Chapter 2

I stood up from the park bench and stretched myself straight upwards. 'Reach for the heavens', was what I used to say to Maddie when we stretched ourselves, usually getting off of the couch after watching a movie together back in our parent's house. 'And pull an angel down to kiss you goodnight', was what Maddie would follow up with.

We would both then stand on our tippy toes to finish the stretch while waving our arms and giggling. Maddie would giggle because ... well she was a 'giggly' person. I would giggle soon after because she was so into the stretches that it seemed absurd, not to mention how corny her follow-up statement was.

That tradition started when I was about thirteen at the time. That must've made Maddie about nine and we continued the stretching until she was starting her sophomore year of high school. That was when I went out of state for college. I haven't seen her in person since. Heck if I really thought about it, we haven't been keeping in contact for the past seven years, save for an occasional birthday or holiday phone call.

Nevertheless, especially at times like these, I missed her dearly. It wasn't just because she was someone who would provide a female perspective on my breakup situation. It also wasn't just because she loved me unconditionally. But because she was someone who was going to be a part of my life forever. Even though we haven't spoken or otherwise communicated to each other in length these past seven years, she was always in the periphery of my mind. She always existed within my soul. And honestly, that's a lot more than I could've said for Cindy.

I smiled fondly from the memory of Maddie after finishing my stretch and brought my hands down by eye level to glance at my watch. Hrmm, it's only nine-thirty pm. It's too late to go to the gym, despite the respite that I would get from avoiding Cindy. I would have to settle going back to the apartment we shared. Hopefully, she wouldn't throw a fit about not letting me back in or about some other emotional shit. But Cindy was pretty good about her emotions, I'm sure she would be able to at least be civil about these sort of things.

As I got back to the apartment, my fears of being locked out were placated as my key slid open the lock. However, Cindy wasn't there and it seemed like she never came back to the apartment as her phone was still on the table where she left it before we went out for our walk. I think that was a subtle message as a way to leave her alone. And it wasn't like I was going to search for her. If she needed some time alone, me of all people can appreciate that.

Instead I opted to play a bit of my current favourite computer game, Dota 2 (Defence of the Ancients). There was going to be a giant tournament in about a month or two at the end of August. My favourite hero or character to play was named 'Troll Warlord'. They had a passive ability called 'War Fervor'. I had no idea what the word 'fervor' meant. A quick google search provided the result: intense and passionate feeling. I think that was what was missing in Cindy's and my relationship. I wish I had that as a passive ability for my own being, because I was feeling quite 'meh' at the moment.

I was still playing the game when Cindy came home about two hours later. Her mascara was looking a bit runny on her tanned face. Her dirty blonde hair was unkempt, parts of it still in its natural curls and other parts in disarray protruding from all directions. She usually brushed it meticulously since she said that she wanted to keep a habit of looking sharp.

She raised a hand to brush her bangs out of her face. That act revealed her diamond earrings that I bought for her graduation present. In fact, I didn't actually think I had to buy her anything for her graduation at first. It was Maddie who told me, over the phone, that I should get my girlfriend of three years a graduation present, especially if I thought that I expected one myself. Well I didn't want anything at the time. My father had money and would pay for anything I ever wanted.

Nevertheless, I ended up buying those earrings. I remembered it so vividly just like it was yesterday. Because it ended up being one of the most fucking awkward moments of my life.

I went to the strip mall and found the closest jewellery store to buy them. I remember going up to the clerk. She had a big fake smile, almost as fake as her tits. I guess that's not fair, I haven't had the chance to do the touch test to confirm their artificial nature. Anyways I think I should describe the encounter in more detail. It went something like this:

"Hi, my name is Jill. How may I help you today," the bottle shaped blonde said with the fake smile.

"Uhh, hi ... Jill," I read her nametag, confirming that 'Jill' was indeed her name. I don't know why I felt the need to confirm her name. I would like to think I'm a smart person, I think my IQ was tested at ... like 176 or something like that.

Jill's forced smile, showing her bleached teeth, was forced even bigger having to deal with a neanderthal like yours truly. "Hi." There was a few seconds pause, otherwise known as an awkward moment, as she waited for me to say something. "Welcome to 'Shitty Mall Jewellery', was there something I could help you look for?"

It totally wasn't called 'Shitty Mall Jewellery', but I forgot the name and honestly, it looked pretty shitty. "Uhh yeah, my friend is graduating and I want to get them a graduation present," I said whilst concerning myself with the shitty jewellery in the glass cases in front of me.

She waited for me to say more, another awkward moment. When she discerned that I wasn't going to enlighten her, she asked, "Well is your friend male or female?"

"Female."

"How long have you known them for?"

"Like three years or so."

"Your relationship ... is it like ... strictly platonic? Or ... is it like ... a romantic interest?" Jill pressed for details, but every time she said 'is it like', she sounded like an airhead digging for gossip.

"Yeah ... we've uhh ... been going out for three years." I stuttered out, still browsing the cases around myself. Ooh that ring looks shiny! The glass case I was looking at needed to be wiped of fingerprints though.

"Oh three years! I get plenty of people who propose after..." She trailed off, staring at my face intently. I must've flinched or grimaced or something.

After another awkward silence as we both browsed the cases, Jill trying her best to follow along as to where I was looking at to see what I was interested in. In the case to my left, and her right, we both started to point at something simultaneously.

"How about..." We both started at the same time. With nervous chuckles from both of us, we looked at where we each pointed. My left hand was pointed at a pair of diamond earrings. Her right hand was pointed at a gold ring with some sort of reddish-looking rock on it.

Technically after graduation I was going to be a lawyer, and yet I couldn't tell the difference between what gems were and what might have just been rocks.

"Jesus Christ Marie, they're minerals!" I said aloud, referencing the television show 'Breaking Bad'. In the show, Marie couldn't tell the difference either.