Under the Stars

32. Aunt Petunia

Chapter 32: Aunt Petunia

Mia's POV

*****

Theo and I's conversation was not the longest one we had ever had, but it was probably one of the most pleasant. I had missed hearing his voice, and being around him in general. For the weeks that he had been grounded, I had nearly forgotten about how easily he could turn a bad day into such a great one. 

I still felt guilty for everything that I had told Susan, and I could not help but feel like a horrible person. Talking to Theo helped me push it all at the back of my mind. All I focused on was him and I, just like I always did whenever he was right there in front of me. 

I was ecstatic that he was not mad at me for not sending him the daily messages anymore, and I did everything I possibly could to reassure him that I did care about him. 

The moment we said goodbye, however, all of the guilt I had been feeling because of Susan came rushing back to me. 

Layla sat down on the chair instead of Theo, the usual gorgeous smile on her face, yet it quickly vanished the moment she took a look at my face. 

"Hey, no frowning during Mayla time. I thought everything was fine with you and Theo, why do you look so sad?" She asked, her eyebrows creasing as she looked visibly worried about my current reaction. 

"No, it's not that," I said. "Things with Theo are amazing."

"Then what is it? Do I need to go beat someone up?" She asked as she slapped the palm of her hand on her fist. 

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "Me."

I hated it when people made fun of me. No matter how much I tried to show a brave face in front of them, my feelings were always hurt. The thought that somebody was possibly going through that same thing because of me made me feel horrible, no matter how rude Susan constantly was. 

"What are you talking about?" Layla asked in confusion, seeming utterly lost. 

"I was horrible to this girl who is always being fake towards my cousin," I explained. "She has been making fun of me for ages, and she keeps trying to make my cousin look bad. Let's not talk about the fact that she was rude to one of my best friends."

Layla looked at me, giving me her utmost attention. A smile formed on her face as she realised I had finished talking, and she leaned slightly closer to her screen. 

"Listen to me, Mia," she softly said. "Standing up for yourself and your friends does not make you a bad person."

"I told her that she will end up alone, that definitely sounds like something a bad person would say," I said, my gut aching as I recalled everything I told her. 

"And she probably will with that attitude she has," Layla said, making me look up at her. "If she didn't say anything to you, your cousin, or your friend, you would not have said anything to her. If she had never done anything to you, you would have treated her kindly, something which she certainly has not done. If standing up for your friends makes you a bad person, then I am an absolute monster."

I smiled at her, her words having the ability to lift me up. I still felt guilty for everything I told her, especially since it was something out of character for me. Yet, I knew that Layla was right. I was not a bad person just because I was tired of her games. 

"There's that smile I love to see," Layla said with a grin, her grey eyes sparkling like they always did whenever she was happy. 

"You are incredible," I said in all honesty, unable to even explain how she had the ability to lift up my morals.