The Enemy Lives Next Door (bxb)

Part Twenty-Three

Part Twenty-Three

•••

I haven't left my room for nearly two weeks, except to use the bathroom or grab something to eat. Even then, I make sure no one is around.

My mother's attempts to coax me out with my favorite things have been in vain. For the first week, I cry incessantly, avoiding all human contact. By the second week, I feel numb, drifting in an emotional void.

By the end of the fortnight, school seems irrelevant. I want nothing more than to stay wrapped in my blanket, lost in a marathon of zombie movies.

I stretch my limbs, feeling them crack. I let out a lazy yawn and head to the bathroom. Seeing my reflection, a wave of hopelessness hits me. My hair stands in all directions, and dark circles form under my eyes. I sigh and splash cold water on my face, trying to shake off the fatigue.

A knock on my door disrupts my thoughts. I roll my eyes, annoyed. Can't people understand that I want to be left alone? Is provoking me really what they want?

When the knocking persists, I storm out of the bathroom, unlock the door, and fling it open. I freeze, staring at Lilly. What do I even say?

"Hey, Dale," she says cheerfully, waving. Her grin is bright, though her eyes take in the mess of my room. "What's up? We haven't heard from you in ages. Also, you look like you got hit by a bus. No offense."

I groan, my face tilted towards the ceiling as I flop onto my bed, burying my face in the mattress. Lilly giggles behind me, and the door clicks shut.

Rolling onto my back, I gaze at the ceiling, running my hands down my face. "I don't know what's going on," I admit. "I just don't want to leave my room."

Lilly pulls open my blinds, and light floods the room. I shield my eyes from the brightness.

"It's good to see you after you decided to ghost on us," she says, "even though you look like you're not even on this planet right now. We miss you. You should come back to school. Everyone's going crazy about prom."

Oh shit, prom. I sit upright, wincing at the light. Lilly stands in front of my dresser, dressed in her usual fashion—an oversized black hoodie, blue ripped jeans, and black thigh-high heels.

"I honestly forgot about prom..." I trail off, realizing I don't have a date. "Well, looks like I won't be attending any social events anytime soon. Besides, you guys can go without me."

Lilly rolls her eyes and walks over to my bed, sitting down. She throws her arm around my neck, pulling me close. "We'll never go without you. It's our trio, or no trio at all," she says with a smile. Her vibe is so contagious that I can't help but smile back. "That was our promise in junior year, remember?"

I nod, glancing at her. Her long caramel hair frames her face beautifully, flowing down her back in waves. With light makeup, she looks absolutely gorgeous.

Suddenly, I'm reminded of the guilt I feel for using my best friend to find out Adam is in love with my stupid brother. My smile fades.

Lilly notices. She removes her arm from around me and nudges my shoulder. "Hey, where'd you go?" she asks. "I got you smiling. What's on your mind?"