A Suicidal Boy and the Girl Who Could Read His Mind

25| trope of a mad woman

TROPE OF A MAD WOMAN

Laura's hands were quivering when she brought them out of her coat pockets to check her phone. She was shaking violently, her entire body, likely from a mix of the cold weather, caffeine and stress, but she felt as if none of the reasons could account for how helpless and alone she felt.

She didn't know what to do. She was lost. She was scared. She was crying.

Laura was walking down the streets of Portland aimlessly, too afraid to go home but also too afraid to actually go somewhere. So, she took to the streets and did...absolutely nothing aside from panic and psych herself out.

It was just passing ten now, and Laura was walking around alone in the dark, never a good idea for someone to do, especially not a woman. She couldn't go home and put on a poker face, she just couldn't.

Her eyes were red and puffed, her nose was splotchy and her face looked exhausted. Laura was in two minds. It's not like her parents world notice her acting differently, but she couldn't take that chance.

But on the other hand...she could lie. She'd gotten used to it over the years, but they knew. They knew about her gift, or talent...or fucking nightmare as it was revealing itself to be.

She bit her lip in confusion, folding her arms over her chest as she pushed her phone away, preserving its battery life. It was verging on death and she didn't have the tools to revive it. Her bag was slung lazily over her shoulder as she carried herself down the sidewalk, desperately figuring out what to do, what to say, how to act tomorrow at school.

Oliver didn't know...you don't just assume someone's a mind-reader when something doesn't add up, but there was a dwelling fear in the back of her mind. She had no explanation as to how she knew Gary. She could always say he mumbled it in his sleep or something, but that still wouldn't explain her panicked reaction.

Laura was stuck. Mentally and physically.

Upon realising she didn't know where she was, she crossed the street, wanting to be in the light drifting dimly from a nearby streetlight. There were no restaurants nearby, it was all suburbs and houses, for miles and miles. Laura decided to use what was left of her battery to call Kate, then if she wasn't available, an Uber to go...somewhere.

She prayed Kate would pick up and she wouldn't have to resort to an Uber.

As her finger hovered over the dial button on Kate's icon, a voice scared her out of her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

She spun around to see a young man, maybe in his mid-twenties standing there, smiling slightly. The guy was wearing jogging gear, and had some high tech wireless earbuds to run with. He's just pulled an earbud out to talk to Laura.

"Uh...yeah, why?"

He shrugged, "you just seemed really panicked. I could hear you breathing through my earphones."

Laura sighed, rubbing her face hoping it would erode the exhaustion she felt creeping into the creases of her skin, "Just a rough day is all," she flicked away the moisture from under her eyes.

"Okay, well...I hope tomorrow is better for you. Stay safe out here." The man said before shoving his earphone in and jogging off past her.