Euphoria

3: Friend

No way can it be a coincidence. The numbing pain when she tried to remember him. The headache at 12'o'clock. And then the darkness.
Why didn't she ever feel the pain before? Why didn't she ever feel these before? She sat up. There was no point in thinking. The clock had struck 4. It was almost dawn, just a few more hours till the sun comes up.
Maya's eyes wandered to the bedside table. She forgot to take her meds. She sprinted towards it. She was supposed to take them by ten. She has been taking them since she was 6. She looked at the clock and sighed. How could she miss her medicines? How careless of her!

Maya hummed. The dream still stuck inside her head. She decided to wear a miniskirt and graphic tee shirt. A coat hugging her sides. She walked out. Her feet adorned with heels.
The catch being, she hated her reflection today. The words from the dream coming back, whenever she looked at herself. Maybe there was something wrong with her after all.

"Hey!"
Maya looked at the girl in front of her. Long, silky straight hair. Her bangs flowing with the wind. Her figure extremely bony and her cheeks kind of round. Her eyes round like a doll. Areum. Kwon Areum.
Maya greeted her back. They were the same age after all. Areum smiled,
"Where are you heading Maya?"
Maya ignored the way she pronounced her name. Maybe the sanskrit based word didn't roll on Areum's tongue the correct way. It happens to her loads of times. But she doesn't mind. Everyone's different.
"Yeah... Just the coffee shop. I love their chocolate cakes."
"Is that the secret of your healthy glow?"
Maya stopped in her tracks. Areum looked at her with an admiring gaze. As if she was a fan somewhat. Maya smiled warmly,
"I don't know actually. Maybe it is. Or maybe I was just born with it. I don't know Areum."
Areum sighed,
"I've been trying to gain some weight..."
"Don't. Be you. God made you Kwon Areum for a reason. You look beautiful. We all look beautiful. No matter what, just stick to being you."
Maya said, her dreams coming back again. Dreams? No! They aren't dreams. They are nightmares. Horrifying nightmares!
"Can I go with you Maya?"
Areum's sweet voice sounded like a banshee's shrill scream. Maya flinched. Snippets of people taunting her flashed in her mind.

"Look at that fatso!"
"How thick her thighs are, Gosh!"
"Look at the stretch marks! How dare she even think of wearing a skirt?"
"How can she wear a crop top? It's too revealing! Her waist is way too thin!"
"Her hair's way too curly!"

"Maya!"
Areum side hugged Maya. Sweating, her eyes popping out of the sockets. She felt as if her knees would snap any moment now. Maya hugged Areum back, her mouth agape, trying to catch her breath.
"It's okay. I'm here Maya."
Maya's heart missed a beat. Areum's soft voice laced with worry. Genuine worry. As if she was... A friend!

"You okay now?"
Areum placed the chocolate cake in front of Maya. Maya just nodded. Embarrassed of what she did. Areum nudged her playfully,
"Cheer up. It's okay to let down your walls sometimes. Aren't we friends, now?"
Maya looked at her. A friend. Honestly, Maya never had a friend. She always thought of keeping her walls high up. Ever since she started seeing these nightmares. She thought of herself as a person with no sanity. She was just someone who was not a piece of this puzzle. 
Areum's laughter faded. Rather awkwardly,
"Oh... We aren't friends."
"No... No. We are friends. You actually are now my only friend."
Maya felt a warmth inside her. Friend. She had a friend.
Areum did too. Maya was her idol. Areum wanted to be like Maya. And now, Maya was her friend. Was Areum dreaming?

"Maya, what does your name mean?"
The sun going down. Wind whistling through the alley. Areum skipped around and Maya's hand tucked inside her pockets. She smiled,
"Illusion."
"Beauty is another illusion. We were meant to be friends."
Areum. Beauty. The sun reflecting on her pale skin. Her smile perfect. Not even a single spot on her skin. Her hair flowing with the wind. Maya felt a tug inside her heart. Areum was pretty.

"Come on Maya! Let's jump into puddles."
Areum dragged Maya. Her bpny fingers wrapped around Maya's wrist. A pair of brown cat eyes fixed on the giggling teenager. Maya, for once decided to let go and jump in the puddles with her friend.

The water hit her face. Is this  how heaven will feel? The cucumber scented facewash sent tingles down her cheeks. Her hair pulled back by a hairband and tied into a messy bun with the softest ever scrunchie. Wearing a cozy pajama.
Maya softly rubbed her face with a towel. 4 steps down, 6 more to go. She looked at her reflection. She was beautiful. Her mind kept repeating that but it didn't reassure her. Maya rolled her eyes as she popped the medicines inside her mouth. She already missed the pills yesterday. She can't afford falling sick now. She has just moved out! She can't hear another word from her mother about why she should have just stayed in their little nest.

Her phone buzzed. Again. She smiled, Maya found it cute how Areum was constantly messaging her. Like some sort of a lover.

•TokkiKookie wants to send you a message

"This looks interesting."
Maya mumbled as her fingers opened the KakaoTalk message.

=> Hey!
I mean no harm at all. I just wanted to communicate and make some friends! <3

Maya's brows knitted themselves together, unknowingly. It felt like Deja Vu. As if she has read the same message before. As if she knows the person. A thin line drawn on her forehead.

•Illusion is online
•Illusion is typing

Who even are you? <=

Maya's vision got blurrier as her eyes slowly started to get heavy. Her body felt a magnetic pull towards the bed. And with that she drifted away. Drifted to sleep.