Complicated* - Avril Lavigne

Over coffee not too long ago...

"You did that just to push her away from you - you know that!", i confronted him head on.

"Wha..? What you talking about?", he replies with that doe-eyed innocent look.

"Don't kid yourself - you know what you did. I just wanna know why you did that"

Further protestations of innocence were waved away by me. Finally, a crack begins to appear in his armour...

"I dun know la. Maybe i did that... maybe you are right... but why does it matter anyway?"

"Why does it matter? You pushed away this person whom you were absolutely crazy about just months ago!"

"Ah... but a lot of things have happened since then..."

"Like what?"

"For a start, like how she has changed."

"C'mon, mate. Everyone changes! Everybody's changing." I fought off the urge to break out into Keane's song and instead waited for his explanation.

"I know. But her change is in her direction in life."

"Whoa. Deep..."

"Well, so as to not tax your puny mind, lemme just say that wif her recent decision, she is moving in a direction that is totally opposite from where i'm heading."

I took a moment...

"But you dun know wat's gonna happen, rite? You may change yr direction. She may change hers..."

"So i shall carry on in limbo? In uncertainty? Why should i work on something knowing that if status quo remains, it won't work out?"

"Take the plunge, man. Isn't it worth the risk?"

"Is it? You know me. I'm dead set on my direction."

"But she may... "

"Look - let me put it in very few words..."

"That'll be a first... ok, ok. Go on."

"She was heading in the same 'direction' as i was. Then now, she has made a 180 degrees turn. It doesn't seem likely that someone who has made such a drastic change would change back."

As i thought over the words i wanted to say, he took advantage of the prolonged silence to change the subject.

"In any event, the way she's changed... it's scary..."

"Try me - i've had my share of scary experiences in the past", i challenged him.

"Haha! oh yes you did! Woo hoo! Hehehehe..." His laughter tapered off at the sight of my no nonsense expression. He sobered up. "I kid you not - she has changed into a totally different person - from one extreme to another. Like.... like..... erm..... for example, a Buddhist vegetarian monk living in seclusion to a publicity seeker who eats Burger King everyday!!!!"

"So you were in love with the monk but not to this obese Paris Hilton type person".

"Yes... NO... *tsk* You know what i mean".

He continues, "And that's not the only way that she scares me..."

"She cooked your rabbit too?"

"Ha-ha", he laughs sardonically. "Do you wanna listen or n.."

"Ok, ok. I take back the bunny joke. Go on."

"Well, it's how she can be in denial about things!" He carried on in response to my quizzical look. "When i first got to know her, she told me she was single. Much later, i realised that she was in fact going out wif that guy!!!!! And worse of all, she refused to admit it then".

"What happened to them?"

"They broke up - and i got that news straight from the horses' mouth!"

"She told you???" i asked incredulously.

"No - she blogged about it!"

"She what???"

"Blogged about it! I kid you not!"

A moment passed as i try to swallow what i just heard. He continues, "Now how can you break up unless you were going together first! Simple math. She lied to me."

"She prolly was lying to herself too. You know how some women are..."

"Oooo. Someone is suddenly an expert!"

I ignored that statement. "But now that she has finally admitted to the whole wide world, at least she is being very honest. And very single! Maybe she broke up because of you..."

"Yeah, rite"

"...but dun you think you can give her a chance now?"

"Trust me, i tried to... at least i wanted to...".

"Annnddd....??" i probed

"I dun know. Maybe deep down inside, i know it can work... but i dun want it to."

"Run that by me again!??! Never mind. Just answer this - do you love her???"

"I dun..."

"Aarrgghh..... i dun wanna hear that!!!" I mockingly held me hands to me ears. "I thought you were in love wif that girl!

He persisted, "Maybe i am in love wif her... but i dun love her."

My mouth fell opened. "Fren, you are complicated..."

"Yeah - look who's talking!!!"

And just like how the conversation started, it ended with one party giving a wide-eyed innocent look and the other not buying it at all. Except that the roles this time were reversed.

*Her absolutely brilliant first single, released in 2002 and making us all sit up and know her name.