Parting Ways

Parting Ways - Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven (not edited)

(Dedicated to JojoTee for her aweet comment on the last chapter (And all the others). Thanks a ton. You're amazing!)

There are times when you make mistakes so huge that you think they’ll be the end of your life. Well, in my case, the end was near anyway.

       When I first heard that I had cancer – almost three months ago – it rooted a deep feeling of alienation in my pit. Sadness, pity or shock weren’t the emotions that dawned upon me that day; but a simple sensation of being deserted covered me up. The whole thing felt weird because in all honesty I had never even spared a thought in this direction. Somehow, along the way, it changed me completely.

        The once cheerful and bubbly girl changed into a wreck of mess. Even looking in the mirror caused pain to surge through me. I blamed every passing person for it, including myself and God. Perhaps, isolation and self-pity were the main reasons that compelled me to push everyone away in the first place. It was a pretty nice idea, though but only if I had thought through it.

       When I went back to school on Monday, people saw me through different eyes. I was no longer a friend, classmate or the girl who enjoyed life, no; I had been reduced to the level of that equivalent to a backstabber, a bitch, a part- slut. But then, I preferred this reaction better than that of constant pitying.

       I had somehow survived Monday, going through various rumors which involved me. I knew people were talking about me; after all I had become the latest gossip of the school. Whispers surrounded me at every step, heads shook in my direction, eyes rolled heavenwards upon my arrival. Well, people were taking it a notch higher, almost exaggerating things. All I had done was kiss a boy in front of my boyfriend (yes, it’s not acceptable in any form), yet every person looked at me like I had just been jailed for mass murder.

       But today, the idea of going through the hellhole again didn’t sound that pleasing to me. Ditching my classes I went straight to the library. I’d never been an avid reader merely because I didn’t have the time to read. Or so I thought. The real reason was that my life was next to perfect; always had been. I had everything, and I never felt the need to read about anyone’s life in order to satisfy my own self. But ever since I was young, library did provide me a sense of protection. However weird that may sound. The feeling of being secretive in a place which was visited by herds of people amazed me. You could almost lock yourself up in a place which is opened by so many. It was weirdly ironical in its own way.

       “That’s Emma, right?” A finger was pointed in my direction. I took the risk of glaring from the corner of my eye but to my dismay I was greeted by the site of two over-enthusiastic girls.

       “Yeah man, I heard Luke and she left Friday’s party together,” one of the two girls chided.

       “Wasn’t she dating Bruce?”

       “Man, who cares? It’s their life.” Really? Someone please hand her an award for being totally hypocritical. “By the way, I saw Bruce with some new chick in the hallway yesterday!”

        I zoned out of their ‘private conversation’. How did people do that – taking a small gossip and making it sound so bad?    

       “You little bitch!” A voice boomed in my ears. Geez, it’s a library for god’s sake; try being quieter? I turned my head sideways to acknowledge the source of the voice. Ah, of course. Stella Cling. The very sight of her made me scrunch my nose in pure hatred.

       “I’m away from this school for three damn days and you run a scandal behind my back?” I gave her a questioning look. Her dark grey eyes were full of anger and I could see the little white flecks grown edgier in her iris.