Kaleidescope

"Overthinking..."

Noa went through the rest of the day in a haze of unanswered questions. As soon as the bell rung she burst out of the science wing, down the pavement and stared on her way home trudging through the wet grass.

"How'd she get that bruise? Was it from her dad? Is he drinking again? How bad have things gotten?" These thought swirled around in her head until her heart raced and the words started getting muddled and turned into fervent whispers and scenarios that piled up until she couldn't see straight and lost her balance and fell to the wet pine needles of the forest floor. She held her head in her hands and willed all the thoughts to go away. "It's not like that." She said. "Maybe it's nothing, you don't know."

'Yes you do. You know exactly what's happening.' The voice said condescendingly. 

Noa shook her head. "Maybe it was an accident." she said weakly.

"You know it's never been accidental. It's happening again and there's nothing you can do about it." Said the voice. 

"NO!" Noa said getting up. "It's not gonna be like last time. Things are gonna change."

"Like last time?" Asked the voice cockily. 

Noa's body seized up at the thought of that happening to Luna again. She started her trek home stuffing her headphones in her ears and turning up the volume, drowning out the noise of the world and the noise in her own head.

"This time is going to be different." She whispered. 

Noa got home and threw her wet jacket onto the couch and kicked her grassy, mud stained boots into the corner. She grabbed the broom and swept the place and cleaned up the clutter around her apartment. Straightened the paintings she created on the walls and plugged up the lights she had put up, and open the curtains to let in the weak sunlight that occasionally streamed through the clouds. "It's always gloomy here." she mumbled

"Just like you." The voice said

Noa opened her mouth for a witty comeback but just shrugged. The voice was right. She went into the kitchen to wash all the dishes piled up in the sink when she heard a knock at her door. She went to open the door and she saw Luna, or at least what was left of her. She stood there with a old duffel bag and the same clothes she had worn to school but they were torn, one sleeve was missing and the collar to her sweatshirt was partially torn. She had a black eye and tears flowing heavily from both eyes yet still had a bright smile on her face. 

"Hey Noa." She said smiling weakly. 

Noa couldn't do anything but stare, her friend went from being on the verge of goddess to a punching bag. Luna'd been broken and there was nothing she could do about it. Noa just stepped back and opened the door wider, looking Luna in the eye.

"Thanks Noa." She said coming inside, dragging her feet. "Do you want me to cook you something? Are you hungry? I'll be right back." She ran to the kitchen pretending that nothing was wrong and that she was perfectly fine.

 Noa sighed, "Yeah I'd Like that." she said somewhat defeated. 

'And I thought you were diluted.' The voice whispered

Noa sat down on the couch, hugging a dark grey pillow, listening to Luna bustling around in the kitchen and the voice giving snide commentary thinking to herself,

 'What am I gonna do?'