The Girlfriend Experience

Chapter 1: What are friends for

Rhiannon

___________________________________________________________

I'm in hell.

It's been two days since the break-up and the wound inside me is still fresh. I learned in biology that there are four stages in which a wound heals, well, my wound is different and it would require a lot more than four little stages to heal it.

As if the excruciating pain that I'm suffering through is not enough everything around me seems to be taunting me. The loud wind outside beating hard against my window as if its going to knock it down and gush in. The incessant buzzing of my phone, wherever the hell it is, is growing under my skin with every buzz and there's the small chatter taking place outside my door and that's just plain infuriating.

I want to get out of bed. I want to scream my lungs out and make it all stop but I can't. Nothing is under my control anymore. So I bury myself deeper into the warmth of my blanket ignoring all the noises and sounds. This is my sanctuary now, my safe haven from this cruel and unfair world.

"Rhiannon," a faint voice creeps inside my room.

"Rhi, can we come in please." Another voice follows.

It's my two friends Kylie and Clara. I had wondered how long it would take them to come back to check up on me. I told them to stay away, a clear warning and they had heeded that warning but now they're back.

"We're guessing you're still not talking," says Kylie. "But we're coming in anyway."

Without my consent I hear their footsteps approaching inside. This is a time when having good friends sucked. They're here to talk so they can offer me comfort and support. They probably brought mint chocolate chip ice cream with them, because it's our absolute favorite and it always manages to help with the pain. This is a new level of pain mint chocolate chip couldn't aid.

I slowly remove the covers off my head to see if I can make out their figures but I couldn't see a damn thing. It's official; I had become one with darkness. Darkness is me and I am darkness.

"Turn the lamp on, Clara." Kylie instructs in a low whisper.

I hear Clara marching towards my nightstand, a wave of her Marc Jacobs perfume permeates my nostrils. Before I could protest her hand is on the lamp and there is light. Glaring, deathly light fills up my entire room and I have to put my hand over my eyes to block it. It's as if I've never seen light, like, I've never known it.

Two days locked up inside my room and light is a foreign to my eyes.

"Oh you poor baby," Clara cries. She's the first one to join me on the bed. "I'm sorry this is happening to you. I can't even begin to imagine."

Of course she can't imagine this happening to her. She's never been in a long term relationship before. All Clara has experienced are a string of bad dates and hook ups with guys who aren't worthy of her.

"It's going to be okay." It's Kylie's turn now. "Brandon is a lying sack of shit and he's going to pay for this."

"We're going to make his life a living hell." Clara adds.

"That asshole," Kylie curses.

Jesus Christ! Did they practice this little routine before they got here? Taking turns to insult the boy that broke my heart into pieces isn't the solution. I thought they were here to make me feel better but I guess I was wrong.

"But he's not important right now." Kylie says. "What matters the most is you, Rhi. We're here to help you out of this."

I finally remove my hand away from my eyes and slowly flutter my eyes open to the light and to my two best friends sitting beside me. At first everything is blurry and I have to squint to make out shapes then my head begins to pound like someone was using it as their own personal drum. I don't know what came over me but I actually try sitting up only to collapse back on the bed. Nausea doesn't even begin to cover how I feel.