POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING: Lack of sleep, stress, insecurities, uncontrollable emotions.
"𝐌iss Lennox?"
I realized that I had fallen asleep next to my mom's bed again. Confused and half-asleep, I asked the nurse what time it was.
"It's almost ten, Miss. Visiting hour is over."
"I'm staying here tonight. The doctor said she isn't doing too well," I frowned, looking at her. "I can't leave her. She needs me, as do I."
"I see. Well, in that case, good night, Miss Lennox," the nurse smiled and walked out quietly.
Tears were welling up in my eyes. "What would I do without you?" I held her hand and listened to the steady beeping of the machines.
I spent the next hour taking care of her, wiping her forehead when she was sweating because of the heat. I'd tell her so many things, but I know she can't hear me in her sleep.
"I'll do anything and everything I can to help you," I sat down on the chair next to her, placing her hand on my cheek. "All I want is for you to get better."
Resting my head on her bed, I cried silently and eventually fell asleep.
❦
𝐈 woke up the next day with my mom still sleeping. Knowing that she might be asleep for a few more hours, I decided to leave and continue searching for jobs.
Everything is down to the wire. It's already December 1st, and I still need to pay the upcoming bills.
I walked to the front desk and asked the lady if I could borrow the telephone to call Madi, which she allowed.
"Please make it quick, though. A minute at most," she said.
I dialed her number as fast as possible, and after a few rings, she picked up.
"Hello?" She said.
"Hey, uh, it's me. Could you pick me up at the hospital?"
"Did you sleep there last night? I gave you money to go home, not sleep there!" She exclaimed, obviously worried.
"I can't talk too much right now, but I need someone to pick me up... so please?"
She sighed. "Alright. I'll help you. Wait outside for me, alright?"
"Alright," I replied and hung up.
Thanking the nurse, I walked downstairs and waited for her. After a few minutes, she arrived in her pajamas.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" I asked, buckling up.
"Maybe. It's okay, though."
"Thanks," I smiled as she started driving.
"How's your mom? Is she okay?"
"Not really. The doctor said her condition is getting worse by day."
"I'm sorry," she said. "Do you need money?"
Not wanting to rely on her more, I kindly declined her offer. I don't want her to worry more than she already is.
The rest of the ride was silent after that. I looked out and held back my tears. When we arrived, I unbuckled the seat belt and opened the door.
"Take a hundred dollars- here. It would help if you had some for food, transportation, and, you know, stuff," she said, handing me five ten-dollar bills and a fifty-dollar bill.
I turned around and smiled.
"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
"I insist."
"Alright, but this is the only time. I can't keep relying on you..."
"Don't worry about it. I want to help as much as I can."
I smiled, which she returned. As I was about to hop off, she stopped me.
"Wait," she said. "I almost forgot. I have something to give you."
She dug into her purse and pulled out a phone that looked about two years old.
"It's not easy to live without a phone," she said. "This is my old phone. I want you to have it. I've already cleared everything, so it's all yours."
Tears were welling up in my eyes. I don't deserve her. I don't deserve any of these.
"I can't, but thank you."
"What if there's an emergency?"
She's right, you know.
I gave her a big hug, thanked her, and hopped off. All I have to do is set it up, and we're good.
❦
𝐀fter some time of figuring out how to get everything settled, I finally finished. Everything is almost the same as it was on my old, broken phone.
But we do not speak of that.
I texted Madi to thank her again, but she didn't reply. I spent the next few hours searching for jobs, and I had a few written down already-
Full time @ sushi restaurant: $16.95/hour
Part-time @ McDonalds: $13/hour
Full time @ Starbucks: $12/hour
Of course, my first choice would be the sushi restaurant, but it requires a lot of talent, which I lack. All I can do is eat, and I don't think standing in front of food all day is going to help.
I don't have much choice. Everything is pushing me, and if I don't get a job soon, everything's going downhill- I'd lose everything: my mom, my house, and everything I can list. I can throw away everything in exchange for my mom to be healthy again.
I covered my face with my palms in stress, groaning. Life is too complicated. I fucking swear I hate it more than I hate myself sometimes.
I need to clear my mind before I overwhelm myself.
I grabbed some clothes and hopped into the shower. I spent the next thirty minutes overthinking and exaggerating my feelings, but once you're in that state, it's hard to pull yourself out of it. At some point, I was on the verge of crying, but I didn't want my eyes to get all puffy tomorrow just in case I finally decide to go to an interview.
Closing the shower tap, I wrapped a towel around myself and opened the glass door, letting all the steam run free in the bathroom. I wiped the foggy mirror, revealing my reflection. It took a while to notice the bags under my eyes, and if they stayed there any longer, I might turn into a real-life panda.
