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This chapter's song
Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez
"I'm nuts, baby, I'm mad, The craziest friend that you've ever had You think I'm psycho, you think I'm gone Tell the psychiatrist something is wrong Over the bend, entirely bonkers You like me best when I'm off my rocker Tell you a secret, I'm not alarmed So what if I'm crazy? The best people are All the best people are crazy, all the best people are"
***
Annaleigha, feeling the need to get out of that clingy environment her mother is trying hard to create, decides to leave everything behind; so, she takes matters into her own hands and chooses to go for a walk, hoping to come back stronger and free from every sort of negative thoughts. And, hopefully, more inspired.
She walks down the pavement, distracted by the cheerful birdsong every once in a while and almost not noticing that she's bumping on someone. Hoping it's not Alyzza or Alanis, she makes a step back and lowers her head, ready to apologize for not paying enough attention.
Instead, the person who bumped on her is Aaleiyah, who's probably distracted by her own thoughts, too. She catches Anna's glimpse, before saying, "Oops, I guess I should've not kept my eyes on my phone. Oh, hi, Anna, how are you?" She smiles, making her interlocutor uneasy.
"I'm fine... thanks." Annaleigha is clearly lying. She doesn't want to sound obnoxious or tell Aaleiyah the truth, knowing that she'll probably be judged for how she behaves and looks and not for how she is. Being true to oneself usually doesn't pay off, especially in Annaleigha's case.
Fortunately, Aaleiyah doesn't notice that and instead orders the fair-haired girl to follow her. Anna obeys and jumps on the dark-skinned girl's car, who says, "I'm gonna take you to a special place. I hope you like it, okay?" Anna just nods, still lost in her thoughts and not feeling like having conversation.
After a half-an-hour-long drive, the two girls arrive at a park, filled with bustling, birdsong and more noises caused by the bikes and skateboards passing by. It's not exactly crowded, though there are enough people to make Annaleigha feel embarrassed. She doesn't know Aaleiyah's intentions, yet she still hopes they're good ones.
The girls find a picnic table and sit by it, greeted by three other young women. One of them is an African-American like Aaleiyah, with long black curls and bright red lips; the second one has deep blue eyes and long red hair with a fringe. Last but not least, the third one also has long long hair in a fringe, but it's dark brown; also, freckles appear on her golden-like tan skin.
The latter waves at Aaleiyah. "Hey! Who's your friend?" she asks, curious to find out something more about the slim fair-haired girl. As she notices her, she politely introduces herself. "Anyway, my name is Allyah. A-L-L-Y-A-H." She spells it out, believing that Annaleigha might confuse it with Aaleiyah's. "What's yours?"
"Annaleigha. But please call me Anna. It's much easier," is Anna's answer, who smiles back at Allyah. Anyway, Aaleiyah takes advantage of the situation to introduce the other two girls, who are both glancing at Anna, stricken by her looks, especially the light brown-ish lipgloss she's using.
"These are Audrina and Ashleigh," says Aaleiyah, pointing respectively at the curly-haired girl and at the redhead. The former then exclaims, "Nice to meet you, Anna. I hope we'll be friends soon!" This earns her a heartfelt smile from Annaleigha, who has never been treated in such a friendly way.
Allyah reprises talking, "So, Anna, we've never seen you before. What brought you here?" This is definitely the question Annaleigha doesn't feel like answering. She doesn't want these girls to be involved in her complicated life. She believes that they've never been in the same situation as her, that everything in this town is too perfect for her liking and that she's the only one causing trouble.
However, for the first time, she realizes that she can actually count on someone: a friend, a confidant, someone who actually seems to care about her, unlike her mother, who's far more interested in seeking her pleasure, which she won't find such easily.
"Well, it's not easy to explain. I mean, I don't think you're such interested in my story..." Anna hesitates, looking down and therefore avoiding to answer directly Allyah's answer. What's worse, anyway, is that she feels like the other girls' eyes are glued on her.
However, she turns her glance back at them as Aaleiyah pats her shoulder. "Come on. You can tell us. We won't judge you for that," she declares, causing Anna to force a smile. After that, tension seems to dissolve for a while, but Annaleigha knows she has to tell her story; the earlier, the better. She doesn't want to leave them hanging and keep carrying her burden made of pure sufference.
She clears her throat, gathering all the little courage she has, and says in a deep voice, "Since I was born, I've moved towns on a regular basis. My father was in the Navy, so I hardly ever saw him. I haven't had any news of him since he and Mom decided to get a divorce."
"That must be terrible," comments Audrina, looking repentant. She also explains, "I guess I have to apologize to my father for every time I yelled at him or insulted him. The point is, we're not in very good terms, and..." She doesn't finish her discourse, deciding instead to leave it suspended in order not to upset Annaleigha further. What she needs the least, right now, is negativity.
However, Allyah intervenes, "I think we all need to redefine our relationships with our fathers, starting with me. I can't exactly say I'm proud of how I've treated him all this time." This moment of self-realization is interrupted by Anna sighing and Aaleiyah clearing her throat again.
Therefore, Anna reprises talking. "As we moved towns, Mom would start new relationship with other men, not listening to my opinions and not paying attention to my needs!" She raises her voice, furious at the thought that her mother might make the same mistake once again but also relieved that she's finally letting her frustration out.
"I tried to tell her that this is not a good idea, but she would just shove me away and tell me to mind my own business. Obviously, I listened to her." The girls are left agape as Annaleigha reveals that, shocked that she lets her own mother exclude her from her life, even if not directly.
"Have you tried talking to someone else? Perhaps, you could find a new solution to your problems," suggests Audrina, who, however, earns a negative answer as Annaleigha shakes her head.
"Oh... I understand. I guess the situation is even more complicated than I thought," comments Aaleiyah. "You can't face it on your own, especially if your mother won't take it seriously. Let us help you."
