••I'm too busy fighting my demons,
Demons that will eventually
be the end of me••
A gentle knock on the door caused a pause in our sob-session and we looked at one another, cheeks damp and noses stuffy. Ada got up after, wiping her cheeks as she sashayed towards the door and then flung it open.
A girl stood on the other end, short with wide eyes that darted here and there like a scared kitten's and I wondered what a junior was doing in my dorm. A conversation ensued between her and Ada but her timid voice was low and Ada brought hers down to match it, so Faith and I couldn't hear a thing until the conversation ended and Ada turned around, a box that looked like it contained pizza in her hands, along with something concealed in a white paper bag--the logo printed on the bag read, Cold Stone Creameries.
I frowned, wondering what was going as I wiped the wetness that had begun to dry off my cheeks.
"Well...this is just what we needed!" Ada exclaimed, her grin resembling that of a Cheshire cat's as she dropped the box of dominos pizza on the bed and then brought out the medium-sized bucket of almond and hazelnut mix ice cream, along with three spoons.
"What's going on?" I asked and sat up, still frowning.
"My guess is...Wilson?" Faith said, smiling too and my frown just deepened even more.
"Correcto!" Ada squealed, her grin even wider as she high-fived Faith and I just groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance as I realized what was going on.
I reached for my phone, unlocking it and hitting the dial button on his contact immediately. The first ring didn't even ride out before he picked, talking immediately with a smile in his voice.
"You like pizza right? Please say you do!" I sighed, the words of retribution I'd planned on lashing out stuck in my throat at the sound of his voice.
What's happening to me!
"Yes, I like pizza but I didn't ask for one." I sighed again, ignoring Faith and Ada as they dug in, grabbing slices without paying me any mind.
"I know, please don't be mad. You skipped breakfast this morning and I thought you would be hungry, so..." He trailed, his voice low like a child that had just been reprimanded and I sighed. Well, I really was hungry but still...
"You can't just go around buying things for me like this. Its...its not right," I argued, wanting to stand my ground despite the fact that I'd already lost the battle in my head.
"What's not right in buying things for someone I like?" He said, sounding nonchalant and my eyes widened, the rest of the reprimanding words on my tongue freezing as my mouth hung wide open.
Did...did he just...
"What..." I trailed and he sighed on the other end, silence ensuing for a while as I searched for words. I mean, how do you respond to a confession like that?
"We can't talk about this over the phone, I don't know why I let that slip. But since its already out there...I like you, I like you so much May and I don't...fuck! I don't know what to do and I couldn't stand the fact that you might be hungry with nothing to eat. So I...I have no idea what's wrong with me. I...I just--"
And I hung up.
I couldn't take it anymore. That confession and what it did to me--my heart. I couldn't take it, and I foolishly hung up on him. I hated myself afterwards, but I had no freaking idea what to do and I was freaking out! My hands shook as I dropped my phone beside me and my friends stopped eating to give me weird looks.
"What happened? Why did you suddenly stop reprimanding him like you're his mom?" Ada teased and Faith laughed, ice cream lining the corners of her lips as her braces shinned through her laughter.
"Nothing." I replied, grabbing the ice cream and stuffing my mouth with it before they could pester me more. After realizing my intent, they both continued their attack on the pizza and left me to myself.
•
•
•
•
I sat in a bathrobe on a chair in the bathroom, legs crossed and patience wearing thin.
"How long does this thing take?" I whined for about the 100th time in ten minutes and Ada just shushed me, moving about smartly in her maroon dress that had a very revealing back with long sleeves. It fitted her snugly around her waist and then flared out from there downwards. The front was cut short, revealing smooth brown legs that she'd shaved a few minutes earlier and the back was long, sweeping the floor gracefully. Her aunt had dropped off the gown as promised, but it wasn't the gown Ada had been expecting. Her aunt had gone shopping for her, surprising her with the extremely expensive and beautiful dress and I'd watched the emotional scene with tears in my own eyes as Ada exclaimed and hugged her aunt, thanking her over and over again.
But now, the tears in my eyes were replaced with annoyance, or let's say, mascara. I did as I was instructed, sucking in my cheeks for the contour and opening my eyes wide for the grey contact lenses and then again, for the fake lashes. I wanted to cry. It wasn't even prom o!
"Calm down will you? All we need is the setting spray and then you'll slip on your dress and then we're done. I mean, this has to be perfect because its your first and last dinner party!" She lectured like she'd been doing since the past minutes every time I complained and I just rolled my eyes, squinting as she sprayed the setting spray on my face without warning.
"You evil witch!" I squealed, squeezing my eyes shut.
"That's for rolling your eyes at me you dork!" She laughed, spraying more than necessary of the liquid on my face just to annoy me and I laughed, opening my eyes as Faith opened the bathroom door and walked in.
"Your dress is here!" She announced with a grin and I couldn't help but stare at her perfect straight white teeth. She'd taken off her braces for the night and I marvelled at how beautiful her smile was, the whiteness matching her knee length gown that melted beautifully against her dark skin, making her big eyes that now held blue contacts stand out.
Ada had done hers and Faith's makeup and it was flawless; not too heavy with perfect contour lines and little highlights on the cheekbones. They both looked so gorgeous and I wondered how much uglier I would look with all the layers of makeup. Of course Ada had turned my chair so my back was facing the mirror. I wasn't allowed to look at anything until I was all set. Not even the long hair thingy that was attached to my hair after Ada had done something that felt like braids on them. It stood tight on my head, pulling my eyes up and making my cheekbones feel taut and it flowed all the way down my back--at least I knew my actual hair wasn't that long.
"Who brought it?" I asked after snapping out of my admiration. I couldn't help but ask because I knew I had messed up and I wondered how the night would go.
"A junior girl," Faith answered as Ada took the bag from her hands, not letting me see the dress just yet and my heart dropped at her reply.
He said he would bring it himself.
I sighed, standing up and taking off my bathrobe like Ada instructed. I'd forgotten about that thing I couldn't let anyone see because I'd been occupied with disappointment and I just untied the robe and slipped it off my shoulders and I stood there in front of my friends in only panties and a bra.
My scar out there for them to see.
"Oh my God! That looks huge! What happened to you there?!" Faith exclaimed, dainty fingers pointing at my stomach with her eyes wide.
"Its was a stab wound." I sighed. What's the point of hiding it from them again when they already knew everything.