Cotard Curse (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 9

Nichole didn't sleep at all that night. Breathing took up most of her head-space. Medication didn't help her headache or the swelling. She wondered if she needed to go to the hospital, but it wasn't that serious. No one knew what had happened and her plan was to keep it that way. 

Nichole had blood from her nose all over her shirt and had to wipe rubbing alcohol on several scratches up her arms. She tried to ignore the fact that these were from her mother's delicate hands but it was hard when you could hear her snoring from the room next door. She's sleeping so peacefully. After what she just did?

Before Nichole even had time to process anything the sun was rising outside her window and she was about to pass out from exhaustion. She didn't feel safe sleeping- not after what happened- but as soon as her head mentioned sleep she was out like a light. 

Coffee was her saviour when she woke up from the dull void of slumber two hours later. She found the biggest mug she could and started boiling the hot water, triple checking that her mum was still upstairs. 

Nichole glanced back at her empty mug on the table and changed her mind suddenly. She switched it with a travel mug. I'll leave as soon as the water is boiled, she thought. If her mum woke up before she left she wouldn't know what to do. 

Of course though, her mum had an impeccable skill for horrible timing. Nichole was placing the lid on the cup as her mother's figure stood in the doorway, waiting for Nichole to look at her. 

"I'm going out for the day," Nichole said aloud, not meeting her mum's eye. She didn't hear a reply and took that as a good thing, but as she tried to squeeze past her mum in the doorway she was stopped by the tough grip on her wrist. 

Nichole flinched and tried to pull away, but her mum didn't let go. She looked at her face and saw nothing. She didn't even recognise her own mother anymore and fear started swelling in her chest.

"Mum, let me go you're hurting me," Nichole hissed and her mum's grip loosened slightly, although her face hardened. 

"If you tell anyone about anything I swear to god I'll-" Her mum started, but Nichole interrupted. 

"You'll what? Beat me? Disown me? You've already done all that." Her voice broke and she forced her wrist away from her mum, picking up her keys from the table and stormed out the door. 

***

"Shut up." 

The words finally snapped Nichole back to reality, where she paid close attention to her surroundings. There was rain that dampened her hair and skin lightly and she was looking closely into Michelle's cold eyes. 

She had driven over in need of her best friend, and a rejection when she started apologising was a worse slap in the face than anything her mum could do. 

"Two whole days and you wouldn't even speak to me. Just because you decide to forgive me doesn't mean I can't be mad at you too. Take your problems somewhere else for a change because I sure as hell don't want them right now," Michelle scowled. 

Nichole listened for real this time and Michelle was right. As bad as her issues were, she was being a bad person. A horrible friend. 

"You're right and I'm sorry," Nichole replied, the rain still falling as she stood in the driveway. However, Michelle gave no indication she was allowed to come in the house. "It's not fair what I've put you through, I-I know that. In saying that, is there anything I can do to make things right, though? I do love you and miss you, we-" 

"Bullshit, you didn't miss me until you needed me." Michelle rolled her eyes and stepped back into her house. "I'm sorry that I said them dumb things, but I'm always saying dumb things and it really hurt when I didn't get even a damn message back from you. I tried to wait for you to come around, but now it's my turn. Go somewhere else, Nicci, and you try waiting."