Kingdom of isolation - you can't hide

Seventeen ~ Aurora

Aurora

Age 18

A week later, we all agreed on watching some stupid rom-coms. Amara scowls everytime something cheesy comes up and I find myself doing the same. I dare not tell her that it was because of me we're watching this nonsense in case she maims me in my sleep. Mia and Ophelia are hopeless romantics, I gather, but their smiles are more sadder than dreamy. Like they wish they'd have that instead of...I don't know, whatever they have going on. I know that Mia has a complicated relationship with some guy—I'm guessing that giant from the cafe—and Ophelia is a little more closed off about wanting to talk about her situation, as she once called it.

I don't ask much because it's not like I can give them any advice. I've never had a boy problem, I haven't even kissed anyone because the concept of sharing saliva and enjoying it escapes me. My longest relationship with anyone—anything—is with a mini monchhichi doll named Nino that I carry around with me like it's a good luck charm. Unlike boys, Nino doesn't do much of anything and just sits there looking all cute. I don't rub him inappropriately or anything like some weirdo would but that's the basis of my relationship with anything and I doubt these girls want my advice on how to take care of a decade old monkey doll. I'm only good at raising my uncle's blood pressure with the pictures I paint in his mind about my late night rendezvous. It drives him up the wall when he thinks I came home after having a make out session with a guy when in reality, I wolfed down three bags of Takis for dinner and suffered dire consequences.

"Ugh! He's so annoying and she's even worse! Just fucking die, the both of you!" Amara yells for the umpteenth time. I don't disagree but I'm definitely not as vocal about it, not yet. As enlightening as my first sleepover was, I'm still not quite sure whether I truly belong here with them, not with the extra baggage I seem to carry around with me. It's not their fault that I have extreme trust issues and nightmares about being abandoned. They've tried their hardest to welcome me and I'm not going to lie, it's started to chip away at some of the walls that surround me. Especially Mia, she's become a lot more attentive that I just can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy at being so looked after by anyone not related by blood. She's always there, more so than before, like a sister I could only ever hope for. It's scary how in such a short amount of time I've started feeling things I said I'd never consider.

"She's dying and he's just trying to take care of her!" Mia wails, dabbing her cheeks with a tissue.

"Oh, boo!" Amara throws a few popcorn pieces at the flatscreen and then dunks the entire bowl on Mia's head. Ophelia and I gasp on Mia's behalf since she's so shell shocked, her mouth is hanging wide open. One moment, we're all sitting down and the next, they're chasing each other around the apartment like little school girls.

"You little bitch!" I hear Mia cuss from somewhere behind us and I can't help but chuckle a little. She hardly swears or loses her temper but Amara seems to bring out the worst in her. The friendship dynamic between the trio is quite interesting. Their personalities don't match but that doesn't mean they're constantly clashing because of it, the three are very tight knit together and seem to understand each other well. However, Amara does try people's patience and I love that for her. Hell, she even manages to make Ophelia lose her temper sometimes and the result is quite adorable. It's like seeing a puppy trying to act tough. Adorable.

"Look who's talking!" The little instigator cackles.

I watch the fight with genuine amusement, eating my popcorn as if this is what I would rather watch, eyes ping ponging between the two.

"Are they always like this?" I ask Ophelia, nodding at the two grown women fighting like children, the movie long forgotten.

"They have their moments!" Ophelia giggles, hiding her face behind the pillow to avoid the popcorn being tossed around like confetti. I do the same, nearly dropping my own bowl in the process.