Footprints on my Heart

Chapter 6 -- Frappé

That's how I ended up being held up with Elaine's so many intriguing questions right at the moment. She scrutinized me once again with those eyes of her. I proceeded to talk for a half hour, telling Travis' cousin Elaine about all of the things that had happened last night with Travis.

I was terrified at first, but it became easier when I realized I could get everything off of my chest, talking to someone about my chaotic feelings and out of balance emotions.

Elaine said little other than nodding occasionally and making sounds of agreement and pleasure.

"So you and my cousin, did the deed and then he left a "thanks for the night" note on your lampshade?" She scowled in disbelief at the thought and I could only nod in return. We were standing side by side on Hearts and Cupcakes's dirty kitchen trying to fix our own lunch.

She face turned red, her hands raised and her fingers spread wide as if ready to strangle her cousin; the more I talked the more exasperated she became. "What a d*ck! Ugh! I can't believe he did that!" She threw her hands up in the air and grunted "I am so embarrassed to be related to that asshole"

"But God help me Laine, I didn't regret what we'd just shared"

Elaine froze from her hysterical reaction and eyed me like I grew two heads on my neck "You are so in love with Travis"

I couldn't bring myself to contradict Elaine's conclusion because it was the truth or wish that I could go back in time and never went on 7th High. No, that just wouldn't be close to honest, and I was honest to a fault. The truth was no matter what consequence I would face for this choice, if I had the chance again, I'd make the same call.

"Yeah. I still am pathetically in love with him" . It might make things... Hell, I didn't know what it might make things. "Not that I did stop from the beginning"

"What?" Elaine asked in disbelief. "Have I heard that line somewhere? Gossip girl maybe?" she teased, wanting to lighten my mood. Her efforts were apparently well appreciated since I was now smiling like a hyena.

"Funny" I sarcastically replied, turning off the stove under the meatballs while I whipped up a small vegetable salad. I sighed "I told myself not to fall for someone who doesn't love me. The agony, the obsession, It was nothing as consuming and hurting as exquisitely as loving someone who doesn't love you back... anymore"

"How sure are you that my cousin doesn't feel the same way anymore?" Elaine asked not taking her eyes off of the knife as she cut the cucumbers like an expert chef.

"Well, he said that he hated me for a couple times already and that—"

Elaine chuckled, shaking her head "Nik, The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference"

"Laine, last night he was a different guy from our mini-reunion. He was sweet. Far cry from that furious hulk I've reunited with but I can't hold on to that just because we had sex right? He hates me"

Hands on her hips Elaine uttered "Don't think he hates you, Nikki." She paused and looked at me square in the face. "It's just that it's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're hurt. He's just hurt the way you left him"

"I didn't do that you know. My mom has been manipulating my social accounts for years and I only discovered that she blocked Travis on my Facebook and skype. She even kept his mails hidden from me"

"What?! How?!—Okay. This is too much to digest" Elaine caught herself before her voice escalated any further; she had to stop talking just to catch her breath. "I knew your mom is not Travis' greatest fan but how could she sink that low?"