What becomes of the broken hearted

If there's one thing I like about clubbing, it's how people are reduced to their basal instincts. I never much liked social rituals anyway, and I like how clubs strip people of their inhibitions, even causing them to reveal their deepest insecurities. It doesn't matter if they are lian or atas; it doesn't matter if we belong to completely different social spheres outside of the club. As I was queuing up to go to the loo, this girl behind me said, "I told my friend that she will feel better after she pukes."

"So was she better?"

"Still the same, I think."

I then made a very casual remark, "Everyone who clubs surely has a broken heart."

"Do you?" she asked.

Wryly, I said, "Don't we all?"

She then persuaded me to stay strong, and said this: "You are pretty, surely you can find a better guy. Don't be upset, okay? Promise?" She then made me do a pinky promise. I thought it was endearing.

I thanked her in response, and she continued making similarly encouraging remarks, telling me to stay strong, to stay happy. All of a sudden, she broke down, and told me that her boyfriend of five months has been cheating on her during the entire relationship. Her exact words were this: "During these five months while he called me 'dear', he was calling someone else 'dear'."

And I felt so bad for her. She started choking on her own sobs, expressing her hurt feelings. I hugged her, I reassured her with the words she had just told me, I patted her on the back, told her that a jerk like this is not worth getting upset over, that a girl like her deserves better.

"But I know I am fat and ugly."

(Objectively, she wasn't fat. Maybe a little unfit, but more like skinny-fat, if anything. Ugly... She's not ugly. She's attractive, in a possibly lian way.)

"No, who says you're fat and ugly? You're beautiful."

"I know I am ugly. I have acne. I am 18 years old, I really wish that my acne will be gone once puberty is over. The person he is dating is 27 years old." And she sobbed again.

And I just continued hugging her, reassuring her, patting her on the back, and telling her that she's young, she's beautiful, there are plenty of chances out there, that everyone goes through a heartbreak that they will emerge stronger from.

"But why did he even start our relationship in the first place? Why did he do this to me? I gave him all my heart."

Honestly, this was a tough question for me to answer. I was as baffled as she was, as to why people sometimes do the things they do. But I said, "Bastards like him don't care about other people's feelings. They just do whatever they feel like at the moment. They are selfish and don't care about the consequences."

I looked her squarely in the eyes, wiped the tears from her weeping face, (even recalling her forlorn expression now gives me heartache) and told her, "You will make it through this. Promise?" And we pinky-promised.

I hope she finds happiness soon. Have faith, dear girl.