IN THE SHADOW OF OBLIVION

Chapter 10: Who said Blue birds are lucky? It is a lie

Anntonia thought she was going to rip her hair out. She stared at the phone on the coffee table in front of her for couple hours now, not taking her eyes away for a second. Because what if it rang? She continued to stare, waiting for the buzzing noise of the vibration from a call against the wooden table.

It didn't come. No call from specific caller she was expecting.

30 minutes later, she was lying on the couch, but still, her eyes fixed on the phone above the coffee table.

"So annoying! Why don't you just call, Daniela!?" She said out loud, twirling her hair between her fingers. She still hadn't spoken to the woman since she abandoned her and it was making her halfway delirious, to the point of talking to herself.

"Lord, pretty please? Let her call me." Then she picked the phone up and rubbed the device between her palms. "Please? With sugar on top? I'm not gonna do the first move here."

She sighed and set the phone next to her on the couch and leaned back, asking herself what was going on. Is she going nuts? Then she reach over to grab the remote, turning the TV on and flipped through the channels in youtube until she landed on a familiar face.

"Today, incredible stories of love and friendship," Oprah Winfrey's voice filled the living room and she groaned as images of happy couples flashed across the screen. "Listen in on one couple's incredible tale of how they went from childhood friends to married with six kids, right after this."

The program faded into a commercial and Anntonia had to hold her breath to keep from exploding in tears. It had only been a little over a day since she last spoken to Michelle, but it had been years since they'd spent any real time apart with no contact, like today. She wasn't used to being so far away from the woman and she definitely wasn't used to being ignored by her.

Their relationship had always been the same – she was always there for Michelle, and so was the woman was always there for her. It didn't matter what time it was, what day it was, what the other person was doing. If the latter got a call from her, she was going to answer it, and vice versa. So why hadn't either one of them tried to call each other and talk and maybe try to sort this mess out?

She rolled her eyes, knowing that Michelle was probably doing the same thing she was. Waiting for her to call. She also knew that it was likely neither of them would be able to swallow their pride and admit who's at fault and dial the other's number, but she knew she wasn't the one going to do it first. No way, she thought. She was already humiliated enough.

What if Michelle flat-out rejected her?

Not ready to face the pain of that possibility, Anntonia let her mind wander to Irfan, who was probably wondering where she was. She was supposed to be at his house already, according to the plans they'd made over the phone. But still, she couldn't bring herself to get off of the couch.

It was hard for her to be excited about Irfan when she couldn't think of anyone but Michelle.

She knew she was being ridiculous, but how could she help it when the latter wouldn't even call her?

She sat up. Exactly! Michelle wouldn't even call. Shouldn't that have been a sign? Shouldn't the fact that the woman hadn't even made a single attempt to talk to her be a clue to how she was feeling? She didn't care about her, about what happened, and obviously, it was nothing at all. It was just a drunk mistake and nothing more. If what Ruru said was true, that the woman had been in love with her, the way she was with her, she wouldn't have been able to keep that from her. Wouldn't she noticed that Michelle has been trying as hard as she could to tell her, would she?

Suddenly feeling stupid, she nodded to herself and, determined to not waste another second on her stupid best friend. She stood up, walked to her bedroom, and picked out the sexiest tank top she owned because she was going to get over about that night and her feelings for Michelle and onto Irfan. The faster, the better.