"Hey! You haven't spoken to me in weeks. What happened?" Amari asked, trotting up to Nessa in the store.
Nessa tossed some produce in her cart, not really knowing what exactly to say.
"I have a lot going on. I really haven't spoken to anyone. Sorry." Nessa avoided eye contact but Amari knew something was up with her.
"Come over tonight? The new conjuring came out, we can stream it on the tv." Amari gave Nessa a warm smile, yet continued walking beside her.
"It's the least I can do for your birthday." Amari spoke kindly, but Nessa's eyes widened.
"How'd you know today was my birthday?" Nessa turned to the taller girl, her gaze shifting as Amari tried to find the words to say.
"I saw your aunt in the hospital today. I was visiting my uncle..." Amari trailed off, her words sticking like knives in Nessa's heart, mostly because Nessa was admitted in the hospital for a failed attempt.
"Oh. Okay." Nessa spoke softly, not really knowing what to feel in the moment.
Amari silenced herself for a moment before speaking.
"Why were you in the hospital?"
Nessa glanced down at her wrist, noticing the plastic wristband around it.
"I got sick." Nessa lied, it was so obvious by the way her cheeks turned a bright shade of red.
"I'll tell you later. Just promise you won't think differently of me." Nessa pleads, her voice shaky and raw.
Amari nodded and embraced the girl tightly.
"See you tonight birthday girl." Amari waved as she walked away, her smile never fading.
After Nessa had checked out and headed home she prepared dinner for herself since Aunt Edith was going to be out late with her church friends.
She got dressed and then headed to Amari's house although she dreaded telling Amari the truth about going ghost for three weeks.
Nessa walked up the steps and knocked on the door, her heart pounding out of her chest.
"You made it! I thought you weren't gonna come."
She rushed Nessa inside, shielding her from the oncoming rainstorm.
"I made some cupcakes. I wasn't sure what flavor you'd like so I made chocolate and vanilla."
Her voice was so sweet, it really made Nessa feel horrible for going ghost for nearly a month.
"Thank you Amari. You really didn't have to though."
Nessa rubbed the back of her own arm, feeling embarrassed that someone actually took the time and effort to make her birthday special.
"It's the least I could do."
*the entire conversation about what had happened three weeks prior*
Nessa had taken multiple types of pills together, chasing them down with a whole bottle on wine.
Little did she know that aunt Edith had cancelled her trip.
Aunt Edith walked through the door, noticing how silent the house was apart from the television playing in the background.
"Janessa sweetheart. I'm home. My flight was cancelled so I came back home." She says while hanging her keys in the hook.
Aunt Edith went to open the bathroom door but it was locked. She jiggled the handle quickly.
"Janessa? Janessa what's going on. Are you okay?"
After thirty seconds or so aunt Edith had slid her credit card through the door, causing it to pop open smoothly.
She found Nessa lying there in a pool of her own vomit.
