the zombie next door

Cherry

my mom came over accessing the situation. she carefully picked the pie up and tossed in the garbage. at the time i was decided i didn't want anything else to do with Zed. i went back inside with a pit growing in my stomach. something wasn't right. 

the rest of the day went smoothly. there were no more unexpected presents left at our door or anymore visitors. mom and i finished the day by watching old movies and laughing about old stories from my childhood. i could tell she was trying to distract me from everything going on and it was working. it wasn't until i was alone till i started thinking about Zed. that pit in my stomach was back. it was consuming everything. i was in the same dark carven as the other day. i had never really left. Zed took up every part of my mind leaving no room for rational thoughts. 

i waited until mom was asleep to go in the kitchen. i quietly opened the garbage can. i dug around until i found what i was looking for. alas i saw a tiny piece of green paper. i picked it up. the note was stained with red almost like blood. it was the cherries that leaked onto it. i could make out a couple words: Addison, fault, please, explain, later, and sorry. in the moment i couldn't piece it together. i tried for the rest of break. i felt like a detective. but nothing. it didn't matter the order or formula i used. nothing worked. 

it was the last day of break and all i wanted to do was go talk to Zed. i had to fight the urge to walk over there and punch him in his perfect face. every time i even thought of him a smile would grace my face then my brain would take over and tears would fill my eyes. i wanted nothing more than to have him back in my grasp. where Addison couldn't manipulate him. where he was mine and mine only. 

i went to bed with a headache like i had done most nights recently. i tossed and turned. i had a sick feeling in my stomach. there was no remedying it either. i had so much anxiety about school there was no possible way i was sleeping. so i got up and walked over to my desk. which was conveniently  facing Zed's window. i could see his light on. i tried to ignore it. i cracked open a textbook trying to get ahead of school work but i couldn't help but look up every couple minutes to see what he was doing. 

i could see the back of his head. he was sitting at his desk too. he was writing something. i could see him crumple up pieces of paper and throw them across the room. i could only imagine what he was writing. a love letter to Addison? another note for me? the unknown was eating me up inside. i gave up my efforts and went back to bed. i finally fell asleep still dreading the next day. 

i followed my routine like i do everyday. get up, brush my teeth, get dressed, do my hair, eat breakfast, and leave. the air was different that morning. it was cold and heavy. almost like i was fighting to breathe. i clutched my books tighter. i kept my head down as i walked into school. i heard gasps as i walked. i fought myself from looking up until i couldn't take it anymore. 

on every locker, every classroom door, every pillar, and every bathroom entrance there was picture of me naked. i could tell it was from the night i slept with Zed but he was cropped out. at the bottom of each picture the word "WHORE" was sprawled in crimson letters. i dropped my books trying to rip down every picture but my efforts were useless. i ran to the bathroom barricading myself in leaving all of my belongings on the floor where i had dropped them. i could tell there was no recovering from this.