Unbearable

Chapter 1

"Ali! I've been out here 10 minutes! What's taking you so long?" said a familiar voice burst into my room.
"wha..." I mumbled as my eyes slowly opened to see a silhouette of my ticked off best friend in the doorway. Great, I fell asleep, again. "Hey Rebi..." I said as I turned around in my bed. I smushed a pillow on my head as the light from the corridor was blinding.

"I seriously can't believe you," Rebecca said as she grabbed my coat off the door and my bag from my desk. "The party starts in 1 hour and you cannot be late."
Rebecca has always been taking care of me for as long as I can remember. We have been best friends since we were five and have been inseparable ever since. She is the most kindest and sweetest person I know. I'm closer to her than anyone else. I could hear the coat hangers in my wardrobe start to bash together as Rebecca looked through my wardrobe.

"The party?" I asked still half-asleep.
"The party that your parents are hosting to introduce you and your family to your fiancé and his family?" She said impatiently. I turned back around with dreary eyes. She was making her way to the foot of my bed. My eyes had adjusted to the corridor light and it was actually quite dark in my room. I could still make out that Rebecca's cheeks were turning pink. They turned pink whenever she was flustered.

"my fiancé..?"
"Yes? Your fiancé? The guy you're going to marry in a month?" She said as she threw my coat and bag over the side of the bed. Rebecca made her way across the room to the light switch. The clicks from her high heels struck my ears like lightning. When the room fully flooded with light, I covered my eyes and groaned. I was still trying to understand what she was babbling about.

"wait wha-"
"ALANNA! Do you not recall any of this?" My eyes immediately shot open to see Rebecca towering over me. Her emerald green eyes were staring right at me and a smile appeared on her face that I knew all too well. "That nap must have seriously knocked you out, huh," Rebecca giggled. I laughed as she helped me to sit up on the edge of the bed.

"So, I just picked out your outfit," She said and nodded towards my dress which was hanging over a chair. She picked this turquoise, skin tight dress that I stuffed in the back of my wardrobe.   I've always hated dresses - they make me feel super uncomfortable - but my mum made me buy one for "special occasions".

"Ugghhhh. Do I seriously have to wear that!"
"Unfortunately, yes. Your mum really wants you to make a good first impression." Rebecca said as she looked at her watch, "The party starts in 57 minutes now and..."

My ears tuned Rebecca out because the memories started to flood back. I'm going to my party to meet my fiancé and his family.
Around a month ago was when my mum told me the news. She was talking to one of her rich friends who said that her son needed a wife. She said that her son has trouble sustaining a girlfriend and is worried about his future. So my mum had the brilliant idea of becoming matchmaker for the day and she said that I would marry him. I know she just wants to become rich and popular; that's all she has ever wanted. She never cared about me or about how I'm feeling. Of course, I fought back; how could I not? I wept, I yelled, I became violent, but there was nothing I could do.

I don't even want to get married, well not yet anyway. I especially don't want to get married to this snobby, rich boy who doesn't know how to keep a girlfriend. Who does my mum think she is? Using me to become popular and rich. She has been like this ever since Dad left. She has always been trying to prove that she is not someone worth leaving or looking over. In some ways, I feel bad for her. But then I remember everything that she has done to me. She either uses or neglects me.

I remember one time when I was eight. We were at the circus and I was eating popcorn. Me and my mum were actually hanging out and being civil. I was having a whale of a time watching the elephants wheeling round on tiny bouncy balls and the acrobats swinging around high in the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mum getting a text message from one of her friends. Without hesitation, she looked back at me and said: "I'll be right back darling, I've just got to go to the toilet."
I didn't think anything of it and I continued to watch the show. I was so intrigued by the show, I didn't even realise that 2 hours had passed and she still wasn't back. The show finally came to an end.
"Oh my gosh! Mummy that was so amazing wasn't i-" I looked to my left but my mum was no longer there. I stood up and looked around but she wasn't longer in my sight. I went outside of the colourful tent, sat on the ground and played with the grass. I saw many happy families pass me by with their candy floss and popcorn laughing and sharing memories. I was sat on that floor for another 2 hours when my mum finally came stumbling along, drink in hand.
"There you are d-darling," she stuttered, obviously drunk. I had to escort her all the way home. I later found out she had ditched me to go drinking with her friends. I was angry but then it became normal for her to leave without notice whenever we were hanging out. Sometimes I didn't even wait for her to return. I was so happy when I could finally leave home and-