"I'm sorry, Madam. This phone cannot be fixed."

I nearly sunk onto the floor when my legs wobbled in response to the technician's words. I had gone to every repair shop I could find, and all everyone had given the exact, same answer.

"This phone is the latest model. It was just released one week ago. The parts needed to repair this are on their way. But even then, I am not sure that this could be fixed. The screen seems to be ruined and unrecoverable," the guy said, shaking his head.

The screen had only a tiny, small crack, but that was not the problem here. I just needed it to power on!

I almost resorted to begging. "Please, please, can you try something to turn the phone on at least?"

The guy let out a bored sigh and held his hand out, "Fine. You will have to wait for a while."

"Yes! Thank you!" I cheered, ready to wait for the whole day if it meant that I could make this stupid phone work.

My mother had given me an earful when I told her what conspired between Kael and me. She shouted at me and nearly smacked my head with her egg beater. I should not have told her all this while she was cooking. She isolated me, saying that she would take no part in paying for the phone; I had to do the paying. Oh, my allowance! My heart broke at the mere thought of it.

After two long hours, the man came back to the counter with the same uninterested expression on his face. I took Kael's phone from his veiny hand and eagerly waited for it to turn on.

It didn't turn on.

"Uhm...what happened? Did you not try to fix it?"

"I did. As I told you before, it is an impossible feat but still, I tried. It would rather be better to just buy a new one."

I blinked at him and my shoulders deflated. Did I wait that long for nothing? I turned to leave with a tired sigh before the man stopped me, "Hey, wait!"

"What is it?"

The man slapped a bill on the counter. My eyes popped out of their sockets in disbelief. "What?! But you didn't get it fixed!"

"I changed the screen. And the service charges too," he answered with a shrug.

I inspected Kael's phone once again and noticed the addition of a new shiny screen. "But that was just a tiny crack- I wanted the phone working again, that was it!" I protested exasperatedly.

When the man showed no resilience, and I was forced to pay under the watchful gazes of their other customers. My allowance was gone like Kael's phone; it was unrecoverable.

I sniffed a little as I came back into my room after an exhausting day. Kael's phone laid harmlessly in my hand and a sudden surge of anger electrified my veins. "My money, all wasted on some stranger's phone!" I bawled and threw the phone instinctively across my room.

I froze as the phone smacked against the wall and plopped onto the ground.

The screen lit up.

I scrambled and tripped over my bed in haste to retrieve the phone, not believing my eyes as the wallpaper of Kael flexing stared right into my face. I let out a series of breathless laughs, each louder than the last. "Yes, yes, yes! Oh my God, yes!! It's working!" I danced victoriously around my room.

To think I only had to smack this against something to make it work again! I was confused but thought no further about this odd turn of events. It was a miracle, even though I had to waste money on that scammer of a technician.

With an elated smile, I hummed to myself and opened my wardrobe. "All is well. Now, let's get ready to party!"

The sun was setting behind the mountains as we drove towards Lyn's house for her birthday party. The wind blew my brown hair out of my face as I admired the lush green through the open window. "The road to your girlfriend's house is so scenic," I commented as I steered.

"Please keep your eyes on the road," warned Elio from the passenger seat, his neatly packed present secured safely on his lap.

The drive took us a few more minutes before we reached Lyn's house, decorated with pretty red and white lights and balloons adorning the entrance. People were bustling around the house and the lawn, laughing and chatting while some dived into a pool.

Elio jogged inside with the present in his hand, excited to meet Lyn. And wow, did she look gorgeous! She was definitely the star of the night! She wore a sleek black dress with a low cut that emphasized her flawless figure and smoky eyes, with her curly dirty blond tresses flowing down her shoulders.

Elio was hypnotized.

He immediately scooped Lyn and twirled her around, planting a passionate kiss on her glossy lips as she giggled back. The others looked on in jealousy at the eye-pleasing couple, and I couldn't help but feel single too. Lyn hugged Elio tightly as he wished her, "Happy nineteenth birthday, my love."

