~MISSED OPPORTUNITY~

~The greatest pain in life is to love something and lose it. But the greatest tragedy is to love something and never have the courage to express it~

- Unknown

Song - Unconditionally by Katy Perry

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"You lied to me, Sophie. You lied to me about something as serious as cancer."

Sophie looked up at him, her eyes welling up with tears. "Aubrey, I -"

"No, Sophie. You don't get to explain. You don't get to justify why you lied to me. I opened up to you, I trusted you with my secrets, and you lied to me. You lied to me 'bout something that could kill you."

Sophie took a step forward, her hands outstretched. "Aubrey, please understand -"

But Aubrey wasn't having it. He turned away from her, his back rigid with anger. "I thought we had something real, Sophie. I thought we had a connection. But I guess I was wrong. You're just like everyone else, always lying and manipulating to get what you want."

Sophie's voice cracked as she spoke. "Aubrey, that's not fair. I was scared, okay? I was scared of how you would react, of how anyone would react. I didn't know how to tell you, so I just...I didn't."

Aubrey spun around, his eyes blazing with anger. "You didn't know how to tell me? You didn't know how to tell me that you're dying? That's not something you keep from someone you care about, Sophie. That's not something you lie about. You're my friend, my roommate, my...my everything. And you lied to me."

Sophie's face crumpled as she burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Aubrey. I'm so sorry. I was wrong to lie to you, and I'm sorry."

Aubrey's anger slowly began to dissipate as he looked at Sophie, really looked at her. He saw the fear and the pain in her eyes, and his heart went out to her.

He took a step forward, his voice softening. "Why didn't you tell me, Sophie? Why did you feel like you had to lie to me?"

Sophie sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I don't know. I guess I was just scared of losing you. I was scared that if you knew, you would leave me."

Aubrey's heart broke at her words. He realized that Sophie had been carrying this burden alone, afraid to share it with anyone.

"Sophie, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you, no matter what. You're not alone in this. We'll face it together."

Sophie's face crumpled again as she burst into tears. Aubrey wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she sobbed.

"It's okay," he whispered, his voice soft and soothing. "I'm here for you. We'll get through this together. I promise."

As Sophie cried, Aubrey held her, his heart heavy with emotion. He couldn't believe that Sophie had been carrying this burden alone, and he was determined to be there for her, no matter what.

After a few minutes, Sophie's sobs began to subside, and she pulled back from Aubrey, her eyes red and puffy.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. You're going through a tough time. We'll get through this together, okay?"

Sophie nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Why did you think I'd abandon you if I found out?" Aubrey questioned her bluntly as she calmed herself down.

Sophie's eyes dropped, and she fidgeted with her hands as she tried to find the words to explain. "It's just...I've been hurt before, Aubrey. When I told Alex, my ex, about my diagnosis, he left me. He said he needed time to process, but I never heard from him again."

Aubrey's expression turned incredulous. "Wait, hol' up," he paused her. "Alex?"

"Yes, he's the guy you fought with at the casino some weeks ago."

"Wow. He just left you? Without even trying to support you?"

Sophie nodded, a bitter taste in her mouth. "Yeah. And to make matters worse, he lied to me about not being in town. When I saw him at the casino, he just pretended like nothing was wrong."

"That's disgusting. He doesn't deserve anyone!"

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "It's not just him, Aubrey. My aunt Mildred, she...she threw me out of her house when I refused to pay some bills, I needed the money for my treatment. She cursed me and threw me out."

Aubrey's eyes widened in shock. "She threw you out? That's...that's unbelievable."

"Yeah. It was really hard for me, Aubrey. I felt so alone, so abandoned. And that's why I was scared to tell you. I was scared that you would leave me too."

Aubrey's face softened, and he reached out to take Sophie's hand. "Sophie, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"Speaking of that Alex guy," Aubrey started, shaking his head. "I fought with him because I got jealous."

"Of what?" Sophie asked, sitting upright.

"I was jealous because he's dating Emma, my ex."

Sophie squinted her eyes, trying to recall that name. "Wait, Emma?"

"Yes, the girl present during the fight."

"That brunette?" Aubrey nodded to that. Sophie's eyes widened in surprise. "No way. That's crazy. I had no idea."

"It's a long story. But basically, she cheated on me with Alex, and then broke up with me on the last day of high school. And to make matters worse, she called me trash."

Sophie's face twisted in disgust. "She's even more horrible than I expected," Sophie mumbled to herself. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Aubrey shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's not a big deal. It's in the past. But seeing her with Alex...it just brought up a lot of old feelings."

Sophie nodded understandingly. "I can imagine. It's like, even though you're over the person, the memories and the feelings can still be really raw."

"Exactly. And it's hard to explain to people who haven't been through it. But you get it. You understand what it's like to be hurt and betrayed by someone you trust."

Sophie's eyes locked onto Aubrey's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, a deep understanding and connection between them.

"I felt the same way when I saw Alex that day. And also, he got transferred to this college."

"Wait, what?"

Sophie let out a deep breath before biting her lips. "It's surreal."

"He got transferred here? That's that's crazy."

