FRIDAY'S GIRL

Chapter 5

Calipartyguy18: Are you feeling better, April?

April: Not yet, I still feel like I'm drowning.

Calipartyguy18: I wish I could be there with you to defend you. I'm really sorry.

April: They're jerks... But I don't want to bore you with my stories.

Calipartyguy18: You know I like talking to you. I'm here to listen and support you in whatever you need.

April: Thanks, really. Sometimes you're the most real thing I have, and it's weird because I don't know you.

Calipartyguy18: I feel the same. I'm also going through a tough time, but talking to you makes me feel better. Have you tried any relaxation techniques to calm down?

April: Yes, I'm trying to breathe deeply, but my brain is in turbo mode, and I can't stop overthinking.

Calipartyguy18: You're not alone, I'm with you. This too shall pass. Plus, it's Friday. You'll be able to disconnect over the weekend.

April: I know. Thanks so much for replying so quickly!

Calipartyguy18: No problem! Did you know that laughter is a great way to reduce stress? Want to hear a joke?

April: Seriously?

Calipartyguy18: I swear.

April: Nothing to lose by trying.

Calipartyguy18: What does a bee do at the gym?

April: Let's hear it, surprise me, what does it do?

Calipartyguy18: Zum-ba!

April: That's terrible. Deserves to be burned at the stake in the town square.

Calipartyguy18: It's not that bad! Admit it, did you laugh?

April: Just a little bit.

Calipartyguy18: I knew it!

April: I feel a bit better. Thanks.

Calipartyguy18: You're welcome!

April: Talk to you later.

Calipartyguy18: See you later.

I was locked in the school bathroom, sitting on the toilet with my phone in one hand and the other clutching my backpack as if it were a lifebuoy. A smile had formed involuntarily on my face, but I still felt anguish. "1, 2, 3, 4... Breathe and exhale slowly," I told myself mentally, trying to control the anxiety attack I was suffering due to some football players, real brainless gorillas, who had surrounded me after class to give me a hard time. After sticking a note on my back with the word "freak," they snatched my digital camera and started tossing it to each other, the jerks. Every time I saw it flying through the air, I felt unbearable vertigo, as my mother had made a superhuman effort to gift it to me. It was like my baby, I loved it so much, I had refused to use the one the school newspaper provided.

"Fucking idiots," I whispered on the verge of tears, hugging the backpack where I had stored my precious camera tighter.

The four electric blue walls of the bathroom stall, somewhat worn by time, closed in around me as if I were trapped in a space too small to contain all my feelings. Despite this, it was the only place where I felt safe, where I could be alone with myself, without anyone harassing me. Naively, I had believed things would get better during the last year. How wrong I was!

Just as I was about to open the door to leave, I heard someone enter, so I stayed still, my heart pounding in my chest from fear. Holding my breath, I immediately recognized the shrill voices of Chloe Miller and Isabella Fernández.