Love Alarm [Based On A True Story]

Ugly

Two days later:

Exiting the washroom, I walk around the room aimlessly, fixing the pillows on my bed, packing my bag for tomorrow, or just randomly placing my uniform out on the table. I do nothing and everything at the same time. For my mind is too clouded with thoughts to even comprehend my surroundings.

Sometime in between my activities, my sisters had filed in one by one, just lounging around the room as they talked about their day's activity. Unlike before, the six of us can spend much time together, talk about things just like old times without having to worry about leaving mom alone.

After we moved out of that god forsaken house, things started to look better for mom as well, and hence the development in her health. While she still needs supervising when she moves around, it isn't as serious as it was back then. Her tantrums have ceased a lot too, so the six of us can actually relax more and not always be on our guard for something terrible to happen. What happened with mom has shaken us all to the core that we had all lost a part of ourselves. The part that we call...youth. The carefree, young, wild, youth.

So here we are again, discussing stuff like we had been doing as of lately, only this time, I cannot bring myself to indulge in their conversation. For I can't stop thinking about all that happened to me in the last three days. And the more I think about it, the more I look back on events of last year, at the things my own siblings told me, and how I never realized the gravity of those words...until now.

"Ariana, you are awfully quiet today." Ashley suddenly says, making all eyes turn to me while I hold myself back from flinching at the sudden attention. Placing my bag down, I take my time to stare at each one of them, as if reading their minds. I don't know what they are thinking.

"Won't you tell us about your day?" I turn to Alena, watching her smile at me genuinely, only that I cannot return it one bit.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you talk like that? You talk like a man! Ha ha ha!"

"Ari? You alright?" It's Ashley again. She waits for me to say something, but again, all I can do is stare at her.

"Ari, do everyone a favour and get out of the frame. You are ruining Alena's picture."

"Ariana," This time it's Alice, who smiles from me to our sisters. "You seem a little tired."

"Maybe, if you could tone it down a little, things wouldn't be so messy. Your attitude I mean."

"I guess she's sick. Did any of you check?" Sindy glances at each one of them, while all I do is take a step back involuntarily.

"You...you disgust me. You reek."

"I'm fine." I reply, smiling softly before I release a low laugh, tugging my stray hairs behind my ears. "You know me, I don't fall sick so easily. That being said, I'm going down for dinner. Don't you guys want to come?"