Blasting out Fall Out Boy music from his wired earbuds gave him the thundering sensation, an incentive to his outbreak as Casey scribbled on a page on his notebook with his pencil. The scribbles represented the mess of his mind: Chaotic, horrid, and ugly.

He ignored just everything around him as he watched his swirls going uneven and everywhere around. Casey would've gone to the library just to find a quiet place, but the steps to be taken were farther than he'd like, so he had sat on one of the tables outside. The week of spring break went by quickly, and he wasn't too pleased to come back to student life.

The only feeling he had on him right now was just complex.

He was too preoccupied to pay attention to his friend, who settled down on the seat beside him until he pulled out one of Casey's earbuds. "Hello, anyone there, or am I interrupting your music video moment?" A teasing and familiar voice intruded one half of his ear that made Casey turned his gaze towards him, his obnoxious smile playing on his lips.

"Do you mind?" Casey asked bitterly.

"Oh, oh, I'm interrupting. You want to go back to your rock music. Okay, I can respect when you want to be alone. You can go on and ignore me," Malloy said exaggeratedly, close to placing back his earbud onto him, "but I'm already here. Wouldn't it be just rude?"

Casey mentally rolled his eyes. He sighed, taking off his other earbud and hitting a pause on his music. The earbuds laid on top of his phone on the table. His pencil resting too. And he saw a satisfied smirk from him. "There."

"So what were you up to?" Malloy said casually yet sounding childish.

His eyes moved over to the notebook faced down on the table. "That's uhh... quite a heavy drawing."

"Do you think that now?" Casey sighed. "I'm just relieving, alright?"

"Alright, so maybe you might want to come out with it. You're still having trouble with the breakup?" He looked at him for a short moment and continued, "You know what, it's fair. Your symptoms is still living."

"Is it just gonna get worse?"

"Just tell me, how much is she on your mind?"

"Day to night."

"You got it baddd," Malloy sang off-key. "So, have you figure out on your own where do you think your relationship went wrong?"

Casey slammed his hands over his eyes, dragging them as he tiredly rubbed around his temples. "I... thought about a few things, but I'm still confused. I also tried thinking about her recent moods before we broke up, but that was too long ago. Maybe there were times she was avoiding bringing something up, and I just let it go for her."

"Really, is that so? I think it's safe to do it at the time, not to drag on a subject if you think it would make them uncomfortable," Malloy said thoughtfully.

"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should have forced it out of her so that I know what was going on."

"Have you tried talking to her lately?"

"She hasn't really answered back that much. We only got so far as to what she was doing, but that didn't go anywhere. I think she's avoiding my texts."

"She'll probably talk to you when she's ready."

"Yeah? But it's killing me. I miss her voice," Casey said weakly at the last few words, for his expression went gutted.

"Now, now," Malloy said, but his consolations didn't get too far.

His finger went to point at something as his head tilted slightly. "Hey, isn't that Snow? And who is she talking to?"

Casey slowly traveled his eyes halfway through campus as he could make out her figure wearing a sleeveless blazer vest over her tee and a short skirt. Next to her was a guy with blonde hair in a flannel shirt over his light gray shirt. He noticed the way Snow twirled her hair at the bottom and how she was standing with her legs crossed. Her eyes were fixing onto his, and he must have said something to make her want to melt in that spot.

A minute of the observation of them, and it just dawned to him that he was familiar. The way that she was smiling coyly, the same kind when they ran into a guy at the diner and parlor. Could it be that guy?

"Wow, he looks good looking from here," Malloy commented. His interest peaked at the sight of the guy. "Very tall too."

Casey kept observing Snow's behavior as she appeared to hold gradual interest in whatever they were talking about. The guy had a friendly demeanor and leaned his head a little closer as an act to pay attention. Snow held a hand up gradually to her chest in a fist form like she was steadying whatever was beating inside.

"I haven't seen her talk to anyone looking like that in a long while now," Malloy mentioned.

Oh? It was indeed true that Snow may fall for a guy at the first sight, having her thoughts filled up about the kind of guy he was.

