DABBY:
I might have wanted to be unconscious for a longer time, or better still fall into a coma even if it wasn't something to hope for. But I was too stressed out of my mind. Everything had become really exhausting, that I didn't want to try anymore.
By the time I opened my eyes hours later after collapsing, I was lying on one of the beds in the school infirmary. An IV was passed to my arm, and it seemed like my arm had bandaged all over again.
The pains I was feeling before were all gone, and everything just felt like nothing had happened at all. Except for the fact that my head almost split open the previous day, and the fact that I was lying on a hospital bed instead of sitting in class.
There was no one around and it really felt so lonely and sad, because it was too painful to feel like no one even cared if I died. The patience my hope had was wearing thin, and I couldn't imagine living this kind of pathetic, ostracized life too in college.
I let my thoughts get to me the more, giving me reasons to be sadder than ever. There was nothing I wanted to console myself with, and there were literally no good memories to reminisce about.
Maybe I had one.
"Dabby. You are finally awake," I heard Mason's cheerful voice say as he adjusted the bed curtains, and drew a stool closer to the bed to sit beside me.
I became really happy. Everything that was dying in me, found a solace by Mason's kind actions. It was really touching to see that someone cared that I was not okay, and that he was happy to see me.
"I am doing great" I answered really slowly, while trying to blow breathe onto my flustered face using my idle left hand. I was getting the urge to cry really badly, and they were happy tears. I was not alone, and someone cared.
"I brought you this-get-well-soon yogurts and sausage. There are cookies and chocolate. Heard that it helps to release hormones that make people happy," Mason told me, as he dropped the nylon of snacks on the nearest table, and tried to get the chocolate out of its wrapper, "Have a bit."
"This is really delicious. Thank you, Mason. I am really thankful," I seethed with a bright smile as I took a bite of the chocolate, and happy tears ended up rolling down my eyes.
"It is nothing," he conceded, and took a glance at my face like he was really eager to say something to me.
"How did I get here?" I asked in curiosity. I was kind of sure that Madison ran off with her friends.
"I heard what happened from a random girl in class, and rushed here to see you being attended to by the nurse. What really happened? Why do you have a plastered head, and an almost broken arm? Is it him?" Mason asked so many questions at the same time, with some kind of persuasive authority in his voice.
Regardless of how much I wanted to tell Mason the truth and cry on his shoulders, I couldn't afford to get screwed by Damien all over. I didn't even want to talk about him.
"No, no. It is not. I fell from the stairs. Missed my steps when I ran down."
"Hunh. Why does your story seem plausible and implausible at the same time? Like you are leaving out some information on purpose," Mason speculated with doubt on his face while looking at me, and I tried so much not to shift my eyes away from his. Else, I would get caught.
"It is my clumsiness, Mason," I pressed.
"So, that was what the photos in front of the pharmacy were about," Mason mouthed, and my eyes widened at his words.
"How do you know about that?"
"I challenged Madison and she showed the pictures in anger, saying some gibberish about you and Damien together. Very dumb talks," Mason blurted out irritatedly, and I just let out sigh of inward peace
"It was so relieving to see that the pictures were ones of when we stood in front of the pharmacy. What if it was when we both entered the same car? I would probably be dead now with the number of girls that would have trampled over me. How would I even have to explain it?" I panicked as I let out all my imaginations in words like a chatterbox, which made me even more amazed by the way I talked quite well, than I ever thought I could.
"I guess someone random must have seen you guys together, and taken the pictures to show Madison. Probably to make her react in this way. It is really a relief to see that you are doing well," Mason speculated what the perfect scenario would look like. He opened another pack of chocolate and gave me another bar.
"It is probably hard for her to get over Damien. It is common saying that once a girl is really into Damien and falls for him, it is usually hard to get over him even if he ends the relationship first. He is a total player," I uttered with some kind of anger in me, emphasizing on the jast sentence.
"I do not give two fucks about him. And for, Madison, she is really immature and obnoxious. I wonder who made her leader of such school activities," Mason stated, and I just chuckled. It sure was nice having him around. "Wait. Was it your mum or his dad that asked him to take you to the pharmacy? Have you not told them already?"
"Do you not have class?" I suddenly remembered, and turned to look at him with surprise pretending like I didn't hear the latter. According to the time, it was past lunch time, and he was still with me in the infirmary.
