Best Short Stories Omnibus - Volume 1

Rival

I sat in the park for hours, I needed time alone. I needed to assimilate the changes and figure out how to keep going in this strange life I woke up to. I was alone and I could cry, I could let the pain loose and attack me, to make it real and force me to hate and forget this love. After all, it was a common teenage love.

Cameron was only eighteen back then, he didn’t know how his life could change, maybe he was just being carried away from the heat of the moment. Now he was an adult, with more common sense and a planned out life without me.

Although my mind was stuck with a sixteen-year-old girl mentality, my body was of an eighteen-year-old. I had to move on from this way of thinking, but before that, I was allowed to cry and let it all out, to end it completely and face a future without him, without them.

“Samantha.” Her voice was a sharp stab in my ears, it made me feel betrayed, I didn’t like it. I hated it to hear Rocky calling my name.

I swallow my pain, my mind refused to show her the damaged she caused. She wasn't my friend anymore, seeing her face wasn't something I was ready to do. To see the face of the girl that took over my place. I couldn't help to question my damned destiny, why was she there with him, and not me. It angered me. Rocky my best friend since kindergarten, someone that in reality never acted like a real friend. Her friendship was sometimes questionable to me, but I never said anything because I did really love her. Not now, not anymore.

She took a seat next to me, automatically my eyes looked for her, then turned back to the river. The air blew slowly, it felt good but different. My skin felt tender at its touch, I've been missing it for so long.

Rocky looked grown-up. She was thinner, with curves, her brown curls had disappeared completely; now it was straight hair cascading down her shoulders. Her face was flawless, she looked beautiful, she didn’t deserve anything from me, not even my greetings.

“This feels so nostalgic,” she said, looking at the river.

It was nostalgic, Rocky and I spent lots of time there. Sitting in the same spot where we were. We used to see everybody else playing but we never joined. One, because I was “special”. Second, because Rocky thought girls with class didn’t just run around getting all sweaty and muddy, although for Cameron she could do it. Now that I could clearly see who she was, all the cynical gestures she would do to him, every measure she pulled off just to get close to him. I didn't want to see this side of Rocky before.

Those memories also brought someone my mind, her brother. Her poor brother, Yael. It was obvious she still had no idea about him, I couldn’t think of her to be so low to ignore Yael’s feelings for Cameron, to end up with him.

Then what about Cameron? Were they still best friends? How could he ignore Yael’s love and screw around with his sister? I’ve accused him of doing so once, this time I was going to let it be. It wasn’t my problem anymore.

“You came because you wanted to say something.” I forced my voice out, surprised to see the depths of my power, to not let out a single hint of how I felt inside was a prideful moment for me. She stayed silent for a while, just letting the wind blow.

“That ring,” she said; my mind went blank for a second.

Then, I remembered, I was so happy with my engagement to Cameron I gushed it all out to Rocky, and Tanya, though back then, we had had another disagreement. In the end, it was always the same. The naive part of me forgiving Rocky's real personality. She knew about the ring. I couldn’t help to turn and take a look at her stranged eyes. Like someone that hated to see me alive. Someone who was hoping for me to never wake up again. My heart clenched at the realization, something in my stomach turned abruptly.

“It doesn’t matter, it was a long time ago,” she said nonchalantly.

Those words hurt were as sharp as knives, and I couldn’t stay quiet anymore. I could swear, that even if Rocky was with him, she never met the real Cameron Derwood. The one I was going to marry if I didn’t stop fighting. I decided to give her what she was looking for. A reason to let it all out, to break off our friendship for once and for all. I needed closure and a clean start, this was the beginning of it.

“Let’s assume, I forgive the fact that you’re going out with my fiancé because it doesn’t matter how it happened, Cameron and I never broke up,” I forced my voice to match her frivolous tone.

I wanted to hurt her the same way she hurt me, with no remorse at all. Hit her gut so hard she would cry like I cried the moment my eyes realized that I was left in the past, forgotten in a hospital bed with no hope of opening my eyes ever again.

