good bye, moon man

Popularity was a game only the strongest players could play. Guanlin didn’t even try, but he admired one who did.

“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” cried (y/n), speeding past him in the halls. She was, as he assumed, arguing with a friend of hers. “He’ll never be, in a million years, a nice guy. You can have him, honestly, and I won’t care the slightest bit.”

“He donates to charity...” the much more petite friend of hers murmured, trying to keep up to (y/n)’s pace. 

Guanlin watched as they both stormed down the mighty row of lockers, their yelling blending in more with the lunchtime chatter that filled the school. Within that chatter laid a small group of freshmen gossiping.

“Why did she have to be so loud to her own friend?” One asked as soon as (y/n) was out of sight. 

“I don’t know, maybe her boyfriend dumped her?”

“She probably had five boyfriends this past week. She probably won’t appreciate what she has until she gets what she wants.”

Something that players in popularity had to deal with was being gossiped about. People like Guanlin didn’t seem to understand how they can just ignore such gab.

“Ugh, she thinks she’s such a queen. Queen of heartbreaks, probably.”

Guanlin listened to their gossip for several moments before he realized he was staring at them. 

“Hey,” called the first one, “are you eavesdropping?”

“N-no,” he mumbled as a reply, “sorry for interrupting your conversation.”

He knew himself that going to the concert was going to be a bad idea. His older friends were able to drink, and drink lots, to say the least. 

He went anyways. Something, something that he wasn’t sure about, interested him.

“Guanlin,” Daniel called, his deep voice going in and out of Guanlin’s ears like air. Daniel laughed, averting his eyes away from the road to look at his younger friend. “Guanlin.”

“Yeah?” Guanlin let out a faint whimper at the sudden boom of Daniel’s voice. “You need something?”

“No, you just seem out of it. Anything wrong lately?” 

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Don’t need to worry about me, Daniel.”

Daniel didn’t say another word. He focused his eyes on the road, his hands holding the steering wheel with strength. Guanlin noticed how he wasn’t talking. He had to bring up a conversation.

“What do you do to get a girlfriend?” He asked. “Like, what do you say to a girl to get her heart or something?” 

“Is that what you’re so worried about, rockstar?” Daniel laughed, finally speaking and relaxing his grip on the steering wheel. “Have you got a girl on your mind?”

“N-not necessarily,” Guanlin stuttered, “I’m just wondering. Just to make sure I know when the time comes.”

“Is that so?” The car came to a halt as they had arrived at the concert venue. “Not much is needed to be done.”

The pair of boys walked afoot onto the party, where an unfamiliar band was playing their loud music, and the crowd cheered. Guanlin heard how many of them sounded drunk. 

“Hey, rockstar, all you gotta do is be a swell fellow. I can’t tell you what I do because if I do, the girl you’re going for won’t fall in love with you, but in love with what I told you to do.” Daniel nudged Guanlin with the flowing confidence that the latter had always seen from the former.

And after Daniel’s advice was engraved into Guanlin’s brain, that same confidence lingered. He was left alone in a crowd. 

He tried to navigate himself through the party, coming across much more than a handful of adults trying to have a good time. Within that handful, surrounding her as if she was lost in a forest with no way out, (y/n) curled up with an empty solo cup in her hand. Tears fell down her already drained face. She ignored every single catcall in her surroundings.