"ARRGHHHH!!!!"

Dominic's primal scream echoed through the quiet pier, scaring off a flock of seagulls so dramatically it could've been out of Nat Geo. He threw himself to his knees on the deck in slow-motion-esque agony, tears streaking down his blotchy, miserable face as he sobbed loudly. Head now on the ground, clutching it, he wailed as if auditioning for Shakespeare's Romeo.

Nearby, his friends huddled in a half-circle, clearly worn down by the circus. Dan and Val looked like they hadn't slept since the Cold War, Tyler's eye twitched with what could only be described as rage-fatigue.

"L—let it out, man.." Liam crouched beside the man of the hour, awkwardly patting his bro on the shoulder.

"It's been five. days." Tyler suddenly shouted, arms flailing for emphasis. He stopped pacing, spinning dramatically to face the group before his hands shook in front of him—and with face of a Hulk, he enraged,

"Five. FUCKING. DAYS!"

Wyatt cleared his throat. "Well, you know," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "relationships are a lot like algebra."

Dan and Val exchanged incredulous looks while Tyler slowly turned, chronically curious despite his red face—until Liam finally continued with a smirk on his annoying face,

"Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?"

Val crouched his body, holding his miserable laugh, while Dan's brows knotted in confusion. As for Tyler..

He blinked.

But soon, Wyatt watched in horror as his face cycled through confusion.. to denial.. before he shut his eyes and sighed—to explode in pure homicidal rage,

"GodDAMMIT WYATT—NOT. THE TIME!"

"I mean—it's fitting for the situation—" Wyatt mumbled, but then he nonchalantly shrugged, "sorry, can't stand tensions—"

"I can't stand YOU," Tyler raged, "you think this is funny? I haven't slept for days because of him!" he snickered with minced exhausted eyes, jabbing a finger toward Dominic—who was now face-down on the floor, crying into the wood deck—when Liam delightfully encouraged,

"Dom, remember what I said? I'd be delighted to put you on an appointment with my therapist—"

"Should I just jump? Yes—yes I should do it—"

The bros froze, their heads snapping toward each other in synchronized horror. "Uh.. that's new," Liam mumbled, eyes wide.

But before anyone could react, Dominic was on his feet—bolting toward the abandoned scaffolding, sobbing dramatically as he began his ascent.

"DOM!" Dan yelled, voice cracking in panic as he sprinted after him while Val stumbling behind with all the grace of a newborn giraffe.

"Hey—HEY! SOMEBODY CATCH HIM!" Wyatt screeched, flailing his arms uselessly.

"NO—no—I can't, I'm afraid of heights!" Dan stammered, already slowing.

"YOU THINK I'M NOT?!" Val shrieked, clutching his sides as he gasped for air. Their frantic yelling came to an abrupt halt as they looked up—and their jaws collectively dropped.

Dominic, halfway up the side of the construction, clinging to the scaffolding like he was auditioning for the newest flop of Venom franchise.

"OH HOLY HELL—HE'S REALLY UP THERE!" Wyatt yelped as though no one else could see him, mouth gaping. "CAVILL!" Wyatt barked, spinning on his other bro, "GET UP THERE AND HELP!"

Tyler whipped around, his expression pure indignation. "ME?!" he screeched, gesturing to the absurd height the bro had already reached. But still, everyone stared at him pointedly. He eventually sighed, rolling his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out.

"Hunt—you're so dead when you're sober!"

"Look how high I climbed for you!" Tyler wailed, voice carrying across the pier. "Fuck—I'm so tired," he panted as he finally reached the top, clinging to the ladder and glaring at still-crying Dominic. "You're not even worth—this climb!"

Dominic clutched a steel beam for dear life as he sobbed into the wind. Looking up to the skies as if asking for Zeus' remorse with teary eyes, he hiccupped, "I—I'M SORRY RENAAAAAA!"

"First—you decided to drag us here," Tyler continued, now pacing like a man whose sanity had long since walked off the job. "Break Wyatt's door in the middle of the night—"

"Yeah, man, my poor door!" Wyatt shouted from the ground.

"—then, you made us lose sleep for DAYS—"

"ALL of us!" Val added, throwing his arms up from below.