“I just want to know, why Rocky? Were you actually waiting for me to die so you could take over my place?" I did not hold back the hatred and anger built p in my new heart.

I demanded answers this time. I was tired of being the forgiving one. Rocky stayed silent for a minute, but her face turned rigid. It was like I had hit the nail, which deep down I was hoping not to be the truth. I couldn’t imagine her to be so evil, so frivolous to wish my death for a man.

“I don’t wanna excuse myself. I’ve loved him longer than you have, Sam. I gave him my first time, though I knew he felt nothing, I never regretted anything, ” she explained, I did remember Rocky was in love with Cameron. She knew him longer than I did, but she never saw the real person in him.

I could understand to that point, but she was still acting like I didn’t know her lies. Cameron and she never did anything, she was just as delusional as I was for believing that we were once friends. She probably was my friend because I was weak and she would look better in my group. I wasn’t going to steal attention from her. Wondering if Tanya stood up for this? Which was impossible. Unlike Rocky, Tanya was loyal and supportive.

“Are you serious? That didn’t even happen and you know that." I snapped angrily, there was always the bitchy side of Rocky I always tried to ignore because she was like a sister to me, but now, we were nothing. We were two strangers in love with the same guy.

“But it happened, he was alone for almost three years, Sam." She backfired at me. The shock stopped me from saying anything else. She sighed in distress.

“I was so envious of you two, of you, Sam. Always questioning myself, why was it you and not me? You, someone, that was gonna disappear and leave him behind, but he didn’t seem to care at all.” Rocky’s voice changed a little.

“When the doctor announced your complications, Cameron build up a wall, he became this mannequin, he didn’t cry, he didn’t say anything, but I could see it was killing him. He became thinner, paler, he looked sick, he wanted to die because of you,” she slapped me with the most painful reality I didn't want to believe. I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he had to go through because of me.

“He was punishing himself for stepping up to a decision that you made by going into that room!" She stopped for a moment. My heart clenched at the thought of Cameron suffering alone.

“Then I thought, I could fight. I thought that my love was just as big as yours, and maybe bigger, what better way to show him, than being there when he needed me the most? When you weren’t there.” She said with a hint of compassion, and for a moment I stopped feeling angry with Rocky because I understood.

If it had been me, I would have done the same thing. Rocky did what she felt was the right thing to do. Seeing the person you love in pain, I couldn’t even imagine it, and I had no right to say anything because I’ve stopped fighting, and Cameron wanted to give up because of me.

“I know, and I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I just wanted you to know, it doesn’t matter what Aubrey, what your mother, what Tanya says. The stories, their opinion would never be able to express those long years of suffering for Cameron,” she said as her voice trembled, so did my heart.

“You were there, sleeping without living through those years, without feeling anything at all-" the honest look in her eyes really troubled me for a moment.

"Before you judge our actions, put yourself in our place for a moment. I’m not going to lie, I really loved you, Samantha.” Rocky turned to face me; her face was sad and smoggy.

My heart gave up being angry just then because it wasn’t me. I had to break loose, stop clinging onto something that was obviously over. I had to follow my own path and give up the most precious memory I had. She was right, there was no way for me to walk back into the path they had chosen. Their minds were made up and they had plans. Everyone did.

Part of my family was broken, my dad was in New York building a new life. Aubrey was planning her future with her boyfriend. My mom was looking for a new path. Cameron and Rocky made their choice. I had to make my own choice, chose my own path and build my own plans. It hurt, but I had to. It was my new chance at life, new goals to reach and new dreams to look for.

“You might love him now because he’s all you knew, but time heals everything. It’s time for you to start living some of the pain he lived trying to heal from you. I’m sorry to sound so heartless, but I love him more, and I will give a fight for him. The fight you gave up when you decided to stop living for three years,” Rocky defensive words and determination shocked me for a moment.

I couldn’t say anything more, she was right. In a way, I gave up. The way things turned out, was because my heart stopped living three years ago.