You'd been good in minding your own business your whole life. The trouble your mum had forewarned you of, had always kept your anger down to earth. Where it trickled, to poison your character silently. Nourishing some really unhealthy anger issues.

For you it was a surprise you snapped now. Your friend Vivi, of childhood days, however, looked quite approving. Sitting still, next to you.
Even proud, now that your gaze stranded on her. Angry and frustrated how you felt. It was like, the whole world betrayed you. Here, right there, in front of anyone's eyes, in the middle of your University's Hot Spot — a coffee shop on the Campus.

Koala maybe hadn't meant to trigger your wrath like that, as you stood. The ball pen in your hand, while you made it's mechanism click on record basis. Trying to hold back the tears your rage came along with.

But fact was, she did it.

Leaning seductively close to kiss your ex-boyfriend, you had been holding feelings for the longest of times over the past months. Even though you'd broken apart a year ago.
First the semester ending ball and then the winter party at your University had kindled new hope in you that the two of you could take it off once more. Yes, maybe a new year brought your old lover back into your arms.
But looking at the situation now, broke the pieces of your heart that happened to hold onto that little hope of yours.

Seemingly, Ace, your ex-boyfriend, was just being nice. All the fucking time, while your stomach filled with butterflies again.

You felt like an idiot. With nausea.
Especially, like an idiot that should've known better.

Vivi had warned you multiple times how complicated a relationship with someone like him was. Your zodiac signs or ascendents wouldn't go well with each other and definitely not your personality types. She'd mixed psychology facts with hocus pocus you knew nothing of. And because you took much time reasoning your actions with that, it was just some nonsense, you had forgotten to remember how bluntly right her intuition was in these kind of situations.

Instead of thinking and listening, you'd kicked it with Ace. Multiple times, over your whole time at the Campus. It was rough for most of the months, but you two had good moments. Really great ones.

Moments, you loved, and cherished.
Moments, that you liked to remember.
Those, that you wanted to hold on to forever, because if you would not, you'd get immediately how awful the thing with Ace was. How awful of a playboy he was.
And so did Vivi, hence her holding back in the end.

She'd probably even tell you something like "You gotta make your own experiences in life, even if it hurts badly", later, after you finished humiliating yourself in front of these guys you'd thought to be your friends.
Later, when you two sat at Shacky's, sipping a drink or two. Or six or seven...

God. This was horrible.
And the worst was yet to come.

Grabbing your stuff from the table and leaving, while heavy tears made you unsightly, looked easier in movies than it was in real life. You hardly saw were to step and almost fell over someone's bag on the ground.

But you made it, and that was what counted, wasn't it?

* * *

"This is what counts," Shanks said, placing a new Cuba Libre in front of you, before eyeing you. Face buried resting on your arms, sighing desperately.

Vivi had spoken mostly, as soon as the two of you had settled at the counter of the Shacky's. Telling him the story of the day.
An unfortunate ending of a dramatic lovestory, it was, and the red haired felt like being teleported back to his Uni times. Wallowing with mild Nostalgia.

Love was a fragile thing back then, as much as it was now. But people always threw it around like a basketball. Some things just never changed.

Don't get it wrong, while listening to all the mess you'd driven yourself into, he still felt bad for you.
A young woman with all options open in life, like you, just shouldn't be this kind of sad about a boy, that sounded to be as precious as a basket of foul apples — not that he'd judge Ace.

Young love was wild, mostly rushed and heavy on the feelings. He remembered, when his then girlfriend had broken up to be with his best friend, he'd felt probably as horrible.
His heart had ached, and he was sure, he wanted to drown in self pity, and not to go out again. So at this point, you'd made it further than him. Because unlike you, he'd never really gone out for drinks again but started mixing them for those like you.

"Does it ever get easier?" You hoped so.

"No, not really."
He chuckled, pausing to polish the working area.

Truth was, it actually would. There were many ways to go, to forget about a lost lover, relationship or whatever to call it. Most ways were even legal, just not easy on the mood. But could it get any worse at this point?

No, it couldn't.

"You're not giving me any hope, you know?"

Finally lifting your head to face the glass that was now yours, more than your ex had ever been, a new wave of sadness hit you. Causing Shanks to hand you a warm smile, nodding with total empathy. That you would've bet he had been in multiple similar situations like this, just on the other side.

"I'd like to tell you it gets better, because it does, but before that you'll feel horrible."

"Not helpful," you cried out again.
This time, far more frustrated.

Signing once more, your head was faster to crash on the counter than either Vivi or Shanks could've interrupted your act.
However, it was the red haired bartender, that offered kindness as he stroked some strands of hair out of your face.

Making you feel at least a little more loved for a few seconds.