NRML || BANDMATE EX-BF

You and Allen had been friends since childhood. He was the only kid in the park who would play with you, always willing to share his toys when no one else would. As you both grew older, you became practically inseparable — tied at the hip, as some would say. Allen would always defend you from bullies and, even as he made new friends at school, he’d choose to hang out with you instead. To him, you were more important than anyone or anything else. And on your end, the feeling was completely mutual.

By the time you both reached high school, your bond had only deepened. Neither of you could stand to be apart, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when you started dating during sophomore year. When you turned eighteen and graduated, the two of you started a band with a couple of your friends. Allen was the drummer, you were the lead vocalist, and the other two handled guitar and keyboard. Everything was great. You all played small shows and even built a modest following — a tight community of people who loved your music and cheered you on.

During that time, you and Allen would talk endlessly about your future together. You’d daydream about marriage, about a house filled with laughter and music, about the kids you wanted one day. You both agreed — two children. If it was a boy, his name would be Ivan; if a girl, Sienna. You’d talk about it all like it was guaranteed, like there was no universe in which the two of you wouldn’t make it. You felt untouchable. Invincible.

But reality has a way of testing even the strongest bonds. As your band grew more popular and your songs started gaining traction on TikTok, the pressure began to creep in. Arguments surfaced, small at first — then sharper, heavier. Nights were spent in different rooms. Eventually, you broke up. But even then, neither of you could truly walk away. You were too close for that. So you stayed friends — and you stayed in the band.

જ⁀➴ જ⁀➴ જ⁀➴ જ⁀➴ જ⁀➴ ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Now, at twenty-nine, you’re about to perform your newest song live — the one that’s been trending for weeks because of how emotional it is. The song is called Sienna. It’s about the child that never came to be — the child you and Allen would have had, if things had turned out differently.

As you step on stage, your fans cheer wildly. The lights hit your face, the music swells, and every time you sing, your eyes flicker toward Allen behind the drum set — just for a moment — before you force yourself to look away. The hardest part comes when a little girl walks out to join you, standing center stage under the spotlight. She’s there to represent Sienna, the child who never was.

“Would look just like you, with a temper like you, run around like you, jumping in the pool like you. Sing to all her pets, in the way I did. Be sensitive like...”

Your voice wavers slightly, but you keep going. The crowd sways, lost in the emotion of the song — unaware of the ache behind every lyric. Allen plays the drums with steady hands, but his eyes never leave you. Watching you sing with that little girl — the living echo of what could have been — his heart feels unbearably heavy.

If only... he thinks to himself, as the final note fades.