"Aw, thank you!" she beamed as he gifted her with the present. "You shouldn't have, babe! What is this? Can I open it now? Oh, where are my manners? Elio, Elara, please come in! Have some drinks and snacks!"

"Great, I've been wondering if you forgot my presence!" I joked as I hugged her.

I walked to the snack table after talking with her and gifting her with my present, my eyes already feasting on the food there. I was not leaving this spot! I shuffled over towards the drinks table among the hordes of people hanging around there and poured myself a drink.

I turned away with my drink only to knock on someone when the music suddenly blasted out of nowhere, making me jerk in fright. The contents of my cup went flying onto the white half-buttoned shirt of the guy in front of me whom I knocked onto, making both of us curse simultaneously.

"I am so sorry-" I started to apologize before both of us stared at each other. 

Oh hell no.

"Oh hell no!" Kael shouted, looking very ready to go ballistic by the very fact that the stranger who jumped on him yesterday was here in front of him, in the flesh.

I was at a loss for words as I processed the reality that Kael was here at Lyn's party and that I had hassled him yet again, two days in a row. My eyes were not playing games on me, were they?

"When will I ever escape from your confines, goddamnit!" his voice rose above the noisy music and I cringed a little, backing away from his flailing hands.

I placed my empty cup back on the table, trying to get him to calm down by wiping some tissues over the stain on his shirt. "Haha, we certainly are fated to unfathomable encounters aren't we?" I laughed hesitantly, hoping to ease his anger by at least one percent.

"Why in the ever-loving world are you even here?" Kael exclaimed with his voice rough as he pushed away my wandering hands. He took over the task of cleaning himself with loud grumbles and complaints whilst some of the partiers watched on in curiosity.

If I were the main character of a book, the title of the book was bound to be something like 'Me, second-hand embarrassment and I' or something like that!

Kael was my unlucky charm for sure! Never have I had to endure this kind of misfortune two days in a row because of one single person!

"Kael! There you are!" I heard Lyn's voice getting nearer as she glided towards us, holding Elio's hand. "Kael, this is my boyfriend, Elio. Elio, this is my elder brother, Kael. I hope you get along well!"

Our jaws comically dropped faster than a cheetah running after its prey. Elio physically looked like he just was caught and spun around in a cyclone. I was sure that my life had more twists than a pretzel factory when the knowledge that Kael had become connected to my life somehow engraved onto my mind.

"You are kidding me, aren't you?" Kael asked with bated breath, looking close to fainting himself.

Lyn looked between our faces, taking in our expressions before she let go of Elio's unresponsive hand. "Guys...what is wrong?" Her unsure and nervous tone broke me out of my shock as Kael wiped his hand over his forehead in agitation.

"Lyn, these were the people I told you about yesterday. The ones who broke my phone and all," he replied making Lyn twirl towards Elio and me in surprise.

"That was you?!" she gasped as took in my guilty face.

"Wow, this is a big coincidence, isn't it?" I humorlessly chuckled, gulping as sweat formed on my hairline. Elio looked at me with wide uncertain eyes and I knew I needed to do something fast. "Ah! About your phone! I fixed it! It is your luck that it is in my car! I can bring it to you right now!"

Kael looked flabbergasted as he tilted his head, his eyes narrowing in doubt, "It is already fixed? You got it done already?"

"Yep, if you come outside with me, I can retrieve it from my car! Come on!" I took hold of his hand ignoring his staggered protests and led him towards the front door, glancing at Elio in reassurance.

Soon we were outside, the cold prickling my skin as the moon beamed at us brightly. My hand unconsciously tightened around Kael's, his heat warming my skin momentarily. I glanced back when Kael cleared his throat and he deliberately gazed at our intertwined hands. I came back to my senses and dropped his hand like it was caught on fire. Kael was watching me with his bright blue eyes and I shivered under the intensity of his gaze. 

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Stay here, I'll come back with your phone."

I quickly rushed into my car that was parked outside and found his precious phone inside my compartment. Kael was walking towards me when I returned, and he regarded his phone when I gave it back to him. His face scrunched up in disbelief when his phone turned on as if he didn't expect me to have it repaired.