"I do not have any class. For now," he answered, and I had my doubts about that, "You have not answered me, Dabby."
"They do not know anything, and they want us to bond well. I want them to enjoy their personal time as newly weds peacefully," I told the partial truth to Mason. There was no way him finding out that we were home alone would do anyone any good.
He gave me this doubtful look, and I just grinned.
"So about not having classes, I know that it is a lie. You said you hate studying, so it wouldn't be any surprise to see your skipping class," I diverted the direction of the talk immediately.
"Fine. I don't want to go to class. I mean it has only been a few days, but I am sick of school already," he complained.
"Go on. Take notes, so that I can write from yours too. Then we can study together, later," I urged him, and he had a sneer in his face like he was about to puke.
"Nah. No studying together. Just fun," he disagreed.
"Of course. No studying. But please go and take the notes first. Thank you..." I urged him to stand up, and he reluctantly turned to leave.
I couldn't afford to miss any important notes and classes, because I could never ask any other person for theirs. There was no one to even ask.
And I also had to ace all my courses, so that I would be able to get into the university faster. To study the course of my choice; Medicine.
"Rest well, okay," he called to me the moment he was almost at the door.
"Of course, I will," I assured him, and immediately put down the drape of the hospital bed. Mason was the only person I could rely on.
I was able to drift into a long sleep again after Mason left, and it really rejuvenated me to life after so many restless nights. I was discharged at the end of the day after school closing hours, and Mason was already waiting with a cab outside the school building.
"I don't think you should come to school tomorrow considering how messy you are. Just tell your parents and rest at home," Mason advised.
"It is really going to be boring, and the nurse said that I can do fine by myself. I think I am good to go," I argued, knowing that I never wanted to stay home alone. It was sickening even though I wanted to avoid Damien at all cost.
Instead of going home straight, I had a change of mind and decided to visit the arcade after the cab dropped me home. I wanted to play games for a long time and forget all my worries.
When I got there and took my seat, I decided to play a duo game that I had been playing for a while. I had my username as DAYNNE.
I was really good at the video game which was quite a popular one, and I had played with quite a number of people as DAYNNE, even from school. No one knew it was me, and it was better that way. They often praised gaming skills.
'You are online today. It has been quite a while.' I saw the message pop on my user message, and I smiled. It was one of my toughest opponents, SMILEY. We often played against one another and I often won against the user so many times. Smiley usually never gave up.
'Yeah. Ready to get beaten?' I typed, and it was replied with a mischievous smiling emoji.
'I will do the beating,' SMILEY texted back.
We started playing for minutes, and I was finding it hard to navigate properly with my second hand. I was still doing it well though, but Smiley was really putting in so much more effort than usual.
After a thirty minute duel against one another, Smiley won. The second time against me after so many games together. I just laughed so loudly when Smiley sent the mockery emoji. It was so funny.
I logged out after we were done with the first round, and got ready to leave the arcade. I wanted to shop for groceries since the refrigerator was almost empty, and also have dinner at a nearby restaurant before going back home.
When I was done with everything that I wanted to do, I made my way back home with so much hope. I wanted to be happy at all costs, and I was trying to do that. As soon as I entered the house using my key, Damien was sitting on one of the luxurious couches in the living room like he was waiting for me.
It was odd for him to be downstairs and not in his room, and I really didn't know how to act in that kind of situation. He had said we do not exist in each other's worlds, so it was better to ignore him like he didn't exist. His voice halted my feet on my way to the kitchen.
"Do you think it is unfair?" He suddenly asked, and I looked at him cluelessly. I wanted to know what he meant.
"What?" I almost stuttered.
"What do you mean, what? All these. Breaking an arm, tearing a skin, becoming a subject for gossip, Madison's prey, and lots more," he explained further with a grouchy voice, and I almost shook my head. It was too sad. Too sad for me to bear.
"No," I let out an inaudible voice, and he snickered. He knew I was lying.
"That is what you get from associating with Damien Anderson. That is what you will experience, getting involved with me. So, just get your bags, phone your mum and get the fuck out of this house, if you want a peaceful life like before. Get my dad to divorce your mum!" He stated bitterly, and I raised my eyes which were looking downwards initially, straight to his own eyes.
'He just had to be mean till the end of everything.'