"Today feels absolutely amazing; the sun is shining, and the sky is as clear as the ocean. I'm wearing a white shirt and black jeans, paired with some white sneakers," Angel thought as she strolled down the street. With a big smile on her face, she greeted everyone who passed by.
She had just reached her class when her classmate rushed over to her.
"Angel, Angel, do you know who just pulled up at school?" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "It's Jace Norman!" The moment Angel heard his name, her heart practically stopped. Jace had been her crush since high school, long before she even got to university. Back in high school, whenever he walked past her classroom, she would always stare at him and squeal.
Once Angel processed what Lucy had said, she hurried to the front of the school to catch a glimpse of him. To her dismay, she saw him kissing one of her juniors, and it felt like her heart was shattering. "I shouldn't cry; I never told him how I felt," Angel murmured to herself as she rushed back.
---
Angel blinked, still in shock from what she just saw — Jace kissing someone who wasn't her. She wasn't even looking where she was going, her head spinning with heartbreak and disappointment.
BAM!
"Ah!" she let out a surprised yelp as she crashed hard into someone — and the sound of something falling echoed right after.
CRACK.
Her eyes widened. She turned and saw a guy in a sky blue shirt and faded blue jeans staring down in horror. His tablet lay face-down on the concrete like a wounded soldier in a warzone. He didn't move at first, just stood there, his smile now frozen, as if his soul had just left his body.
"Nooooo!" he screamed, dragging the word like it physically hurt. Students nearby turned to look.
He crouched down slowly, as if in mourning, and lifted the tablet like it was a newborn.
The screen — shattered beyond repair.
Angel gasped and instinctively covered her mouth. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry—"
He spun around to her, anger flashing in his eyes. "Yooooouuu... Why don't you watch where you're going?!"
Angel flinched. She hadn't expected that kind of explosion. "I… I wasn't paying attention, I'm sorry, I—"
"You think sorry will bring my tablet back from the dead?" he snapped, holding up the broken device like it was a crime scene exhibit. "This has all my midterm notes! My sketches! My online project! Are you kidding me right now?"
Angel's heart pounded. "I didn't mean to! I— I was just—"
"Oh let me guess," Ryan folded his arms. "You saw your favorite K-drama actor at the gate and your brain shut down, right?"
Angel's eyes narrowed at his sarcasm. Her emotions were already a mess because of Jace, and now this guy was yelling at her in public?
"Excuse me? You think I go around purposely smashing people's tablets for fun?"
"You tell me! It's either that or you've got some kind of talent for destruction."
Angel took a breath. Deep down, she knew she was wrong, but his attitude made her blood boil.
"Look, I said I'm sorry, okay? If it's really that important, I'll help you fix it—"
"Oh yeah? You got ₦150,000 on you right now?" Ryan asked, voice rising.
Angel stepped back. "That's not fair—"
"You know what's not fair? Me minding my business, walking like a normal human, and boom! Earthquake in sneakers knocks me over."
She couldn't help it—despite herself, a small laugh escaped. "Did you just call me an earthquake?"
Ryan blinked. "You're laughing? You're actually laughing right now?"
Angel tried to hold it back, but the tension mixed with her heartbreak just made the situation ridiculous. "I— I'm not laughing at your tablet, I swear. It's just been a day, okay?"
Ryan opened his mouth to say something… but then paused. He noticed her watery eyes. Not from laughter — but something else. Heartbreak.
His tone softened just a little. "Wait… Are you crying?"
"No," she wiped her face quickly. "It's none of your business."
He paused, unsure. The anger drained slightly from his face. "Hey, are you… okay?"
Angel avoided his gaze. "I just… saw something I didn't want to see. And then I crashed into you. So yeah, I'm winning today."
Ryan sighed. "Okay, okay, maybe I overreacted a bit. It's just… this tablet has been with me since year one. It's like a part of me."
Angel gave him a small, guilty smile. "I get it. I'd freak out too."
There was an awkward silence before Ryan asked, "So… what did you see that ruined your day?"
Angel shook her head. "Nothing important."
Ryan tilted his head. "Doesn't look like nothing."
Just then, Lucy came rushing over. "Angel! What happened?! Oh my gosh, your face—wait… Who's this guy?"
Ryan smirked. "The guy whose heart and tablet just got broken today."
Angel rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
Lucy nudged her playfully. "Well… at least your day ended with a plot twist."
Angel glanced at Ryan. Maybe it wasn't the worst day after all.
--