Just Listen

Chapter 2

Bonnie. Wake up," Stella shook me.
"Wha-what?"
"It's eleven in the morning, wake up."
I opened my eyes and hissed as she opened the curtains. Stella stood with her hands on her hips at the end of her bed. Dressed, hair done in perfect curls, beautiful and thin as ever. I looked around and realized we were in her bedroom. She had pink rugs, a pink armchair, pink curtains, pink everything. It was as if the color pink sneezed all over her room and didn't wipe up the mess. The only thing that wasn't pink was her closet doors which still were white from when she moved into the home.
"Ugh, your bedroom is so depressing," I moaned and sat up on my elbow. I yawned and licked my chapped lips.
"What the hell happened last night anyway?"
Stella came to sit next to me on her pink bed. "After the dinner, you were feeling pretty upset and tired so you asked if you could crash here."
I jumped up. "Crap! Did you say it was eleven?" I looked around frantically.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Shit! My mom Stella. I left her home alone on the day of my dad's funeral. How could I do that to her," I said realizing I was in one of Stella's pink pajama pairs.
"Where are my damn clothes?" I looked around frantically. I spotted them on her wastebasket and I took off Stella's PJ's and threw on my clothes as fast as I could. Struggling to put my shirt and skinny jeans back on, I slipped on her wood floor and fell on my side. I seethed in pain.
"Oh my god Bonnie. Are you okay?" She came running to my side. My jeans were still half on and I pulled them up and zipped them. She held out her hand and helped me up. I brushed myself off and walked to her vanity where I stole her brush and started brushing my hair.
"Ew Bonnie, I don't want you getting any black hair caught in my brush," she said grabbing it from me. I shrugged. "I called your mom anyways last night, she said it was fine."

Damn. I promised I would be back. "Stella, you know my mom. It wasn't fine."
She sighed and placed her brush back in her holder neatly. Sighing, she pulled her hair behind her ears, showing off her perfect cheekbones and thin face.
"I can drive you over there right now," she said.
"No Stella. It's too late now," I said biting my cheek. "Do you think she will forgive me?"
"Of course!" She threw up her hands. "She's your mother!"
I bit my lip. "I guess you're right." Shrugging, I flopped back on her bed. Although it might've been pink, it was surely the comfiest bed I've slept in. I snuggled deeper into the covers and curled up into a little ball.
Stella smiled and laid down next to me.
"I heard what those people said. Your father's passing was an accident."
She turned her face to look at mine and I guess she could tell I was upset. "Don't let them get to you, Bonnie."
I rolled my eyes. It was of no use. They had already eaten every part of my happiness. It was as if they stole it and ripped it to shreds.
Society doesn't understand how much of an effect they have on people. Why won't they just listen?
"Want some pizza? We can order in and eat your favorite ice cream!" Stella nudged my side with her bony elbow.
"Mint ice cream with marshmallows and cherries?!" I squealed excitedly. Today might be the highlight of my week.
"I'm calling the pizza man now but I call dibs on the movie picking!" She yelled walking downstairs to pick out a movie. I sat up from the bed and grabbed my phone out of my back pocket, dialing my mom. It rang until the very end, when I heard a quiet reply.
"Hello?" my mom answered.
"Mom!" I said eagerly into the phone. "Listen- it was rough last night and I'm so sorry I didn't come home." I walked to Stella's window and placed my hand on the sill for support.
There was a sigh. "Oh Bonnie, it's okay. I just watched my show and caught up on my book." She was lying. The wavering in her voice gave her away. She had been crying. I wish I could take away the pain; take away what made her so solemn. Life was like that sometimes. I hated every bit of life. It was unfair, depressing, and infuriating.
"So you're on your own for lunch and dinner."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, what? I was thinking."
"I said, I have an appointment today with someone and I'll be gone so you'll be home alone." Her voice was tense and angry. This was another thing my mother and I did not discuss; therapists. I had a therapist when I was in middle school; my parents believed I needed a therapist because I was suicidal. Just because my mom walked into my room, just as I was holding a pair of scissors, didn't mean I was going suicidal. Can't I be curious? My friends cut and poured out their hearts to me about their problems. I somehow felt their pain and I'll admit, it brought me down. Wasn't that a good enough reason to cut? It was a way for me to fit in with the only friends I had. Girls and boys comparing battle wounds while I didn't have any.
"Yeah, of course Mom. Are you okay?"
"Yes Hun, don't worry. Losing your father is just a part of life and I need a little guidance moving on, that's all," she said noticing my worried and quickened voice.
Moving on. Two words I didn't want to hear come out of my mothers mouth; especially after my father's death. I heard a soft knock at Stella's door and I turned to see her curious pale face stare back at mine.
"Feel better Mom," I said hanging up. I took a deep breath and my hands tensed up around the phone, making my knuckles white.
"What was that about?" She asked, walking in, holding The Phantom of the Opera.
"Just my mom. I wanted to call and check up on her after you know, I failed to come home and destroyed my relationship with my mom."
Stella rolled her eyes and walked over to the window next to me. She had such a pale face, but it was beautiful. In the light, her lime green eyes seemed to glow and her smile was near perfect. I took in her freckles that cascaded over her nose and her dyed auburn hair that was perfectly draped over her shoulders. Her cheekbones that stuck out and made her look like a model; her primped and plump lips that she colored in a deep red gloss everyday.