Sleep more, you idiot.
Ha, very funny.
After putting on some clean clothes, I got a call from an unknown number. I picked up and greeted the person on the other line.
"Hello, is this Ophelia Lennox?" A woman replied.
"Uh... yes, why?"
"This is Sunstone Hospital; we've been trying to reach you, Miss. This is quite an emergency, which I'm going to get to the point of," the nurse sighed. "Your mother needs immediate surgery. She isn't doing well."
What?
I felt my heart stop as if the world stopped spinning. This is a sick fucking joke. It has to be.
"Miss Lennox? Are you there?" The nurse asked in a worried tone.
"Y-yes," I replied, trying to not cry. "I'm still here. How much would the surgery cost?" I asked, my heart racing.
"Give me one second, please."
There I sat, feeling nothing but emptiness and sadness.
"Based on her condition, it would be anywhere between $36,000 to $43,000."
I clenched my fist and bit my lip. I need to do something- something that'll provide me money in no time.
"How long do I have?" I asked, wiping the tears off my face.
"Perhaps around three days, but the sooner, the better. Feel free to call if you have any questions."
"Thank you," I barely whispered and hung up.
Desperately, I pulled up the pictures of the business card of Dream Nightclub and sent Madi another message.
Ophelia: I've made up my mind.
Ophelia: I'm in, but I can't do it without you.
Ophelia: I know you're busy, but please, if you see this, I need your help.
Closing my phone, I covered my face a broke down in tears.
There has to be a solution. There must be.
❦
𝐈 opened my eyes to feel my face dry from the dried tears. Gathering enough energy to stand up, I walked to the bathroom to see my eyes a little puffy.
It's December 2nd, and the medical bills are due today. Not only that, but I also have a shit ton of other things to pay off. Shaking my head, I splashed some cold water on my face and walked back.
I picked up my phone to see a few notifications from Madi as well as the reminder to pay my bills.
Madi: You're not joking, right?
Madi: This is a great opportunity; I've been waiting for this moment for too fucking long.
Madi: So, what do you need? Clothes? Makeup? Advice?
She's always been so supportive.
Ophelia: I need everything you have to teach and offer.
After hitting the 'send' button, she read it right away.
Madi: I'll be there in a few :)
I sat and waited for her. After ten minutes, she arrived and I opened the door for her. The second she saw me, she knew something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" She frowned and pulled me in for a hug.
I stayed silent.
"Let's go sit down and talk about it, come," she said as she walked me to the table. "I brought your favorite for breakfast... if you wanna eat it, that is."
"My mom needs surgery," I said.
Her eyes widened.
"Why didn't you tell me this?" She asked. "What happened?"
"I- I don't even know, Madi," I felt the tears swelling up in my eyes. "I just received a call yesterday informing me of her conditions... she isn't doing well, and the surgery would cost from $36,000 to $43,000. I'm fucking desperate- I need money, and I only have three days."
She squeezed my hand.
"I'll help you no matter what."
She started with the basics as I ate my breakfast little by little, such as how to make a good impression, the details and keys to pass the interview, and much more. All this process took around two hours, and that's when she said we needed to go shopping.
"I assume you don't have any, um, lingerie... right?" She asked awkwardly.
"Of course not," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Why would I?"
"That can be taken care of. I know this store at the mall, and they sell the best lingerie," she grinned. "Get changed. We leave in five minutes."
"Five minutes? That's not enough-"
"You're wasting time," she glared at me, crossing her arms.
I ran into my room and picked out a random outfit. Applying some eyeliner quickly, I ran back.
"Let's get the party started," she smirked as she grabbed her keys.
❦
𝐖e stepped into the store, and I can't help but feel a little flustered. I'd never been to a place like this before, and I felt as if everyone was looking at me, which I hated.
"Goal," Madi said randomly and grabbed my wrist.
She dragged me in front of a set of white lingerie, and I loved the little details on it.
"White is your color, Ophelia."
White, the color that represents purity or innocence.
I looked at the picture of a model wearing it and instantly knew that I wouldn't look as good. Madi must've noticed the look on my face and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You'll look gorgeous. I know it. Too bad you can't try them on," she frowned. "We have to make sure we get the right size."
We asked a clerk to help me measure everything, and she knew how to do her job. In just a few minutes, she found the right one for me and told me that I'd look great in it.
I mean, yeah, thanks for the compliment, but I'm still insecure about everything.
After Madi paid for the set as a gift, we walked out together.
"Now, all we have to do is arrange the interview. I'll help you with that, and you can go visit your mom. I'll drop you off."
"I- I don't know if I can see her like that," I stopped walking. "What if I start crying? I don't want her to worry about me..."
