Perfect Illusion

Five - "I'm Starting To Think I'm In A Twilight Movie."

Present Day

Cara shakes her head disappointingly. "Mais pourquoi tu avais fait ca!"

Ever since she went to France during the summer, she picked up on some French words. Now she uses it when she's super mad, especially at me. This time, I think she went along the lines of 'what the hell were you thinking!"

Yeah. She totally sounds like a typical mom. I guess Cara could be considered sort of like a mother figure to me. My mom has not been around for, well, since I was legal, so Cara has taken that role. She has always been the more cautious one in our little duo, the one who always looks out for me. I would say I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, but after the stunt I pulled today, I don't think Cara would ever agree with me.

"It just sort of happened...?" I say, but even I think I sound pathetic. Cara sighs, and continues to wrap the bandage around my hand.

We're back in our cozy little apartment, which I'm so grateful for. I don't think I want anyone on campus to see my disaster of a hand.

After the immense pain I felt when I hit Daniel, I am glad to say I would never ever want to hit another person ever again.

It freaking hurts. I know it has been four hours since I hit him, but I'm still overwhelmed from the stinging pain that burns my knuckles, numbing my entire hand.

I have never hit someone before.

Never.

I always kept my cool. It took me a hell lot of willpower when Holly Higgins from eighth grade made fun of me for my A-cup boobs. Apparently every other girl in school had hit puberty and huge boobs was the best thing to have. Still, when she teased me about that, I had wanted to hit her so bad. But I didn't. I had wanted to hit many other people since then for various reasons, but I kept my anger to myself.

I have always kept the anger to myself.

Well, except for that night two months ago when I poured champagne over a multi-millionaire's son.

I'm not doing so good, am I?

"You could get charged for assault, you know." She says, placing a little metal thing on the bandage to keep it in place.

"Yeah, I know," I mumble. I guess, if Daniel wanted to press charges, he would have done it after I had humiliated him in Basil Kitchen right? So perhaps that's a good sign. But... he could always change his mind now and charge me for assault if he wanted to.

I'm so screwed.

"Let's just hope he won't," I add on, resting my hand on the couch. Cara shifts so that one of her elbows is propped behind the sofa.

"Seriously, Alex, what the hell were you thinking?" She says again, more adamant. Her eyes are filled with concern, and a little bit of anger.

"I...." My voice trails off. I rest my head on the pillow and pout. "I don't know... I guess I wanted him to pay for getting me fired from my job."

Her eyebrows lift in confusion. "Alex, I'm pretty sure you were the one that got yourself fired in the first place. Weren't you the one trying to sabotage his dates?"

I had told Cara about the whole incident with Daniel and I right after she came back from France. It was two weeks before college started, and the minute she asked me how my summer went, I immediately broke down.

I told Cara everything. How I watched Daniel from afar, holding this grudge against him for so long. How I sabotaged almost every single one of his dates. How he found out about it and got really pissed off at me. How he threatened to sue the place if I didn't get fired. How I poured champagne over him, and humiliated him in front of the entire restaurant. And how I got humiliated when I got fired from my job.