Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 27: Double

Break, break, break. A month of bonkers and boredom. You would think that a month off from school is so relaxing and fun, but ironically, it makes you miss the times when you constantly had shit to do. Now that I have nothing to do? I really need something to stimulate my brain.

Even if it's a stalker trying to kill me, while that is terrifying, at least it makes me actually do something. It doesn't hurt that today's my birthday, too. I'm officially in my 20s! But unfortunately, my body decided to screw me over earlier than usual. My period came early, and whenever they come, the day and all following days immediately suck.

I just wanted to cut a cake for myself, FaceTime my friends back home, and watch a movie with the others. Not hunch over in pain and internally cry. This break has been far from ideal. Everything seems to be going against me this time: my uterus decided that it wants to torture me 2 weeks before it was supposed to, and I'm pretty sure my parents will never talk to me again.

I haven't talked to my parents and my aunt and uncle at all since I came home. My friends were really surprised when I told them I came back, and while they were a little upset that I left without saying goodbye, they eventually forgave me when I told them about what happened.

It's funny. This week was supposed to be my last week in New York, but here I am. Back in Dallas. Back in this world where they will probably never find me. Back with people who, turns out, had some association with my mom this whole time.

I can't help but think about that night constantly. How did it come out so suddenly? Why did they lie to me for all the years?

But the most puzzling one...

Why did they change their names?

It's just too much. But one thing I have learned is that fear tends to make us do the dumbest things.

Ah, screw it. I'm in too much pain to even consider the possibilities.

I trudge to the kitchen with the minimal energy I have left to grab some oatmeal. Sam and Vinnie are both there too. Sam's making some matcha latte for herself as Vinnie just watches her and talks as she sits on the counter. The air smells strongly like fresh lemons, but I ignore it thinking that it's probably from lemonade earlier. Weird, because Prashanth's scent is lemonade. Coincidence, I guess.

It's just us girls in the house right now except for Divya because all the guys went to the store. It's Prashanth's night to make dinner, and he really wants to make nachos since it's my birthday today. So they all went to get the food for the recipe, and the girls stayed home because we were bored as hell.

Not Divya, though. She's at a college swim meet in Delaware, and she's only coming back on New Year's Eve. Too bad, there's this void in the house without her motherly presence here.

"You doing ok? Is the syrup working?" Sam wonders concernedly as she notices how awful I look. Tusharika used a spell to make a syrup that mimics a painkiller since my cramps are a hellhole. 

My mom's always let me use painkillers for my cramps, usually making other aunties judge me. Something about it messes with your cycle, I guess. I don't know, women are always taught to just deal with their shit. But guess what? I'm allowed to literally take a medication for when my uterus internally dies. So, that's what I've been doing, and I'm glad my mom never fell into that myth.

 The spell she used was actually inspired by ayurveda. I know it's random, but it's really cool to see how certain spells can be influenced from all kinds of cultures and languages and not just Latin.

"Yeah, it's feeling a lot better. But I don't know, I just feel like my period is worse than usual. It's more painful than my other cycles." For some reason, the cramps have even spread to my head. And worse, it's like a sharp ache rather than a dull, ignorable pain. Great, my uterus feels like a washing machine, and so does my head too. Just my luck.