under the orange sky

part 1

"Keelin, please listen to me," she says as she runs towards me and I turn and run from her, closing the restroom stall.

"Whatever it is, Hema, it can wait." My face was red, I was infuriated. My blood was boiling, I could feel the flames, coarse through my body.

"Just listen to me" she pleaded several times before I gave in and came out. I had puffy eyes and Rudolph's red nose.

"Keelin, I'm so sorry, I really like Monty," she says unapologetically

"It doesn't matter you should've told me" I scream at her

"I know, it's my fault,"

"Yes, it is. Now by all means please don't bother me."

I walk into a stall and slam the door shut, causing the floor to vibrate.

She walked out of the bathroom, and I followed her out, sitting on the sink's parapet with my legs touching my chest, crying my troubles away. I was disappointed that someone I considered a best friend had misled me.

At such a moment it is not the physical pain that hurts the most,

it is the mental agony caused by the injustice and unreasonableness of it all

Monty was the least of my worries nor was he the reason for my aching heart. That was the day I vowed to myself that I would

leave perfect 3 alone because it wasn't perfect. It wasn't even close.

"I'm sorry." Kady said as she entered the bathroom, "At least now you know what's real, and what's not."

I give her a sympathetic glance - She gently strokes my hair, and I look at her, knowing we'd never speak again... I knew we wouldn't. it was my last few moments with her and I was wasting it crying on top of a dirty sink.... In just four days, she taught me how to be a friend. I never imagined I'd be so fortunate to find someone who would never judge me, despite ending up on the bathroom floor crying more than twice in 5 days.

"Let's go, let's go." She tells me, holding her hand out for me

"We have a flight to catch." she lifts me from the sink, when I didn't get down and pulled me towards the gate

She and I walk up to the boarding gate, gather our belongings, and join the long line of people waiting to have our boarding permits stamped.

The flight was filled with just us students, I could hardly see anyone else.

Sara sat next to me, while I sat on the window seat staring at all the planes standing still.

"You have to forgive Hema," she says casually as she glances at me.

"Thanks for the suggestion, Sara, but I'd prefer not"

I plugged in my earbuds and turned up the volume on James Arthur's 'Say you won't let go', I was appalled how could Sara could take Hema's side. She did me wrong.

With that thought, I fell into a deep slumber and only woke up once we had landed in India.

I look at Kady one last time, she waves at me and smiles before she walked to the other bus which took her home, while I go back to the hostel. I smile at her lightly and with a heavy heart, I get into the bus awaiting the long bus ride home.