"—and now, I'm climbing after your dramatic ass like we're filming a—a—GODDAMN BRUCE WILLIS MOVIE! We've been babysitting you, shower-dodging you, chasing you up rooftops at 3 AM, and what do we get in return?!"

Dominic's sobbing quieted slightly as Tyler snapped, "Look at us!" Tyler gestured down at the circle of exhausted, dead-inside bros below. The bro hesitated, before reluctantly observing his friends, how deep the circle around their eyes was. They glared back at him—but nah, they're too tired to even give glare.

"No—look at you!" Tyler added with a dramatic flair when Dominic glanced down on himself—tears, dirt, and the unmistakable stench of regret radiating off him.

Hunt sniffled pathetically from his spot on the ground, wiping at his tear-streaked face. "I don't smell that bad," he croaked.

Dan's voice scolded from below, grimacing. "Bro. I can smell you from here."

Hunt hesitated, lifting his arm like a man about to disarm a bomb—and the moment he sniffed, his face crumpled like a cheap suit—and he immediately recoiled with a fresh sob.

"Exact.fucking.ly!" Tyler threw his hands up, his voice hitting a pitch that made even the gulls reconsider flying back. "You smell like a zombie apocalypse! But instead of eating brains—you roll around in trash!"

Gasping for breath, Tyler threw his head back in exasperation, his rant briefly cut off as he noticed something in his bro's expression. For the first time, the bro wasn't wailing or dramatically clutching his head. Instead, he sat motionless, hands limp at his sides, his tear-streaked face oddly still.

Tyler blinked, pity lacing his annoyance. Without thinking, he knelt beside Dominic, tone softening as he placed a hand on his back. "Come on, Dom.. Let's just get down, okay? You're not alone—we're here for you, bro."

From below, Wyatt cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting up with encouragement. "Yeah, Hunt! Picking your fights is the next step! If you gotta choose between mourning over her and picking yourself even just for a minute—pick YOU!"

...

But the words hit like a stone tossed into a pond.

Dominic froze, his red-rimmed eyes widening slightly as they stared into nothing. "Pick.. me.." he murmured, the words barely audible, voice a whisper lost to the crashing waves.

"H—Hunt..? You okay..?" Tyler tilted his head, watching him cautiously. But Dominic was already gone—mind yanked back to a conversation he'd tried desperately to bury..

"But I pick you!"

He remembered how your voice cracked.. how your eyes shone with tears.. The way your lips trembled when you said it..

Like the words were both a confession and a curse.

He stood there, useless, as your laugh broke through the room—shaky, bitter.

You rubbed your temples.

He remembered the tears glimmering on your brown eyes.. the way you closed your eyes and finally let it fall.. He should say something. Say something, Dominic—

"I think I—"

Dominic froze, eyes wide as if struck by lightning.

Desperate Tyler was practically shaking him by the shoulders, voice frantic. But Dominic's face slowly crumbled into something between a sob and a grimace—and Tyler groaned, squinting with utter exhaustion as he flopped back beside him, defeated. Till Dominic snapped—

"FUUCCCKKKKK!!!"

His body shook violently before he was already crying again, clutching his head like he already passed the audition.

Below, the rest of the group couldn't see much, confused. Val squinted up, shielding his eyes—

"Dom—DOM!"

When Tyler's voice shrieked again, louder this time, followed by frantic rustling sounds. "Fuck—ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"

"What's happening?" Val muttered nervously, staring upward in equal panic.

Suddenly, Dan pointed. "Is that—are his legs—dangling?!"

The group panicked, running in random directions. Val and Dan tried to make it to the stairs, failing miserably as the maze of construction blocked them. Meanwhile, the other blonde stood frozen, staring slack-jawed at the faint sight of Dominic's legs swaying precariously as he muttered in resignation..

"What the hell just happened?"

The crowded buzz of the themed park hummed around you as you strolled alongside Talia. But your focus shifted, gaze caught on a teenage couple holding hands near the carousel, leaning into each other like they were in their own little world.

Your lips formed a pout, and before you knew it, your eyes welled up.

"Ren!" Talia hissed, pulling you slightly to the side, her face a mix of alarm and mortification. "Tone it down! People are watching!"

You sobbed, rubbing at your cheeks dramatically.

"This was a mistake," she muttered, rolling her eyes and darting looks around, clearly embarrassed. "Taking you here? Big, fat, huge mistake."

