A Perfect Stitch

Chapter 12 | dinning with misfortune

I couldn't breathe.

It choked me.

Did I fail?

I shivered and tears stained my cheeks.

How could this happen?

This wasn't possible.

Why wasn't my name amongst the fifty candidates who passed?

Pain weighed in my chest and my heart dropped.

Where?!

My heart crashed into acid in my stomach.

I had failed.

The phone trembled in between my fingers as I browsed through the Topper's list for the last time.

Holding back the moisture in my eyes, I placed the mobile into the old lady's hands.

"Oh! Don't."

"Please, I need to use the restroom. Is there one around?"

I interrupted the lady before she could say anything pitiful and steadied my trembling self on my heels.

"Please, it's urgent, " I said on the verge of having a large breakdown.

The smile on the lady's face drowned in sorrow and accompanied her pitiful stare.

Her eyes flashed with concern, those pale wrinkled beauties harbored more lines no matter the amount of concealer.

"Stalls are this way, please, come with me."

I stole a glance at Jana, and she nodded in approval.

Her ponytail did a little swirl with her gesture.

"Wait, this might be helpful."

She handed me a few wipes which I grabbed without any appreciation.

"Take care of yourself."

The old lady guided me through the plastic blonde mannequins, the colorful hats on the stands, and the matching pairs of swimwear.

I brushed a rebellious tear from my eye and flipped my wavy hair to my back, not minding where I plopped my heels.

"The door to your left, " the lady mumbled and smiled in the classic tune of the music, playing in the background. "I'm waiting for you here."

Tears already licking my cheeks, I hurried in and pushed the door which led to an empty stall in the hallway.

I hated myself for being so ungrateful.

I should have thanked the old lady, but I didn't.

No time to thank the lady, my condition needed to be dealt with instantly, away from the public.

I won't like them to see me cry, and get over-emotional.

Without any further ado, I locked myself up in the stall.

Leaning my back to the shiny yellow frame, and letting all the grief out; my eyes watered to my chest.

Later on, I cleaned my face with one of the wipes.

I wasn't one of those nerds with thick lenses and flowing intelligence, but I burned midnight candles and mastered all the materials from preparatory school.