Forlot: A Girl Who Needs Her Space - Book Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty

"It is my fault," I said. "It is all my fault."

It was not crowded backstage. I cannot say it anymore. A crowd had gathered around Vicky and were worried about her. Karma was concerned about her, but not as much as I was. I would never even want my enemies to have a heart attack. Nobody in my family has ever had a heart attack - thank goodness - but I have heard how painful a heart attack is. It can even result in death.

But Vicky's heart attack was different from the others. It would have never occurred if she had not wished for it. I mean, wanted. I forgot that the music box does not grants wishes. It grants desires.

Karma and I were the only students not backstage. We were onstage and discussing what happened. We were sitting at the edge of the stage with our legs dangling. I did not feel good. No, I was not having a heart attack. I just did not feel like that I was earlier. I was not feeling like myself.

I stared hard at the box before setting it next to me and resting a hand on my belly. I had my other hand on my knee. My stomach was hurting. I was ready to puke.

Karma had her arm around me and was gently kicking her legs. She began rocking me left and right, but I told her to knock it off. She instantly stopped and retracted her arm. I rested my head in my hands and yawned.

"Gee," she said. "I do not think that you have ever used that phrase before."

I looked at her with my eyelids lowered halfway. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the phrase that you used."

"Which was...?"

"You said to knock it off. You told me, your best friend, to knock it off. Who do you think that I am?"

I yawned again and rubbed my eyes. "I am sorry—"

She held up her hand, signaling to me to be quiet. "I do not want you to apologize, Carmen. Not at all."

My tiredness was replaced by confusion. "Why not?"

"I am not upset that you told me to knock it off."

"You are not?"

She crossed her arms and shook her head. "No. If I had been the one who caused Vicky to have a heart attack, I would be frustrated as well." She lifted a leg and placed it under her. "Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that Vicky would suffer a heart attack."

"Me neither."

"And she tries staying healthy and active so she is able to be one of the most prettiest girls in school, Carmen."

I picked back up my magical box and set it in my lap. I stroked the lid as if the box were a pet. "Vicky does not deserve to be pretty or popular."

"You can say that again."

"I will not say that again...because what is the point?" I scrambled to my feet. "What is the point?!" I tightened my grips on the box. "No matter what we do or say, the students at this school will continue worshipping Vicky as if she is a god."

Karma clicked her tongue. "Not good. That is not good at all." She climbed to her feet. "If Vicky were a god, we would both be killed by lightning. But thank gosh." She wiped her forehead using the back of her hand. "Thank the Lord from above that He is God and not a mortal."

I flashed her a small smile, but it did not last. "I want - no, I wish - that the Lord would have interfered. I wish that He did not let Vicky suffer her heart attack. I wish that He commanded this music box to stop playing." I raised the music box so Karma could see it better. "I...I have no one to blame but myself."

"Oh, you do not," Karma said. She snatched it from me and glared at me as if she were eating my soul. "Do not start blaming yourself for this mess."

"But I—"

"I know what will cheer you up." She grabbed my wrist with the watch.

"Karma, what are you doing?"

She smiled at me. "I will turn your frown upside down. So..." She fiddled with the watch. "...just how does this thing work?"

I jerked my hand away and clenched my fists. "Karma. The heck do you think that you are doing?"

"I just wanted to see how your watch works."

I covered my wristwatch using my hand and narrowed my eyebrows. "You not only wanted to see its functions and how it works...but you also wanted to use it."

"Of course, I wanted to use the watch. I wanted both of us to use it and travel back in time."

"We are not traveling back in time. I...I do not feel like it."

My best friend pouted. "What do you mean that you do not feel like it?"

I shrugged. "I am not up for it right now."

"What do you mean that you are not up for it?"

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "My belly is aching to the point that I feel like throwing up."

She snapped her fingers. "Then we bring some bucket. That way, if you get sick while we are traveling—"

I yanked off my glasses and massaged the bridge of my nose. "We are not bringing a bucket."

"Why not?"

"We are not bringing some bucket because I do not feel like traveling." I leaped off the stage. "I am going to go home and relax. Besides, I am sure that our readers do not want to read about me puking and carrying around a bucket." I held out my hands. "Now, could you please give me my music box?"

She smiled again. "I have an idea." She opened it. "Oh, I want..."