You finally turned your gaze away from the couple, only for your eyes to land on a small boy and a slightly older one bickering near the jungle gym.

"Come on, just let me use it!" the older boy yelled, tugging at a red toy truck.

"EW! Ew—don't TOUCH ME—"

You blinked, wide-eyed, your sniffles momentarily forgotten.

Meanwhile, Talia continued her tirade, tugging at your arm. But her voice blurred out as your mind betrayed you, yanking you back into..

"Don't touch me!"

You remembered the way you staggered back, swatting his hands off you. But his hands never faltered, never stopped reaching. The look in his eyes when he caught yours—wide, unrelenting, filled with something you couldn't name. But then—

The kiss.

The way his lips crashed into yours—urgent, desperate. How you tried to push. Resisted. Fought him like he was the war and you were the battlefield.

But somewhere, somehow.. the war shifted.

How your hands tangled in his hair, yanking—pulling him closer! You hated him for how good it felt. His lips on yours, devouring them. His hands—urgent, sliding down to your waist, holding on like you might vanish. The groan that rumbled in his chest when your nails raked his back. The sting of it. The warmth of it—

"HELLOOO?? EARTH TO RENATAAAA???"

Talia waved a hand in front of your face, frowning. You blinked back to reality, still clutching your arm where you once touched him with..

Before your pout deepened like a perfect crescent moon.

"Honestly, how are you crying at those annoying Boss Babies?! We're going—"

Unresisting from Talia's incessant tugging, your gaze was drawn to a small crowd forming under the colorful gondola ride.

A man knelt on one knee, a velvet box trembling in his hands. His hair was messy from the humidity, shirt untucked like he'd run here straight from somewhere else—somewhere less important than this moment. The woman in front of him gasped, hands covering her mouth—and then his voice rang out, barely audible over the hum of the amusement park.

"Happy birthday, Genevieve."

The crowd let out a collective aww, clapping and cheering as the woman nodded vigorously, barely able to stammer out a "Yes!" through her sobs.

But despite it all, you stood frozen, watching the scene like it was playing out on a screen. The words rang over and over..

"Love.. it's my birthday.."

His forehead rested against yours, his breath warm and uneven, as if every exhale carried the weight of his regret. You could feel him trembling, his hands hovering near your sides, unsure whether to hold you or let you go.

A sob escaped before you could stop it, your lips trembling as you tried to steady yourself. His fingers lightly grazing your wrist, so tentative.. so careful, as if afraid you might shatter beneath his touch.

You wanted to scream at him, tell him it wasn't fair, that sorry wasn't enough. But all you could do was stand there, tears rolling silently down your cheeks.

And then, quietly, almost inaudibly, he murmured,

"Please don't leave, love.. I'm sorry.."

Sobs ripped out of your chest, louder than you intended—no, louder than anyone who had cheered for the lovely couple in front of you. The man froze, still on one knee, ring in hand, staring at you like you'd just announced an apocalypse. His fiancée-to-be covered her mouth once again. This time.. in displeasure confusion.

Talia whipped her head around, wide-eyed, horrified. "Oh my God—we are so out of here—" She grabbed your arm, yanking you away. But not before turning back to the bewildered couple. "I'm sorry, sir, ma'am," she said, voice straining with forced politeness. "Proceed with your engagement, please. Congratulations!"

The couple blinked at her, still stunned as Talia tugged you past them. Your wailing hadn't subsided one bit, echoing as Talia dragged you toward the exit. Passing the couple of high schoolers now loitering by the game stalls, she glanced at them sharply, voice cutting through your cries.

"Don't forget to study, kiddo," she said with a pointed look. The teens immediately groaned in unison, faces dropping into annoyed scowls.

"Wow.. magic," you murmured, gesturing toward the glittering sea under the moonlight. The waves shimmered, reflecting fragments of silver like there's a secret world beneath the surface.

Talia, standing beside you, let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, now you're appreciating the moment," she teased. "Yeah, sure. No prob. Just dragged you to the happiest place on earth so I could get publicly humiliated in return."

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. "Next time don't take me to a couples' den, Mosley!"

Talia burst out laughing, doubling over as she clutched her stomach. "Okay, okay—theme parks are officially banned!" she managed between breaths.

