The shy pretty boy. Is what they called him.

Dylan Tanner.

Good marks, pretty face, and the soul with the definition of a gentleman.

That was 3 years ago.

But it was also 3 years later that she realised he was…fading? Expiring? Or maybe none…

Maybe its just his true colors showing.

It was 3 years later. At a high school reunion at laser tag. Where he put on a fake smile and plastered one on naveah’s face too. Her smile that disappeared with every ounce of love he hadn’t shown, till it was completely gone, hanging on by the love he showed in front of people.

“We haven’t seen each other in 3 years!”, Cassie laughed and so did her husband, which Naveah didnt recognise. He probably wasn’t in their high school. He had his arm draped around Cassie’s waist….

“Yeah…. No more exams..”, Naveah laughed nervously as she glanced at Dylan who was standing there like a stick. They would fail so hard if they were on a siblings or dating show….

Micheal jumps into the conversation, poking his head in the space between Naveah and Dylan. “Come on guys! It’s our turn for the laser tag!!”, he beamed with his big smile and that golden retriever vibe.

Anthony drapes his arms around Dylan. “Still shy as before huh?”, he commented on his quietness and lack of enthusiasm. “Even to your own girlfriend? Come on dude. Drop the shy act. We’re gonna play laser tag!”

Naveah smiled awkwardly: “yeah he’s cold like that sometimes”, she muttered, which Anthony probably didnt hear since he was now talking to cassie’s husband, but Dylan did and he glared…the glare that didnt ensure her safety home.

Sage takes her hand, giggling and talking while leading her to the tag gear, although Naveah wasn’t really listening. Only thinking about how it was so clear about his lack of affection towards her.

“And-…hey!”, sage snapped her fingers in front of Naveah, “are you listening? Come on lets go in!”, sage said, dragging her inside the arena. She’s always been kind. Her name is Sage, go figure.

The laser game door closed, plunging the room in darkness until the LED lights turned on and so did their vests. Naveah looked down at hers. She was blue and so was…she didnt see the rest of them since they were scattered all over the arena.

The air was cold, even with her long sleeves.., and so was the gun in her hand. Was Dylan also blue?

She walked through maze-walls, the red and blue LED lights casting a purple hue on her. She started looking for them. sage was blue, running after Anthony. She assumed he was red since he was getting attacked by feisty sage.

Micheal was also red, running after blue cassie, laughing and giggling. Where was Dylan?

Micheal: red

Anothony: red

Sage: blue

Cassie: blue

Naveah: blue…

That must mean that Dylan is red. But where was he? Naveah ventured up and down the arena, avoiding the reds. Avoiding red was her specialty. How she learned to avoid Dylan when he was red with rage….

She went through a snug area, she was lost. Footsteps approached her. Slowly. Not like how everyone else was running around. She turned around, her gaze landing on the vest. Red. Then at the face…Dylan.

Her gun forgotten in her hands as he held out his. It wasn’t glowing red like all the others…. It was small…and light…and black. A real gun….

“You embarrassed me today…”, he said, his finger on the trigger.

“Nobody heard it!”, naveah said, her voice barely out.

“Cassie did”, his voice was getting louder.

“Why do you care if she heard?”, naveah argued.

“What does it implicate when my girlfriend disrespects me?”, he almost yells.

“Im sorry!”, naveah screamed before he pulls the trigger.

Shot. Dead. At laser tag.

/////////////////

🥀THE END🥀