Nameless

The One Where Sofia Is Nauseous

August 20, 2018

"I can't believe I haven't done anything useful during the summer." I exhaled dramatically.

"You must be kidding, for sure. You went on a "no parents" beach week, you went to the pool a bunch of times and just a few days you were in Algarve with your parents."

" That's exactly my point: with my parents. I couldn't even go out at night. They treat me like I'm still 5. "

" Well, you had way more fun than I did so shut the fuck up." she said, laughing, while throwing a pillow in my face.

That was a month ago. 

I was sitting in my room with my friend Marta talking about how boring my life was. Little did I know how much my life would change.

A month later...

School had started a few days ago and I was already exhausted by the routine. I woke up, prepared myself to get out of the house, went to school, came back home and repeat.
By now, I was tired of always doing the same things, seeing the same people and attending the same classes.
Like, fuck! When does anything new and different happens around here?

Suddenly I was ripped away from my own thoughts as I collided against what I can only assume to be another person who wasn't looking at where they were going, just like me, ending with me hitting my head hard against the tar floor.

"Watch where you're going!" a tall and uptight brunette spit at me.

"You've got to be kidding me." I whispered to myself while trying to get up with the little bit of dignity I had left. " Sorry, I was just distracted and-

" Do I look like someone who cares?" she said furiously before taking off.

" Oh go fuck yourself, Alice!" Eva yelled, coming to rescue me from the all mighty, queen of nasty.

" Do I look like someone who cares?" I mimicked. I already know too well not to spend the little energy I have on people who are plainly stupid. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bullied all the time, I am on the middle class of the popularity chain but I still have to deal with older people like Alice, who, just right now showed what the majority of the older kids think, that they have some kind of superiority over younger people like myself for the simple fact of being older. Stupid right?

"Hey, you need some help with those?" Eva asked, pointing at the books.

"Yeah, sure." I smiled.

Eva was a tall girl with an athletic body, short straight black hair and an attitude that sometimes got her in trouble. She was the type of friend that always got your back but could be as honest as possible when she thought you did something wrong. She wasn't sentimental at all but she could give the best hugs when she knew you needed one. I met her around the same time I met Marta, in the tenth grade, when she (Eva)  came to Portugal, about a year ago. Since then, she had become a very important person in my life. 

We quickly gathered the books from the floor and headed to Portuguese class.

During class...

Damn, I think I forgot my phone at home. I'm gonna spend the entire morning break looking at people on their phones. These stomach aches are definitely not helping, what the hell is this? And-

"Miss Sofia, would you care to answer my question?" I desperately look over to Marta hoping that she'll tell me the goddamn question the teacher is confronting me with.

"What feeling does the author appear to present?" she whispered

"It's grief, Miss." she looks awkwardly towards me, clearly not expecting me to answer it correctly. I smile at her.

"That is correct, even though you were clearly not paying attention. I hope that doesn't become a habit, Miss Sofia."

"I owe you one, Marta!" I whisper, earning a slight smile in return as she turned her attention back to the class. Meanwhile I put my hand over my shirt to ignorantly try to prevent the pain and nausea I feel.

Throughout the day my nausea became so unsustainable that I begged the teachers to leave the class to go throw up in the bathroom, several times.

As the day ended, I felt completely drained and so I headed straight home.