home, his eyes were swollen and red. his mind was clouded like a dark storm. he just didn't know what to do. he teared, he cried, he tried to shout and sing along to stupid songs on the radio. nothing worked. shayna was still on his mind... so much that it hurt.

as he reached home, he took a shower and lay down on his bed without any lights on. he switched a small table lamp on and realised the envelope shayna passed to him was still there. he didn't want to open it. most probably she wanted to apologise for being attached to timothy and cause him grief.
colin buried his face in his pillow. why did he cause himself to go through such pain? he had women clammering for his time and he had to be stuck thinking about one who doesn't care a damn about what they have and go for another guy. he started to tear again and then as he though of her.... he fell asleep, hoping somehow his dream would bring him to somewhere better and away from all this pain.