joelle | d.m

66 | former friend

May, 1995.

Joey awoke with a headache.

Pain hammered at her temples and caused her nose to scrunch in discomfort. Her eyelids opened and her eyes stung terribly from crying herself to sleep.

She just lay there, blankly staring ahead. She hadn't even changed out of her casual clothes.

She'd just cried and cried and cried until she fell asleep in Imani's arms on the floor. Then, she assumed, Devonte carried her to her bed and she got tucked in. So now here she was laying in her bed—puffy-eyed with red rims, throat scratched, mouth dry, head aching.

She hoped she was all cried out because she didn't like the feeling of blubbering uncontrollably. She'd never cried like this before and she could safely say she didn't want it to happen again.

It felt awful. Not being able to breathe, the hotness of the tears itching her skin, her lungs and throat aching—it all felt awful.

On the bright side of all things, it was a Saturday, which meant no classes. It also meant she could hide in her dorm for the next two days.

But was she going to? No.

She and Draco broke up. Even though it felt like the end of the world, it certainly was not. It was simply the end of an era. Even with the heartbreak, she still didn't want to wallow.

If there was one thing her mother, Angel, did right with Joey—it was that she taught her to never, ever let a guy insert an obstacle toward her goals. Which was actually why Angel easily moved on from guy to guy to guy. Granted the fact that she didn't care about any of them, but that was not the point.

Joey wasn't going to move on from guy to guy. She was just going to continue on with her life and her goals without the obstacle of having to mourn this breakup. She didn't want to mourn this breakup. She was just going to move on and that was it.

At last, Joey coaxed herself to sit up in her bed. She glanced at the clock to see it was just about time for breakfast. Now she wasn't hungry at all, but this would be a part of her usual routine. Getting breakfast.

Actually, her usual routine would have been waking up to feathered kisses from Draco. He'd tell her she was so beautiful when she woke up. She'd disagree and tell him he was pretty.

Then they'd talk and maybe kiss more. Then they'd get dressed for the day and head down for breakfast together. Hand in hand. Fingers interlocked.

She now just realized that she wouldn't be waking up next to Draco anymore. No more goodnight kisses or good morning kisses. Not more pillow talks or cuddling through the night. No more going to bed enveloped in his safe arms and waking up entwined with his limbs.

Those were one of her favourite things to do. Those things were so intimate. So close.

But they only happened because of a game. A game in which he had to sleep with her in order to win.

"Joey?"

She blinked, and realized she'd been weeping from the wet stains on her cheeks. Her tearful eyes lifted from her blanket to see Imani sitting on the edge of her bed in her pajamas, having just woken up.

"Why don't you get dressed for some breakfast, hm?" Imani asked with a gentle smile.

Joey just nodded and sniffled and rubbed at her tear-stained cheeks with her fingers. She hauled herself out of bed and went to get herself ready for the day.

It was just a normal Saturday.

_____

Word around Hogwarts always spread faster than wildfire.