Protecting Mia

Saving Mia

                  

I've been lying in bed for a week now, listening to sad country music, eating Ben & Jerrys and ignoring any phone calls from anybody. Mom has tried her best to cheer me up, she's made my favorite meals, bought me some new scented candles and even let me stay home from school. My breakup triggered some sort of depression. Mom and Uncle Bryan think it's the sadness of moving and dad's death that I have had stored up inside of me and the drama of the breakup triggered it to come out. I honestly have no clue what it is. I have no motivation to eat, drink or read, even TV takes too much effort. I just want to sleep the whole day through. Mom told me Jason stopped my once but he did not come in. So have others from school but I do not want to see them.

School. Ah yes, the place I never want to be seen again. Ever. There are a few reasons why school has become hell. The first is of course the most obvious, Jason. If I go to school it would mean I would have to see his face, that horribly beautiful face.

The second reason is the embarrassment I have to face from the whole school. Everyone thinks of me as Jason's next toy. The one who was stupid enough to fall for his stupid games and get her heart broken. I can just imagine all the whispers in the hallway. I know what it feels like, I've been subject to the stares and rumors before. Last time there were theories as to how my father died. "I heard he overdosed on Heroin." "I hear he fell off a cliff while mountain climbing." "I heard he actually faked his death and ran off with some girl half his age." What are they going to be this time? "I heard he only dated her to have sex with her"? "I bet she's actually a lesbian and he was her beard." In small towns nothing can surprise you really.

And last but not least there are Jason's friends. I can't hang out with them anymore, they have been friends since childhood and here I am Senior year thinking I am one of them. I do not really eating lunch in the bathroom either so I am not quite sure what I will do. I think my only choice is to change personalities and switch to a school in Australia.

I also came to realize the whole thing isn't even about heartbreak. Yeah I thought I had feelings for Jason, he is beautiful and funny and he was super nice to me, but I think I liked the fact that he wanted to date me. But I've been feeling like this because of so many other reasons than just Jason.

It is Friday evening when Raven walks into my room - without knocking - carrying a big silver box in one hand and a black dress in the other.

"Get up. We're going out." She says and she puts the box on my desk and opens it up, revealing tons of makeup.

"Forget it! I'm not showing my face again.

"You don't even know if anyone knows."

"Wait. They don't know?" I sit up and look at her.

"Oh no. They know. I was just saying that you didn't know that."  Raven answers and walks into the bathroom and turns on the shower.

I flop back into my pillows.

"Mia you need to show everyone you don't care. What better way to do that than by going out."

Raven is already plugging in the hair straightener and I know there's no way I am getting out of this.

"Is Jason gonna be there."

"Yeah, that's the whole point. You need to show him you don't care."

"Raven I can't do that. He hurt me."

"Mia, it's called acting. Now get showered and put on this dress, we're leaving in 45 minutes."

I take off my dirty leggings and hoody and climb into the shower. After I have washed my hair and body I already feel a lot better. Not showering for a week is gross as fuck. I walk back into my room and grab the dress Raven brought.