But as her laughter settled and she glanced back at you, her smile faltered. You were staring out at the moon again, eyes distant, shimmering with the weight of everything left unsaid.

Her expression softened, the usual playfulness in her gaze replaced with concern. "Hey.." she started gently. "Talk to me. These past few days have been full-on waterworks central—but you haven't actually talked to me, you know?" She tilted her head, waiting, her brows furrowed just slightly, like she was bracing herself for what you might say—or what you wouldn't.

You hesitated, looking down at the sand beneath your feet. The rhythmic crash of waves filled the silence between you. Your lips pressed into a thin line, the moonlight caught on the sheen of unshed tears in your eyes—but you refused to let them fall, shaking your head slightly.

Talia crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one hip as she tilted her head at you. "Don't give me that. You're the worst liar, Ren."

A sharp exhale escaped you, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "I just—" You gestured vaguely at the ocean before your hand dropped back to your side. "I don't know.. Everything feels.. wrong. College, the people, me. Like I'm trying to fit into this puzzle where I'm the piece that's just.. off."

Talia didn't interrupt, letting the words tumble out.

"And you know how things were with Raymond," you added, voice strained as you glanced at her.

"Yeah, he's a dick," she replied, her scoff cutting through the quiet like a sharp edge. But when her eyes flicked back to you, she caught the way you were staring straight through the waves. Her tone softened as she emphasized, "And then Dominic happened."

A weak smirk perked on the corner of your lips as you looked down. "Every time I think I've got a handle on things, he's there, making me feel like—I don't even know who I am. One second, he's unbearable. The next.." you trailed off, hesitating, eyes flickering back to the restless sea.

"The next, I feel like I'm the one who doesn't want him to leave."

Talia exhaled deeply, searching for something comforting to say but couldn't quite find it. Glancing back at the waves before letting out a heavy sigh, you groaned, "Can you believe—just a little misunderstanding can cause this much failure?!"

Talia exhaled softly, "Sometimes it's just like that, Ren." With melancholy, she stared at the midnight sea before she muttered, "Life.. is just like that," before breaking into a sly grin, "Girl, you're either in a rom-com or a really bad Broadway."

You groaned louder, and Talia burst into laughter again, the sound carrying over the waves. For a moment, the heaviness in your chest lifted, just enough to let you breathe. You stared at the water again, taking in her words. After a long pause, you asked quietly,

"You mind giving me a few more minutes here?"

Talia nodded, but then something flickered across her face, curiosity mingling with hesitation. But still, she couldn't hold back.

"Ren.."

"Hm?" you hummed absently, turning your gaze to her.

Talia hesitated, her sad eyes meeting yours. "What was it like?" but she paused. Squinting, you tilted your head slightly, confused. Before she finally exhaled and said—

"To leave him?"

Taken aback, you slightly recoiled. You looked away, but then it quickly turned into contemplation. Talia saw you start to drown in the past, and her gaze flushed with regret. "Sorry I—you don't have to answer. It's a stupid question—"

"It's like—"

The words caught in your throat, tangled with memories you couldn't escape. They crept in, uninvited, like an unrelenting tide under a midnight sea. You stayed silent, letting the weight of them settle, watching Talia's face flush with guilt. She'd been with you through thick and thin, and at the very least, you owed her a glimpse of your feelings.

So you finally found the courage.

"Like hearing every goodbye said to me all at once."

He asked me to protect him,
He asked me to be his scarecrow.

I thought it'd require my strength.
A purpose.
To watch over something precious,
to guard it with everything I had.

But he never told me it'd be this lonely.
This.. helpless.

You asked me to be your scarecrow,
and I fucking nailed it.
Became exactly what you needed.

Meeting you probably made me the prettiest.
A lifeless guardian,
dressed up to look the part.

But I never thought when the time comes,
leaving you..

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and add to your library!

Check out some additional content on social media:

Cecylia Costania @rcpcs

You can elevate your experience by also listening to songs I added to this story's playlist! I'll reveal the Playlist by the end of this story, so.. Stay Tuned!

The song that matches this Chapter's vibe:

Dominic's primal scream echoed through the quiet pier,

https://youtu.be/Qh8QwVYOSVU

Her expression softened, the usual playfulness in her gaze replaced with concern.

https://youtu.be/b4cjz9E8T74