This One's for You

Prolouge // Damn, What Happened to Her?

I could say many things about myself, but most of them would not be polite.

I am not beautiful, nor am I what some people would describe as "pleasant to be around". I drink; I smoke too much for my (or anyone around me's) own good. I would be lucky to make it an entire hour without falling over my own two feet on any given day of the week. But what I can admit that I am, is understanding.

I have always had quite the soft spot for a good sob story.

You just went through a breakup? Tell me all about it. I know exactly how to help you.
Your dog died? Bring it. How may I be of assistance to you?
He cheated on you. Yeah? Well, I'll be damned. Happened to me, too.

I have always been capable of helping anyone in nearly any situation. I just can't help myself.

My greatest friend on this earth wouldn't even be able to tell I was hurting, given that I was. That has just always been the way that I am, I bottle things up inside and keep adding to the pile and acting like nothing even hurt me in the first place. But there are only so many times you can listen to a friend complain that she thinks her man has been Snapchatting another girl before you want to say, "Jesus Christ, is no one even concerned about what I am doing?" But you know that you can't.

It's been a year and three months since he left me, and you'd think that would be enough time to get over it, wouldn't you? And so it goes for saying that if I have learned anything from this life, it is that once you tear down your walls, be sure they aren't low-bearing and the whole house won't come crashing down with them when they go.

Now that the curiosity has been sparked, it can be said that my story isn't happy. More than once I have heard drifting rumors around the mill saying, "She is just a miserable human." I honestly wish I could say I wasn't. But when your man leaves you for someone you thought was your best friend, I don't think that there's any way that you could recover quickly. Two people you'd given everything you had to, and both of those people tossed it away like it never meant anything to them, and it probably didn't.

So, I guess I should probably start at the beginning. Most stories do.
By the way, you can call me Lia. Lia Abernathy. Most people do.

And this one's for you.