Paid Love

14th

Alex’s POV:

Minutes ago, Megan left my lips leaving me astonished. I wish the moment lasted a little longer, a little more so the sweet sensation in my heart would remain jingling inside. However ,what happened was not to my complete liking. Because I was too chicken to kiss her. Cliché guys do the first moves; turns out I was such a weak coward to do it. My thoughts didn’t condemn me any longer  since Megan's worried face entered my vision. The sincerity of the sorrow stapled in her every feature succeeded in triggering my concern.  Her mom was able to do that too. She looked like she escaped a fight ; face red like she’d been  hit, black mascara coloring her used-to-be crimson cheeks. Shivers danced down my spine as I felt the eerie atmosphere . A one very similar to a funeral’s.

Megan seated her mom on the unique single couch in the corner, and handed her a tissue. I scooted nearer,close enough to be inches away from Helen and Megan. I scrutinized her trying to decipher her face and conclude something. But her face was clueless as the sky. Megan and I waited first patiently but then slowly every bit of tolerance faded away.

“Whats going on?”, Megan and I coincidentally asked  in the exact second. The only answer we received was silence spiced with weeping. We sighed, waited, and attempted again. This time, Megan solely did the interrogation.

“Mom, what is wrong?”

Helen looked at Megan with big sorrowful eyes .” Your father….”

“Yes,mom . what’s with him? Where is he?”,she asked ,the pitch of her voice rising with every question.

But all Helen could do was cry like there's no tomorrow. Megan,looking completely unstable, held her mother from the shoulders and shook her hoping that the answer might drop like a coin form a piggy bank.

“He’s DEAD, Megan. He's gone!”

And that’s how that sentence acted like a switch and turned off all kinds of joy . Ten minutes before ,it was like heaven blossomed on earth but now someone cut the flower. And everything was gone.

Megan collapsed on the couch near me ,breathing with huge trouble. Every living color drained from her face till she became white as snow. It wasn’t long until the pearly tears walked sadly down her face,hung on her jawline thoughtfully  ,then splashed on her neck. Just like suicide.

I wanted to hug her ,to kill the pain but I  couldn’t . I remembered myself when I first saw my parents corpses . The blood river. Their dead bodies. The paper. Everything ran through my mind like a depressing movie. I looked at Megan with caring eyes contemplating holding her in my arms. Funny how she was there moments ago but in a happier mood. Maybe I'd ease the anguish dominating her every cell if I did hug her. Then,I did and she hugged me back with more will than I expected . She settled her head on my shoulder ,soaking my new shirt with wet tears. But I didn’t mind at all. She let her hair tickle my cheek and her perfume seize my nostrils. I didn’t know how much this girl fueled care in me. I liked her, I really did.

“I never got to see him.”, Megan finally spoke,her voice harsh from crying,”I never got to hug him . He just left me with no alarm. Why is life so hard?!”

“Life slaps you sometimes but you have to flog the hit.”

“ I hate life. What does it want from me? Why am I always the victim?”

“You're not the only one honey.”, I said melancholically .

She tightened her hug, maybe since she remembered my dead parents.

Yeah, life isn’t easy on everyone.

“You know .its my fault.”

“Don’t blame yourself.”