Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 5•

I WOKE UP IN A FOUL MOOD the next morning. Mostly due to heartbreak, I couldn't stop crying when I reminisced about my time with Josh. Hugging my pillow tightly, tears streamed down my face.

Feeling aches in my eyes and a sour taste in my mouth, I forced myself out of bed. Sitting in the bathtub, I closed my eyes and sank into the warm water, trying to distract myself with music.

Suddenly, Ashley's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Stop blaming yourself for that guy. He left because he doesn't love you."

I opened my eyes to see Ashley standing by the door, arms crossed. "What I do is none of your business," I snapped, getting out of the tub and wrapping myself in a towel. "And who said Josh left me?"

Zoey Hughes, the popular girl of Brooke High School and a reigning diva, was dumped by her boyfriend.

She showed me her phone. "It's all over the internet. Everyone's talking about it."

I stared at the news notification on her phone, my heart sinking with disbelief. I couldn't recall anyone witnessing the moment Josh ended our relationship, yet it seemed that everyone knew about it. The invasion of my privacy felt suffocating, as if my every move was under a microscope.

"Why can't they find someone else to focus on?" I muttered in frustration, feeling overwhelmed by the unwanted attention.

Seeking solace, I retreated to my closet and hastily selected a pair of baggy jeans and a rosy top, hoping to blend into the background.

"Sis, why did Josh break up with you?" Ashley's concerned voice interrupted my thoughts.

Rolling my eyes, I dismissed her question. "If you want to know, read the news story. I'm not in the mood to talk about it."

As Ashley left the room, I felt a surge of emotion. Grabbing a picture frame of Josh and me, memories flooded my mind. With a mixture of anger and sorrow, I hurled the frame to the floor, shattering it into pieces. I then proceeded to tear apart every memento of our relationship, unable to bear the reminders of what once was.

"Zoey! Are you okay?" Mrs. Becca screamed as she entered my room and saw the mess I'd made. "Oh my goodness, you're bleeding!"

With a sudden realization, I noticed a slight cut around my arm, I must've gotten that when I smashed the glass picture frame of Josh. She took my hand slowly, I could feel pains that are similar to bee stings. We walked down the stairs, I still couldn't believe I was being submissive to Mrs. Becca for the first time. As she applied first aid to the wound, I groaned in pain.

Dad walked in a few minutes after Mrs. Becca put a plaster on my injured arm before she walked up the stairs to clean the mess I'd made. He sat next to me on the couch and stared at the injured side of my arms now covered in bandage.

"What happened sweetie, why did you hurt yourself?" He asked.

"Dad, the person I loved most hurt me and left," I confessed, tears streaming down my face.

"It's okay sweetie, everything will be alright." Dad cuddled me closely and stroked my hair slowly. For the first time, I felt much more relieved.

Trust me when I say this, my dad is my Superman!

AFTER TWO WEEKS of recovery, I was back to my usual confident self. One thing that remained unchanged was my determination not to let anyone break my heart again. I vowed never to fall in love and never to let myself feel vulnerable again.

But life had other plans.

The news of my mom falling sick hit me like a ton of bricks. I received the message that afternoon while watching a soccer game from the bleachers with my classmates. As soon as my driver approached me with the news, we rushed to the hospital without hesitation.