Saving Mona

Chapter 27 🤫 (Part 1)

I don't think I had ever felt that way before. That feeling of forlorn despair, that feeling of detached heartache. No! Let me rephrase that, I had never felt that way before. And it was all because of Dwayne.

I was such a fool. I was such a naïve gullible idiot to actually believe that he was different, that what we had was going to last. That it was real. It was like he had planned it all along and I couldn't see that. 

He was such a good actor, better than me, I'd give him that. It was all too good to be true, a guy that sincerely liked me and had no intention to leave or date me for social or monetary benefits.

I had thought the feelings from the kisses we shared, from the embrace we were held, and the gazes we sent, were all real. But yesterday, it all shattered like it never really mattered in the first place. Like it was all an illusion. A wonderfully crafted illusion.

Mother, of course, had continued in her taunts and mockery. At least she had been nice enough to bring me food since that night but with every meal came a fresh set of hurtful teasing from her and with every departure, a new river of tears ran down my face.

The past week had been pure misery for me. Wake up. Cry. Eat. Feel sad for myself. Refuse to feel sad for myself. Cry again. And sleep. That was my daily routine. I hadn't received any calls or visits from my friends because my phone was lost, and I made sure mother didn't accept any of them.

She wasn't going to let them in in her present state anyways. She and father had another fight that night also, which was why the taunts were more brutal and vicious than usual.

She had gone to one of her 'friends' house which was why the house was a little quiet. I stood from my bed to get a new box of tissues as I had just used up the old box when a knock came from outside.

It was probably mother, I thought. But then, mother never knocked. She barged. I, however, didn't have the strength to conjure any amount of curiosity to care about who was knocking. Ignoring the person's incessant knocking, I picked my tissue box and curled back into my bed, strongly wishing with all my might that the person would go away.

"That's it! I'm coming in." I was surprised to hear Mel say from outside and didn't have to wait long before she made true her declaration and barged in my room.

"Mona!" she called, searching my room for me and when she finally noticed my peeking figure from under the blankets, she rushed to my side.

"Oh my gosh! You reek! What happened to you?"

"Hey Mel," I waved tiredly. "Layla," I added after noticing her peeping from the hallway.

"What are you guys doing here? How did you even get in here?"

"That doesn't matter. What are we doing here? Darling, you have been holed up in here for a week now and from the look of things, without showering. There was no way to contact you after the winter ball where you just disappeared without saying anything and your witch of a mother refused to tell us what was wrong or even allow us to see you. Thank God Layla saw Dwayne yesterday. He had given her your phone which explains why you didn't pick-"

"Have you been crying?" Layla interrupted, taking place on my bed. I turned away from her and muttered 'no'. Mel paused in her angry rants to peer closely at my face.

"You have been crying!" she confirmed.

"What's wrong Mona?" Layla's soft hands guided my face to meet her worried own.

"What happened last Friday?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"Something happened didn't it? Come to think of it, your whole moping starting after that day. Okay, who is it? Who are we going to destroy? I can make this more creative than the Brian incident." Mel wiggled her eyebrows and looked at me expectantly.