WILL CHANG

"What I need to you to do is tell me who you really are, and why you know about my exact conversation with Cancer Chang."

Aquarius' stance was fairly neutral and her tone remained friendly, but there was venom in her eyes and I could see that. "Aquarius, I-"

"You what, Will? You what?"

I took a deep breath, locking eyes with Aquarius, placing my hands on her shoulders. "I might be Cancer. Cancer Chang."

"What do you mean, might be?"

"My first clear memory is of a hospital room. I woke up there, six months ago. Everything was.... blue and white. Clinical. Organised. Disgusting. I recalled nothing, nothing at all, save for this... this dream I had time and time again of a boy, a girl, of a letter I wrote... Everything was confusing. I didn't understand where I was or what was happening. I felt nothing, only an indescribable tug toward the boy in my dreams. I had to find him.

"A doctor... I remember a doctor too. I think he was my father. I don't know why, but every time he came into the room, it was like my mind went blank. It was peaceful. The headaches didn't threaten to devour me. I didn't think of the boy in the dream. I was just at peace, I guess.

"While the doctor made my life easier, it wasn't enough, knowing he was out there somewhere. The boy, I mean. I don't even know how I got out. Maybe the tug toward him was just that strong. Maybe... I don't know. I don't know, Aquarius. I don't know who I am, but for some reason, seeing Scorpio, it resolved everything. Hearing his voice, it was- it was like a reset code. It fixed me. He fixed me.

"I know you want to know exactly who I am, but I'm not sure who I am myself. I'm not sure what these memories mean. Not sure if the real Cancer Chang is dead or- or if I'm the real Cancer Chang. I don't know. All I know is-"

"That you're in love with Scorpio," Aquarius finished, looking down at her feet. "It's Scorpio. It's- it's always been Scorpio, hasn't it?"

In that moment, the hesitation left my body. "Always."

"I should've known," she mumbled, slumping against the wall. "The way you look at Scorpio- it hasn't changed. The way I wished you'd look at me back then."

I frowned, the clarity clouded by confusion. "What?"

"I was madly in love with you, Cancer. From the moment I met you, a whole year ago, I knew that all I wanted was for you to love me. I thought it was love at first sight, you and me. I thought the way you looked at me was special. I thought you felt the spark, too - until I noticed how you looked at him.

"Every time Scorpio Costa walked into a room, your mouth opened just the slightest bit, just enough for me to see how nervously you bit your tongue when he approached you. Your face tilted upwards, not to look at him, but to perhaps absorb the very air he was breathing. Your cheekbones lifted. Your arched eyebrows softened. Your whole body trembled. But worst of all, your eyes... they widened. Followed Scorpio like a hawk, drilling into him as if they could see his very soul.

"It was a shame, because he only had eyes for someone else. And you knew that. Your gaze would drop when you saw her, replaced by dark, bubbling jealousy, jealousy for the girl who would go on to do everything in her power to save your life. The girl who thought she failed you. The girl who thought she was the reason you died."

"You?" I asked foolishly, knowing very well it wasn't Aquarius.

"Libra," she replied, tears falling from her eyes. "You loved him, and he loved Libra, and Libra lost you, and she never stopped blaming herself for what happened to you. Why do you think you still have a room at the Cole mansion? She thinks- she thinks she's honouring your memory. You can't do this to her. To Scorpio. Cancer, you need to tell the truth. Tell them you're back-"

"I'M NOT CANCER!" I yelled, the rage within me exploding. "I don't know who the hell I am, but I am not him. I am not him."

"Cancer, please, you said-" Aquarius reached for my arm, her eyes wide. "Get off me," I mumbled, shrinking away from her touch. "Just-just leave me alone. Please."

Aquarius nodded, cradling her bump as she walked back inside. As she made her way inside, a couple came out, laughing and holding hands.

"You're going to be running for President next, all this campaigning you do-"

"Don't be silly, it was just a cheerleading protest."

"No, seriously, you did so well. You're amazing, you are. You're so strong, so determined. Everyday, you remind me why I fell for you. You keep me on my toes. And I don't know about forever, but I know that I want to promise I won't let you go for the rest of our high school years.

"That's why I got you this."

A pause.

"Scorpio, please you didn't have to-"

In that moment, something inside me snapped.

"Stop! Stop."

Libra looked up from the ring Scorpio held in his hands, confused. "Will, what-"

"Don't fall for his promises. Don't fall for Scorpio's promises. He says he wants the best for you, then he leaves you. He claims he'll be there for it all, the good and the bad, and then, he conveniently vanishes. He says he's honest, but all he does is lie. He lies with every breath. 'I'll save you.' 'I won't let anything bad happen to you.' Where were you, Scorpio, when I - when he - needed you most? Where were you when he wrote that letter, when his whole life turned into a shambles? Where were you, Scorpio?

"You left me when I needed you. You said- you said you'd die for me. Funny how these things work out, isn't it? You could say one thing, and the complete opposite could happen.

"After everything I did for you, after everything we went through, after what I told you, after we swore that nothing but death would come between us, after I fell in love with you - after everything, you went back to her. You chose her EVERY SINGLE TIME. Because even though I was there for you, even though I was prepared to give you all of me, you needed more. You needed her.

"I guess she made the rest of the world melt away, huh? Was it her, or was it the drugs? Either way, you wound up in a coma and you left me and then- then I died.

"Then, I died for you. You didn't die for me. I died for you. How the tables turn, huh?"

I turned, running as fast as I could, wanting to be anywhere else, when the sound of a motorcycle stopped me in my tracks.

Scorpio stopped next to me, Libra a speck in the distance.

"Wait," he panted.

"What?" I snapped, turning to face him.

"I'm sorry, Cancer. I'm sorry."

"Sorry I died? Or sorry I came back to find out you didn't even care?"

He simply looked into my eyes, mouth open as he struggled to put into words another one of his lies.

"That's what I thought. Screw you, Scorpio."

With that, I turned away, the comforting darkness enveloping me once again.