How his phone got 'fixed' was a secret that I would take to my grave.

"It is actually working," he remarked in incredulity before looking at my airy face.

"Well, of course. I never go back on my words!" I gloated, feeling extremely light-hearted now that I no longer owed Kael.

He scoffed in response. "Now I see what you were doing in that store yesterday. We both wanted to buy the same bag for my sister. It was no secret that she was yearning for it."

My mouth opens in realisation, "Oh! I see! Wow, that was a coincidence indeed!"

"Don't think I forgot the fact that you guys tricked me and bought Lyn's present behind my back," he frowned with an eyebrow raised.

"Please, can we forget all that happened yesterday? My head is spinning just at the thought of it," I retaliated, sighing so loudly and feeling drained.

Kael suddenly burst out into a series of laughs, making me gape at him as if he had grown three heads. His blue eyes glowed like sapphires and his face lightened up brighter than the moon above as his cheeks flamed and eyebrows relaxed while his laughs filled the cold air.

"You should laugh more often," I heard myself say in awe. "You look so much more attractive than when you frown or are angry."

His laughter ceased at my words, his penetrating eyes fixing me onto the ground, making me immobile as I looked away.

"Kael baby!"

I swear I had heard that annoying voice from somewhere...

"I've been looking everywhere for you inside! But you were here all along!"

Natalie, Kael's supposed ex, came into view from behind Kael, looking as if she was the birthday girl instead with the amount of makeup that adorned her pale face wearing something that resembled a white bridal dress.

"What are you doing here, Natalie?" demanded Kael, the relaxed expression from seconds ago being replaced by that similar hot-headed one.

"Baby, you and your sister invited me to her birthday party weeks back, don't you remember?" she pouted her lips and batted her long eyelashes making Kael grunt in irritation.

"That was when you were my girlfriend. But now you are not acquainted with me anymore. I broke up with you yesterday, remember? Surely you do, right?" Kael sternly rebuked.

"That happened in the heat of the moment! Today is a new day. Let bygones be bygones!" Natalie laughed hautily, waving her hand down in dismissal.

Damn, does this girl ever get a hint? 

I shook my head at this girl's antics, which unfortunately caught her attention.

"Wait, it's you....from yesterday," she pointed at me in confusion before facing Kael, "Baby, what is she doing here? Did you invite her? Why are you with her?"

Kael brought his gaze up to meet with mine and there was a hint of a question lying in his oceanic orbs. I blinked and slowly nodded, knowing he was asking permission to do something that could ward off this...pest.

"It is none of your business as to why I am with her," Kael replied coolly, dodging her hand and coming to stand beside me. We were both as stiff as robots as he took hold of my trembling hand, "I dumped you and I have already moved on. As you know, I am not very keen on having cheaters in my life and I could easily forget all the memories we had together. None of it matters when you were never genuine with returning my feelings. Now, I will date who cares deeply about me." His warm hand tightened around mine, making my heart thud against my chest. Even though what he said was fake, I couldn't help but feel drawn towards his sweet words.

"So I suggest you leave. I don't want you in my house ever again," Kael finished, his impassive face leaving no room for any other rebuttals.

Natalie screamed in horror, jolting both Kael and me back in alarm. "No! NO NO NO!" she screeched, tears streaming down her powdered face. "You are mine! I gave you everything! I bought you so much! I love you so much! You cannot treat me this way!"

Her hysterical voice garnered the attention of the others chilling in the yard, creating the familiar scene of me being at the centre of attention yet again. I wanted to leave already!

Kael slipped his hand from mine, causing an unexplainable dip in my heart. "Yeah, you did give me a lot now that I think about it." Kael took a deep breath and produced his phone from his pocket, "I didn't ask for this phone, but I guess I don't need it anymore since you bought it for me and we are broken up."

And I watched in horror as he lifted his arm and brought down the phone I spent my allowance on to the cement ground, smashing it into pieces right in front of my very eyes.