Soon the two of them walked off as they were becoming faint. "It looks like she likes him."

"I guess," Casey said, shrugging.

Malloy was smiling mischievously to himself at the thought then he was shaking his head. "Anyway, back to you, do you wanna talk out what are some of the things that... may go wrong between you and your ex?"

From the days he spent time alone locked in his house and lazing off on the beanbags or taking naps forgetting what time it was, he had to realize that he might have lost an important person in his life. And it was just too much to bear. Going over reasons and conclusions of what went wrong and back to their earlier relationship with him and Raquel, Casey reflected on some possible things.

For the past month and a half or two, Raquel displayed her sweet side of her when they were together but sometimes randomly, she wore on a look of expression that shifted to deep contemplation. Whenever he asked what's wrong, she kept telling him it was nothing. Passing it off as a bad day or a weird moment she remembered long ago.

He never really pushed it since he took her word for it and that she had a reason for keeping something to herself. She tended to be sensitive with handling how to open up such things that may go on with her life.

Other considerations were their differences. She was water, and he was fire. She was like a deep ocean, such immensely rough waves that have difficult depths in it that he couldn't help but drown in them. He was smoky charcoal, and with fuel started a fire to cause such strong energy. They were opposites, but he thought that's what makes them special.

Aside from some arguments they had but put aside their differences and conflicts, they were fine. At least he believed they were fine.

The first time he noticed something was beginning to feel off with her was the week after their anniversary. On their first-ever anniversary, Casey took her out to a restaurant for a candlelit dinner where they could gaze under the dark night and only for the two to enjoy each other's company. He put on a suit for that special occasion just in hopes he could impress her.

She had him dazzled like a spell cast on him, and he fell for it.

That night of romantic dinner, the gifts and words the two of them declared, it was an enchanting evening. So what changed after that week?

He didn't know the answer, but it had to do something with that later week.

His eyes fell to the ground, suppressing the courage to talk about his matters to Malloy as he said quietly, "No, not really."

"Then don't," Malloy said freely. "I won't say that I wasn't curious, but obviously, it's not something you're ready to tell. Whatever you got going up there, keep them. We deserve to have our own thoughts and secrets."

He won't try to figure it out? It was almost a relief that he wasn't the type to press something further but also strange that he didn't.

"Do you at least have a plan?"

"A plan?" Casey wondered.

"A plan of what you're going to do. Will you talk to her after the whole Relationship series is done?" Malloy shifted on his legs more comfortably.

"Yeah." Once it was done and over with, he hoped enough days apart should have them talk things out and through.

Raquel had dropped by several days later with a late birthday card on his doorsteps but her presence was absent. It noted that she will talk to him soon once she cleared her head more. She wrote down that it's something she needed to consider about their relationship but was thankful enough for what they shared.   

Malloy cleared his throat, clear enough to grab Casey's attention. "What do trees do in Autumn?"

His eyebrow raised dubiously. "Are you trying to joke right now?"

"Yes, and I want you to hear it." Casey's eyes rolled, but Malloy ignored it.

"So, what is it? What do they do?"

"Take a Leaf of absence," Malloy answered his own joke, chuckling.

"If I had your sense of humor, I would maybe crack a smile," Casey said unenthusiastically, leaning his head into his open palm as his elbow slid to the table.

"Are you telling me that joke ain't bad?" Malloy let out a subtle gasp.

Casey closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head slightly. Good thing he doesn't mind.

"The sooner you could talk to your ex-girlfriend, the better it gets sorted out."

Wouldn't he want the same thing as well? But even so, Malloy said his statement resolutely.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking to put at ease for Casey, thinking that it may be best for him, and he needed that reassurance. "Thanks, I hope so too."

Malloy put out a hand to pat Casey on the back. "I hope you find your solution."

❥

The four of them sat at the cafeteria with their lunches on their tray except for Casey who only grabbed an apple and a water bottle. He bit into his apple while hearing their conversation.

Malloy stared up from his phone and gestered his palm out to the group. "So, get this, Omar just text me the ten-dollar deal for a nightclub this Friday night. Of course, I'm not going to go alone, so why don't we go?"