She consumed me in a hug; her breath tickled my ear, making me have goosebumps.
"You're mom can accept that you have a life and that the only escape you have is away from home," she whispers.
She felt like nothing in my arms; just skin and bones. I was jealous. "You're so skinny," I said pulling away from her. She reached out and pulled my midnight hair onto my shoulders and met my gaze. A smile etched on her face and she held my hand.
"I'm not about to be!" she joked. "Look who's here!"
I followed her gaze outside to the cute boy with spiked up hair walking to her front door with a large pizza case. "Go go go!" I shoved her towards the door. We squealed and tumbled down the stairs, bumping into each other. As I reached the bottom, Stella halted and fell back on her heels, causing me to slam into her back. All the air rushed out of me at once and I grunted. "Oh my god Stella, what is it?"
Stella held her breath and her nose flared. Her nose only flared when she was mad. In this case, it was because of Lee. Lee was her summer fling during church camp. He was one of the leaders who led her through camp for activities. On the first day, her group was swimming and since she hated water, she stayed with Lee and talked until it became a routine. Pretty soon they were meeting when everyone was sleeping and talking late into the night. Two weeks passed, and the late night meetings turned into make-out sessions every night. He took her virginity after the first month and then got caught getting 'cozy' with another girl. She had walked into him caressing a blondes breast when she decided to visit him in his cabin when he hadn't shown for their meeting during the swimming break. Stella flipped and left immediately when the camp ended that weekend.
"It's Lee. He's the pizza delivery guy."
"Uh oh, do you want me to answer the door?" I offered.
"No, it's okay, I got this. I have unfinished business," she said with a smirk. She flipped her hair up and down and reached into her shirt to pull up her breasts and pulled down her shirt. I snickered as she walked to open the door. Lee was half knocking as she opened the door; his face was ashen once he realized who he was delivering the pizza too.
"Stella? It's been forever!" He said looking at her up and down, eyeing her big breasts.
"I'm sorry? Do I know you?" She said.
Ouch. That' gotta hurt. "It's Lee, from church camp? We-" he wavered. "You know."
"No, i'm sorry, I don't know. I do remember a cute blonde with tiny breasts though."
He held his breath. I came to join her at her hip for support and he eyed me. "Listen Stella," he was still holding the pizza. It was getting cold and I rolled my eyes, annoyed. I pulled out the fifteen bucks and was going to hand it to him when Stella wrapped her hand around my hip seductively. The places she touched me tingled every time she lifted her hand.
"Sorry Lee but i've found someone who actually can kiss me right," She said rubbing the side of my stomach she put her hand around.
Did this mean she was indicating I was fat by rubbing my stomach? I played along. "Yeah, my Stella actually knows how to make me feel good. But the things you did in bed, I heard was awful, right hun?" I boasted, turning towards her.

Lee's mouth dropped. "Wait, you're a lesbian now?"
Stella had a grin so big that it reached up to her eyes. She was having fun with this. "Yeah, after that one night at church camp, I realized that guys are just not for me."
Holy hell. Even I was impressed. She just implied that sex with him was so bad that he made her turn lesbian. I was about to explode with giggles. She turned my chin and her gaze met my eyes, and before I know it, her plump lips met mine and she was kissing me. I mean really kissing me.
Damn. It was meaningful and it was hard to tell if she was still playing and somehow deep down, I hoped she wasn't.
Since middle school, I've known I was bisexual. Sure, I thought guys were cute but the thought of doing more than just kissing them, made me sick. Guys don't know how to make a girl feel good, nor how to kiss. But when I look at Stella, I only see my best friend so I can't think anymore of her, especially considering she is straight.
"Now I'm super happy with my cupcake, Bonnie," she stroked my cheek.
Was she really acting? I knew she was straight but...
"Wow. Well, I better get going, I have a job I have to get back to," Lee said, bewildered. He was so shocked, it was hilarious.
"Yeah, I'll see you around Lee," Stella winked at him.
I handed him the money I was still holding in my hand and he gave me the pizza.
No tip for him. As he slowly stalked off, Stella gave me a high five and a big embrace.
"Oh my god! That was awesome!" She squealed doing a little dance, jumping around and kicking her feet around. I laughed until my side hurt, trying not to drop the pizza.
"Let's go eat some pizza as a victory reward!" For a victory, I deserve the calorie packed meal.