Taylor West is the epitome of self-reliance. Or she must be. Relationships are fickle. Despite finally enrolling in her dream studies and thriving in them, her social life is only skin-deep. When she finds out that her so-called boyfriend is a selfi...
I barely recognized the pale girl staring back at me. Puffy, dry skin stretched my face, and my usually straight hair resembled a bird's nest. I grabbed my brush and started untangling the strands. When the bristles touched my neck I flinched in pain.
A small crust had formed, surrounded by angry, red skin stretched over the base of my nape.
Fuck.
I must have scratched it in my sleep.
I blinked back tears and took a shaky breath. My hand reached into the bathroom cabinet and grabbed a small box of pills. With a pounding heart, I stared at them. Should I? Or should I not?
I squeezed my eyes shut. Then I opened them, filled a glass of water, and swallowed the pill that would make my life easier. At least for a little while.
My chest tightened and I took a deep, pained breath. "Just for this week. Until I decide how to deal with Chris," I said to myself.
The girl in the mirror didn't look convinced.
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When I finally dragged myself out the door I ran into my neighbor Sofia, her eight-year-old daughter clutched tightly in her left hand. Angie looked like a miniature version of her mom, with a heart-shaped face, warm brown skin, and thick, curly black hair. As soon as she noticed me, her huge dark eyes sparkled and a grin lit up her whole face.
The corners of my mouth curled up at the sight. She was one of those kids that would smile with their whole body. It was contagious. "Hey, Angie, are you off to school?"
"Yes," she shouted with the excitement only an elementary school kid could muster about the prospect of being locked inside a small, crowded room for several hours.
"Yes, and we are running late." Sofia sounded stressed as she turned and locked the door. She worked as a nurse at the local hospital. As far as I knew Angie's dad wasn't around.
I checked my phone. It was eight-thirty which meant I was probably running late as well.
"I can drop her off at school, Sofia."
She paused. "Are you sure? I've been asking too much of you lately, it—"
"It's perfectly fine," I said. "Don't forget you're always paying me with food."
"Um...alright." She hesitated. "Did your car come back from the mechanics?"
"Yeah, Chris got it sorted last week." Her lips drew into a thin line at the mention of my boyfriend but another look at her watch made her jump.
"Thank you, Tay, I wouldn't know what to do—"
"Hush, go go!"
With a kiss on Angie's head and one last smile at me, she hopped into her old Volkswagen Polo. The tires squealed and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air as she zoomed out of the parking lot. Yeah, her driving skills were to be feared.
