What a day. Not only did he have that awkward encounter with his ex, but he also forgot to buy himself some of that choco brownie ice cream that he was craving. He lays there with his fan on full blast, depressed and tired, as he opens up his phone once again. Ah great. A text from mum.

"Hi hunnybun! :) Did you pick up any microwaveable meals from work? I won't be home tonight, so you'll have to make your own grub :/ Hope you had a lovely day! Luv Mum xx"

Arthur slams his head into his pillow in defeat. This awful day just got even worse.

He trudges downstairs, grumpily sliding his raggedy Nikes onto his tired feet. The Australian summer heat blasts him full on the face as he swings open the apartment door-

"... Hi."

He stops. A few seconds of silence falls upon the walkway that leads to Arthur's apartment door. He looks up and down.

"... err so what the actual f*ck." he says, in the bluntest, half-confused, half-horrified tone.

There in front of him stands... his ex?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur fiddles in his pocket as he wanders down the road and with the presence of a certain person looming over him, he wishes he never saw his mum's text.

"So, how have you be-"

"Listen Arthur", she interrupts suddenly, halting abruptly on the path.

Startled, Arthur follows her lead in stopping.

"Obviously, you're probably wondering why I came to see you."

Arthur nods profusely, before realizing that she too can see his firm agreement with her statement.

"... well I'm going to tell you straight up how it is. I cheated on you, okay? It's been going on for a few months now actually, I thought breaking up the other day was the best thing for you as I didn't want to hurt you, so I met this really hot guy right and..."

Arthur's eyes are fixated on the floor as the noise of his ex rambling on about how she is somehow innocent in this situation begins to fade into background noise.

His mind felt numb. Despite the raging heat, he began to feel a sharp coldness creeping over him, climaxing at a water-like feeling emerging from his eyes. Ah. It wasn't just water-like, it's full-on water.

Shit.

He turns heel and sprints back towards his apartment block. He had no choice. A girl whom he thought about every day just revealed that she had been thinking about someone else. A girl whom he saw a future with was plotting a future with someone else. A girl he cared about was caring for someone else.

His sprint slows into a walk as he cries his eyes out, with only one word being played over and over again in his head...

Why? 

He stops at a bench, attempting to breathe deep breaths and wiping his eyes as much as he could. He sits. He closes his eyes and tries to think of nothing.

...

He can't. 

Ok, plan B. Rationalize. Who cares? She had broken up with him anyway, so this news changes nothi-

It hurts.

 

She clearly wasn't right for him, there's plenty of fish in the sea- 

It hurts. 

He stops. He looks up.

"Are... Are you okay?"

A smallish, short-haired, girl stood there. 

Black hair, extremely white skin. Black lipstick and eyeshadow, black skirt with fishnet stockings down to her black Doc Martin boots. Black leather jacket over her black corset-like top. Black handbag covered in what looked like horror anime stickers.

Arthur wasn't one to generalize, but instantly, his mind said, "goth."

Oh, wait. That wasn't his mind. That was his mouth.