"Clubbing? Ooh, I don't know about that. My mom warns me about clubbing." Kyle sucked in his breath.

"You gotta club at least once in your life. Just tell her I'm there."

"Even worse."

"You'll tell her something." Malloy shifted his gaze to Casey. "How about you, Casey? You know what they say, dancing can become a great escape when you're stuck in the pain of a breakup." He snapped his fingers with flare.

"I..." Casey shook his head. "I'm not into the mood for partying or sweaty people."

"Come on, don't be a Debbie Downer. You can't retire at the age of twenty. That's like the start of our life! You need to get out and broaden your horizon," Malloy exclaimed.

"But that'll just interrupt my schedule to nap," Casey said flatly.

"You can nap any other time, but you're not getting out of this. You have to go," Malloy commanded, his eyes rigid on him.

Just great. Maybe I'll come up with an excuse later. "So, who's Omar?" Casey asked.

"Omar is one of my brother's friends who knows a DJ there," he explained. "If you're not one of those people who like to stay updated with club deals, the only way you know is to know a guy."

Casey nodded cooly.

"So, how about it, Snow?" Malloy asked her, but Snow had her eyes stared out at the window as she stirred her mash potatoes repeatedly.

"I think she's in her own world. Are you there, Snow?" Kyle said. He waved a hand to the front of her face until eventually, she blinked.

"What?" Snow turned her attention to them. "Did I miss something?"

"Welcome back. It's nice of you to join us again," Malloy noted in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Sorry," she replied meekly.

"So, what's got you thinking?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Umm...," she faltered, her brown eyes looking at the two of them with a lost cause.

"Is it someone?" Malloy quirked a brow, and that statement alone proven to be correct when Snow diverted her eyes from them. She bit the inside of her cheek and stroked with her thumb over her fingertips.

"So, who's that guy? We saw you with him." Her eyes looked on with confusion, and Malloy gestured to himself and Casey.

"What guy?" Kyle gave Malloy a puzzled look.

"I don't know, but you seem to take a liking to him, don't you?" Malloy asked, glancing over at Snow.

Snow looked at Casey. "You saw?"

"Yeah," he answered, unconcerned.

She peeked back at the two who were dying with inquisitiveness. Her teeth pressed together fretfully as she slowly opened her mouth. "Well... just someone new. He's, well, how do you say, well... he's nice. His name's Harry."

Snow spent a few minutes talking about Harry and how they met. Casey could care less about the story or what she said about him. It wasn't any of his business. If she liked someone, it was only natural. She didn't completely gush out about the guy, but she mentioned how he seemed to have a friendly disposition and wondered how it'd be like if she had gotten to know him.

"He better not be one of those long lists of crushes," Kyle warned.

"I don't know. I think he's cute, but I'm not sure yet," Snow said hesitantly, moving her hand to her chest, "and even if he might be, maybe I can't help it."

She shrugged a shoulder like she didn't know how the outcome would turn out like and just leave it until the feeling might creep up to her.

Malloy looked like he wanted to press more but instead, he said, "Anyway, I decide that it's been a while we've gone out anywhere together... we're going clubbing." He danced with his shoulders and fists up for emphasis.

"Wait, why?"

"Because you know you need a little spice in your life. What better way than to let go and get frisky?" He wore on an amused grin that stretched across his face.

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

I know it's been a while since I upload anything, but University life always sucks the life out of me, you know? It's so hard trying to balance and manage it even if I'm taking just only a few classes this semester. I hope I'm overcoming it. I will try again now to write regularly. Good news, I think I got a little bit of an idea of where this story is heading. Hooray!

Also an unrelated topic, but it's my birthday today. Ahaha, I'm officially old. *shudders* I still look the same, but I'm sure I'll find gray hair growing.

Go listen to Revelación by Selena Gomez because her album is releasing today! 

Anyway, Happy Friday! Imagine being young enough to go out dancing and mingling because yeah, I can't. I wonder what these four will be up to in the next chapter.