"I know, right? It's like the universe is playing some kind of sick joke on me."

Aubrey's expression turned sympathetic. "I'm so sorry, Sophie. That must be really tough for you to deal with."

Sophie nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "It is. It's like, I thought I was over him, but seeing him again...it just brings up all these old feelings, y'know?"

Aubrey reached out and took Sophie's hand, his touch warm and comforting. "I get you. Emma attends here too, and I try my best to avoid her. You're not alone, Soph."

Sophie smiled weakly, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Aubrey. "Thanks, Aubrey. I'm glad we met."

"Me too."

They sat there in silence for a moment, hands touching, as they both processed their emotions. Finally, Aubrey spoke up.

"Man, I'm famished," he stated, standing on his feet. He walked over to where he had abandoned the box of pizza, and picked the box up. "Pizza?"

Sophie laughed, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "You bet."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

The cafeteria buzzed with the sounds of lively chatter and clinking silverware. Students sat at tables, laughing and joking with friends, while others stood in line, waiting to purchase their lunch. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of perfume and cologne.

"I'm just saying, why do you think the school's mascot is a wildcat?" Aubrey asked, raising an eyebrow at Sophie.

"I don't know, maybe because wildcats are fierce and intimidating?"

Aubrey snorted. "Fierce and intimidating? Nah, have you seen the school's mascot? It's a guy in a cheesy costume. Not exactly the most fearsome creature."

Sophie guffawed, poking her food with a fork. "Hey, don't knock it. The mascot might be a beloved tradition."

"It's a guy in a furry suit. I'm pretty sure the only thing it's intimidating is the school's budget."

"Aubrey," Sophie laughed out, slapping the table. The sound echoed through the cafeteria, drawing the attention of nearby students. Heads turned, and eyes landed on them, taking in the lively scene.

Aubrey's gaze, however, remained fixed on Sophie. He stared at her, admiring the way her eyes sparkled as she laughed. Her face lit up, and her smile seemed to radiate warmth and joy. Aubrey's heart skipped a beat as he took in the sight of her, feeling a flutter in his chest, which he recognizes as his love for her.

Sophie, oblivious to Aubrey's admiring gaze, continued to laugh, her shoulders shaking with mirth. "Oh, Aubrey, you're such a card!" she exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.

As the commotion died down, Aubrey finally managed to tear his gaze away from Sophie, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. He cleared his throat, attempting to compose himself.

Pull yourself together man. He mumbled solemnly.

"That's what I love about you, Aubrey."

Aubrey's heart skipped another beat at her words, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. He smiled back at Sophie, trying to play it cool, but his eyes betrayed him, revealing the admiration and affection he felt for her.

"Sophie, you're-" His phone rang, interrupting his statement. Not looking at the caller ID, he continued with his earlier statement. "I want-"

The caller was persistent, making Aubrey groan inwardly and cuss under his breath. Ignoring the call, he attempted to keep going. "I-"

Again, the phone rang.

Sophie poked her inner cheek, glaring at Aubrey and his phone in hand. "Aren't you gonna answer that?"

"Ignore the person, I want to tell you something-"

Ring!

"Aubrey, you should answer your phone, it sounds important."

"But I-"

"We'll talk later, okay? I'm already late for my next class," Sophie said, glancing at her watch. She stood up and packed up her things from the table, while Aubrey watched her, trying to speak. Instead, he sputtered unheard words.

"Catch you later."

Aubrey watched Sophie leave, feeling a sense of loss. The opportunity was golden, but he missed it. Crap! He exclaimed.

The phone rang again, and Aubrey stared at the screen in anger. Michael, the caller ID read.

"Seriously, Michael? You're calling me now? Of all the moments, you had to choose this one?" He let out a mock-exasperated sigh, his anger morphing into a comical tantrum.

He answered the phone, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, hey Michael! What's up? Just calling to ruin my life, huh?"

Michael's voice came through the phone, oblivious to Aubrey's frustration. "Hey, man. . .What's up?"

"Can't you tell that I'm busy? Who continuously calls someone like that? Is there an emergency? There better be, because I don't see any reason why you'd call me five times in a row," Aubrey finished, his voice laced with mock exasperation. "I mean, did your phone just decide to autocall me or something?"

"Bro, chill. What's with the attitude? I was just calling to check on you. Haven't heard from you since you got arrested at that casino."

"Why check on me now? Dude, you just ruined my chance to. . .Gaah!"

Michael chuckled. "Dude, what's going on? You sound like you're having a meltdown."

Aubrey's anger deflated, replaced by a sheepish grin. "I'm just having a moment, okay? Don't mind me."

Michael laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll let you have your moment. But seriously, what's going on? I'm sure it has to do with a girl."

Aubrey's expression turned wistful, his eyes gazing off into the distance. "I was trying to tell her something, but she had to leave for class. And then you called, and... Ugh, never mind."

"A girl, I knew it! Dude, I'm sorry. Maybe you can try again later?" he teased wriggling a brow, even though Aubrey couldn't see him.

"Ugh, shut up man."

Aubrey hung up the phone, and he couldn't help but chuckle at his own expense. "Note to self: work on timing."

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