My Broken YOU

No

There's this small part of me that thinks after everything over the past year, I have officially lost something in my brain. Mason is the only thing keeping me together. Finding out my mother has spent the last week in a mental hospital has really fucked me up.

After the death of Jared, I was okay and meeting Mason changed my entire life. But after the breakup between us and then the death of my father my mind shifted. Mason has been doing everything to help bring me back to reality and I'm refusing. I don't care, and I don't want to care. I love him and I will eventually return to some form of normalcy, but it will be considered a 'new norm' and that's that.

"Did you find anything out about the job?" Ava messages. "And where are you at?"

"I got the job, but I don't know how to tell Mason. And I am out getting coffee at that small coffee shop."

"You're out of the dorm? Holy shit! Snap a picture of that! It's been a month and a half, baby girl! I love you, sis! I'll be there shortly! Don't you leave! Buy me a scone!"

She forces a small smile from me with her text messages. I look around the outside patio, realizing I'm slowly starting to come back down to life. She and Mason have been my rocks this entire time and I've treated them poorly. I need to fix what I've created but I know it's not going to be easy.

"I will buy you a scone and coffee." I message back. "Dark roast, right?"

"Yes! Thank you!"

"I'll see you soon!" I write while bringing my coffee cup up to my lips. "I have plenty of time so don't rush."

"You've got to be kidding me!" A male voice calls from behind me. "Look at this shit!" Derek slides around me and swoops down onto a chair, sitting with a wide smile on his face. "I haven't seen you since that time after Mason punched me. I'm still sour about that shit."

"What do you want, Derek?" I scoff and bring my coffee up to my lips. "Don't you have some girl to go...annoy?"

"Yeah!" He smirks and makes me feel disgusted. "She's right in front of me."

"No!" I argue, sliding my chair out and reaching for my phone. "You can leave!"

"Or I can follow you home and you can finally give me what I was owed."

"Owed?" I yell and stand up. "You think I owe you? You're lucky I didn't punch you. I'm good at knocking out douchebags. I can't believe I ever hung out with you."

"You?" He questions as that evil smirk on his face grows. You left me hanging and then went ahead to get your heartless boyfriend to punch me."

"He can do worse if you'd like." I interrupt and grab my scone. "I don't have time for you. I lost my dad and haven't been out of my room in over a month. You are the last person I want to see."

I text Ava. "Meet me at the dorm! Derek found me and is being a creepy douche. I'm going to lose him."

"Where are you going, Madison?" He questions and gets up. "I'm not done talking to you! We have a few things to discuss, and I think we should do it back at my place."
"Ha!" I yell loudly, making a scene for other people to see, which he sees and steps back. "We have nothing to talk about. I don't know what the hell your deal is, but I want nothing to do with you, Derek! Go to hell!"

I quickly began to speed walk and dial Ava. "What's going on?" she asks while on loudspeaker.

"Derek is going on!" I announce and look back to see he isn't following me that I know of. "He's being Derek but weirder. He was demanding me to come back to his house to talk and I wanted to vomit all over him."

"Is he following you?"
"Not that I can see," I say and continue to analyze the open area around me. "I made a scene so maybe that scared him off."
"It probably did. I'll see you back at the dorm. We can talk there and possibly get ahold of the police at this rate. He's tried screwing around with you too many times for this to continue anymore. I would have thought Mason punching him would have scared him off, but I was wrong. I'm going to kick his ass myself."

I turn the corner already reaching the college campus. I keep looking back expecting to see him, but he's nowhere around. The crowd of people is nowhere near what it used to be. Most of the college kids who aren't graduating this year have already left for the summer.

I quickly reach my building and rush up the stairs. My scone is still in my hand as I look back again, making sure Derek is nowhere around. I exhale a sigh of relief not seeing him anywhere around. Maybe I'm overthinking it. He's a creep and was persistent but maybe I made it out to be more than what it was.

The brick hallway lined with dorm doors is empty, almost no one is around. I smile, grateful that I believe I was overthinking it. I'm fine and Ava has nothing to worry about. I reach my door and slide my keys from my pocket.

The cling of my keys against the lock echoed through the dorm hallway. I look around one more time seeing no one around. Even if there was, my room is close to the exit doors. I open the door and step inside, quickly shutting the door and pressing my body against it exhaling a sigh of relief.

My phone vibrates, causing me to slide it out of my pocket and look down. "I'll be there in five minutes!" Mason texts, making me feel even more comfortable. "Lock your door. I'm going to kill that fucker!"

A knock on my door relieves me of knowing it's Ava. "Ava! You got here fast!" I say, not listening to Mason's message, and open the door.

My heart sinks as the door pushes into me, revealing Derek and his creepy smirk. He slams the door shut, leaning his body against it. "Finally, we get to be alone!"