We Were Strangers| Completed

part 39

I was unable to move as I lay in bed. I had awoken with a "fever," or so I told Wendy when she barged into my room and asked if I was going to school. After a few coughs, she walked out, closing the door and leaving me to pass the hours in bed.

 I walked out of my room and headed downstairs, grabbing a few snacks from the pantry before returning to my room and snuggling under the covers with my eyes glued to the television. When dinner time came, I was called down.

"I'm not hungry," I said to Alex, who had gone upstairs to check on me. Alex nodded and ran downstairs to the dining table. Truth be told, I had no energy to meet Dan's eyes after he had seen me cry.

I was embarrassed to show my weakness, which was the real reason I was rotting away in my room. or rather part of the reason—my other reason was that I was too angry to leave my safe space and see either Valore brother, unable to maintain my composure and suddenly break right in front of them and crumble away.

I was better off staying here. When I heard a ping, I reached forward and grabbed my phone, which was lying on my side. I sighed as I took it out, looking at a scam email I had received. I would be lying if I said I hadn't expected that notification to come from someone else, because after hours of silence from Nico, I realized he was never going to text me.

Before I finally went back to sleep, I put my phone down. A yawn escaped my lips as I let sleep consume me. Crying always did the trick and kept me exhausted. On the second day, I went a step further, wrapping a hot rag around my head and pretending to have a fever. Another day passed in which I stayed in bed, convincing everyone that I was ill, which in a way wasn't a lie. I was suffering deeply from a broken heart that no amount of bed rest or medicine could fix.

"I brought you some chicken noodle soup!" Alex beamed as he handed me a white bowl of hot soup. I gave him a small smile as I sat up in bed, looking at the steaming soup.

"Thank you," I said as he handed me the soup and watched me eat and take a bite out of the noodles.

"Mmm... so tasty."I let out.

"Thank you, Daddy, and I made it." which meant Dan made it and Alex watched.

I sent Alex another smile and lifted the bowl to my lips, taking a sip of the soup, which Alex took downstairs once I was finished. leaving me to rest for the rest of the day.

On the third day, I took it a step further by getting dressed for school, going to the restroom, and "puking," which only added to my sickness. I changed my clothes and went back to bed, willing to go to any length to avoid Enzo and Nico. My fake flu would eventually end, and I would have to return to school, but for the time being, I was postponing that day.

Wendy called my bluff and was done with me staying home after I had managed to stay home for an entire week. She grew mad as she spoke with Dan.

"She just can't stay home all day." Those were the exact words that brought me to where I was now, in front of the school's main entrance. I looked ahead, contemplating heading in or making a run for it and running out of there and heading back home.

I mustered the courage to push the main door open, and as I walked across the hall to my locker, I noticed eyes on me, as if they had seen a ghost. With my dark eye bags and bare face, I looked like one.

I could hear murmurs and whispers echoing as I fumbled with the lock, trying to open it. My fingers trembled as I tried to shake the nerves away. I focused on my padlock and twisted the dial to enter my numbers. When it popped open, I pulled the door open, and a whoosh of flowers spilled out of the locker and were piling up on the floor. My face became hot and flushed as the focus shifted to me.

I looked at the flowers, seeing the white roses and knowing exactly who had placed them there, and my thoughts were confirmed as I read the little card tucked inside.

Crouching down with hazy eyes, I grabbed the flowers from their stems, wincing as the thorns grazed my skin, and stood up with them. I scanned my surroundings and noticed Tory approaching me. Her face was expressionless as she stared down at me, glancing at my hands and the roses. She wrinkled her nose up in disgust as she passed me without giving me a second glance.

Of course, Enzo had informed her; she was well aware of the truth. No doubt he had bad-mouthed me, painting me as the villain, but was I a horrible person? It seemed that falling for Nico had painted me as the monster in this story.

I sighed as I slammed my locker shut and moved over to the nearest trash can, where I tossed the flowers. As I wiped my hands away, I noticed Mason, Tory, and Enzo watching my every move. I ignored them and kept my head held high. I told myself to forget about them. This was as much Nico's fault as it was mine, but here I was being punished. As a consequence, for breaking my promise, I was being shunned, and Enzo made sure I got the message loud and clear that I wasn't welcomed any more.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before finally moving away from the trashcan and to the end of the hall, where I pushed open the tall double doors, stepped outside, and finally left the building.

The bell rang to signal the beginning of the first period. As students rushed in from the outside, I rushed out, heading in the opposite direction and making it back home.

***

I sat in my room, staring at the walls, and zoned out while listening to music on my phone. I was consumed with music, distracting myself from my chaos.

I had made it home and sneaked in through the back door, which had been left unlocked by chance. I scrambled around my room, picking up the mess I hadn't cleaned in a week, putting my used clothes in the hamper, and organizing my vanity desk. My eyes were drawn to the photo on the desk. It was a picture of all five of us from the last soccer game. I lifted it in the air to get a better look at it. We all had smiles on our faces, genuine smiles, and I felt a rush of memories hit me.

As I crumbled up the picture and tossed it inside my mini trash bin, I shook my head, letting go of the memories.

The teddy bear I had been given, the one lying on the floor in the corner of my room, the hoodies I had failed to return, and the sheets I had laid on as I gave myself to Nico seemed to be constant reminders in my room. He tainted everything about it.

I was exhausted and didn't know what to do. I was as lonely as ever, miles from my mother, and I needed her now more than ever.

I took a deep breath as I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. The phone rang, and she answered.

"Mom—" My voice cracked.

"What is it?" Her voice trembled with worry.

"I need you." I broke down, spiraling further than before.