WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO?

- Where did our love go? - Phillip asked calmly, contemplating the mud in front of his shoes.

-... Don't do it, it's such a cruel question to ask me, and you know it.

- Cruel? - he let out an airy laugh - I think I didn't tell you this... I lost 4 kilos in the last month, my mom thought it was the college and threatened me by saying that I needed to drop my studies or I would end up dead. She could barely know love did it to me, real love. If I had received at least one answer, I might had been much better. So I ask you once again, Lucy, and for God's sake, tell me... Where did our love go?

Lucy sighed, her brown eyes . There was a windy storm coming, and her long blonde hair wouldn't stop anywhere, it entered her mouth and blocked her vision many times. But she stopped fighting and thanked for that; Phillip shouldn't see the tears running over her face...

FLASHBACK: 11/13/2024

The footsteps are thundering through the dimingly lit corridor, Phillips hair jumps in the air, falling on his head to cover a little bit of his forehead. There's a door at the end of that straight line, the floor is too slippery. Phil almost fell on the ground, but his hands grabbed the doorknob, he pulled breath in again, took courage and entered the theater.

There she was, totally perfect on the stage, shining like a real star she was destined to be. Lucy acted so well, her movements were fluid, each arm gesture carried an intense feeling with itself, her gaze of madly passionated enchanted even the actors, including Jayden, whose was kissed by her as he got. He got paralyzed as watching his girlfriend, but Phil knew staying on foot in the middle of the stairs meant more chances of being seen. Phillip spotted the aunt of Lucy, Rebecca smiling graciously at her 'daughter'.

For the next twenty minutes, everyone witnessed Lucy's best performance, which culminated in a round of applause worthy of Broadway. Phillip was too proud to wait, he had to go to the dressing room.

- Lucy, hey, love, I'm here. - Phil was being crushed by a bunch of costume designers and actors wearing extravagant clothes, but he reached Lucy in her desk where she was taking the makeup off - You were fantastic, I mean, you really were.

- Thanks. - she replied politely, turning her cheek when he went to kiss her.

- What's wrong?

- Was it Bill again?

- My love, I told you there would be ocasions like this, but I watched almost everything.

- I saw you arriving in the last twenty minutes. - she got up in a hurry, going to talk to her partners.

- I saw two thirds of the play, I know it's not the best but it's better than nothing.

- You saw less than half. - she turned back at him, trying to confirm if he was kidding, but his ashamed face answered for him - That one was from the last semester, we were doing something different by now.

- Lucy, I loved it and I know I made a mistake but it has a reason. I told Bill, he won't hold me in the lab again.

- Great for you, but if you are so in love with technology, I advise you to go live in the northeast republic. They have thousands of night reunions to snoop through their nerd stuff.

- I wanna get closer to ya, not farer... Could you please stop and listen to me?

Lucy spinned on her heels abruptly, her lips contracted into a mad beak, she had her eyes half closed on him.

- I wanted to invite you to have dinner with me, - Phillip continued - japanese food, only you and I, and make our relationship good again.

The girl opened her mouth, a weak current of air got out but she had no force to say. Phillip was quicker.

- I assume my fault, there's no pride able to separate you from me, I wanna live a responsible life, one that honors our compromise, our love. Don't treat me like that.

Phil had achieved an impossible act: leave Lucy without words. Not even a crowd full of unknown people left her that way. She had a script in her mind, her saliva desended through her throat, and right when she was able to speak, Jayden appeared to hug.

- My next broadway star, you're amazing, I'm so proud of you. - Jayden was really excited, his white teeth kept a beautiful smile for him.

Phillip intertwined with her arm, staring at Jayden.

- You're lucky to have her, mate, don't let her stop playing roles by any circumstance.

- I'm taking care of it.

They both shook hands, with half smiles. Lucy was so flattered that she could no longer pretend that Japanese food was not a tempting reward for such an evening. She laughed louder and louder as time went on and after their meal, they watched a movie in her dormitory, drank some glasses of wine and watched cute videos of cats until three in the morning. It was a friday, who cares about the consequences?

Over the next few weeks, the couple alternated between classes and parties, there was a schedule prepared for them to meet and have fun, no more delays or other priorities to bother them... At least that was the combined.

It was a pleasant afternoon, the streets of the suburb nearby the college was calm, the birds sang their melody under the sun. Inside a big house, Lucy and Phillip were sitting in the couch of Lucy's aunt, her mother of creation. She had been acting strangely all day long, unwilling to perform basic tasks due to tiredness. As sudden as her complaining, she fell on the carpet in a moan of pain.

Lucy was desperate, Phill had to drop his laptop and go call the emergency. The old lady was rolling, putting her hand over her heart and breathing too fast, all of this leaving Lucy very stressed and in panic. The ambulance arrived pretty quickly and put Lucy's aunt inside.

- Let's go, we can't waste any time. - Lucy was besided the vehicle's door.

- My, love, go without me, I gotta solve something from the work.

- What? It's not time for this, c'mon in.

- I know it sounds bad, but there are some good news, I'm sorry they came right now...

- Shut your shitty mouth and get in here.

The nurse put a hand on her shoulder, he wanted them to leave, her situation was bad.

- I'm sorry, I think I can go to the hospital later.

She nodded slightly in disapproval. Not disapproving his act, but disapproving herself for having believed he had changed.

The clock hands turned, the surgery room held an invisible tension, Lucy could only pray outside, feeling as lonely as ever. Half a cycle passed when she saw the object for the first time. The nurse had come to talk to her, her countenance was so down, it had been a great battle, but they saved Rebecca. "... I'm sorry, we did the best we could...". No, that couldn't be possible. Her world crumbled, things fell apart abruptly.

She had her cell phone in her hands, ready to call someone, anyone who could provide love, hug and security for her. Phillip's number was the first of the list, it was just one click and he would be in the line... But right under him, there was Jayden. Suddenly, she knew what to do.

Crying over him was liberator, sleeping on his bed was therapeutic, she had never tried a pillow so soft like that... The night was too comforting to forget, all of that sequence of actions was.

Phillip called countless times, he had been ignored so much that she thought he would just give up, but he followed her in the classes, followed in the gym, followed in the female bathroom just to ask for a conciliation. The most he got was forgiveness. That was the beginning for him, but the end to her.

Coldness in the waves, antipathy for the demonstrations of kindness, and the worst of all: the indifference about the presence. Those were the weapons to kill a heart, and they did it with mastery.

PRESENT DAY

The scenery was windy, sand mixed with mud was in front of them. Lucy's mouth was like a graveyard, heavy, dark, but it had a full story to tell, not good at all, but it was her story and it could be summarized to an answer of a question.