"I'm sure she would love to see you... don't make the same mistake I did."
I looked down.
"I'm sorry about what happened," I said quietly.
"Not your fault; don't worry. Come on, I'll drop you off there."
She gave me more advice on the ride to the hospital and wished me luck at the interview. I watched as she drove away and made my way to my mom's room.
When I walked in, I saw her laying there, staring at the ceiling. I walked in and sat down next to her.
"Hola mamá," I greeted her. "¿Cómo te sientes?" (Hi mom, how are you feeling?)
She shook her head, meaning that she doesn't have the energy to say a word. Seeing her like this is painful, which is why I'm going to help her no matter what.
"Entiendo, mamá. No te preocupes, tengo una entrevista de trabajo muy pronto y podré pagar todo," (I understand, mom. Don't worry, I have a job interview very soon, and I'll be able to pay for everything.) I smiled, placing my hand on top of hers. "Te quiero mucho. Las palabras no pueden describir cuánto." (I love you so much. Words can't describe how much.)
She nodded as if telling me that she trusts me to keep my promise, and I'll do anything and everything to keep it.
My phone buzzed, showing two notifications.
Madi: Your interview will be at 7:30 PM, don't be late!
Madi: Good luck, love you always <3
Ophelia: I can't possibly thank you enough. I love you so so so much.
Madi: You're making me blush.
"Tengo que irme perdón. Mi entrevista es en unas horas," (I have to go, sorry. My interview is in a few hours.) I said, kissing her on the forehead. "¡Volveré con buenas noticias!" (I'll be back with good news!)
She squeezed my hand lightly and smiled.
❦
"𝐖e're here," Madi said, stopping at the front door. "Again, remember what I've taught you, okay? I love you," she smiled.
"Love you too," I smiled back, adjusted the trench coat that I borrowed from her, and hopped off.
The second I walked in, the loud music blasted in my ears. I've never been a fan of loud ass music, but who am I to complain?
I made my way to the front desk, where a woman was sitting. I greeted her and read the name tag:
Charlotte Anderson
She looked at me and smiled.
"Hello, you must be..." she looked down, her eyes scanning across a piece of paper. "...Ophelia Lennox?"
"Yes, that's me," I replied, trying to maintain a straight face.
"Right on time. Follow me upstairs, please," she stood up and headed for the stairs.
I followed her, passing by men on couches, women serving them, and one dancing on stage. She's stunning- from her makeup to her heels. Everything about her was unreal. I got lost in her performance for a minute until I snapped back to reality.
I walked up the stairs as fast as I could, not wanting to trip in my heels. Charlotte wished me good luck and walked downstairs, keeping her high profile.
That reminds me-
"Confidence, Ophelia. Keep telling yourself you can do it."
I smiled triumphantly as I reached forward to knock on the door. But before I could do so, a man opened the door, startling me. I took a step back and looked at the man from bottom to top.
Black suit- looks expensive, watch- nice, and... blue eyes?
I shook my head and stepped aside.
"S-sorry about that. I was just about to knock."
His facial expression was mixed with surprise and- amusement? It's as if he wasn't expecting something like this to happen. My heart was racing, and I felt something unusual that felt so familiar but not at the same time.
He walked away without saying anything as I stood there like an idiot, not knowing what to do. I watched as he walked downstairs, trying to figure out what the fuck to do next.
Another man opened the door and apologized.
"I apologize for that, Miss Lennox," a voice said from behind. "Please, come on in."
I turned around and walked in awkwardly.
"Take a seat," he said as he sat down behind his desk and grabbed a pen.
I sat down nervously and started playing with my hands. He saw my actions and smiled.
"I don't bite, Miss Lennox. Don't be nervous- this won't take too long."
My mind was so focused on the man I bumped into that I could barely think straight.
Who is he? Why did I feel that way?
And, most importantly-
Have I met him from somewhere?
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄
June 1, 2022
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!
Sorry for the long wait, I've been so so so busy since the last few days of school </3
Sorry if there are mistakes throughout the chapter. It's the longest one so far & every part of this chapter was written when I'm tired as fuck (even now). My sleep schedule has been fucked since summer started, which is awesome :)
Oh yeah, I was going to confess my feelings for my crush on the last day of school, but as I was going to approach him, HE WALKED AWAY WITH HIS FRIEND.
WAS THAT A FUCKING SIGN????
Maybe I'm overthinking, but he's been showing mixed signs as to whether or not he likes me back </3
I'm hoping to spend some time with him this summer like going to the mall or something, so wish me luck please 🤞
Thank you for reading <3
I love you 🤍
I'm about to end Grammarly's fucking career. I only need it to autocorrect my spelling and nothing else... stop overdoing it /hj