That Green-eyed Monster

Chapter 1-Time To Get Back

Chapter 1-Time To Get Back

It’s 2 in the afternoon and she hadn’t even had her morning coffee and waffles. Her fingers are raw and red from scrubbing those wretched tiles which she thinks are gross as the common bath in her old college dormitory. She hadn’t gone out of her dormitory in a month, only going down the common hall to get her delivered McDonald’s. She doesn’t even bother meeting her “friends” (composed of Ricky, Lily and Cathy). There are more though, but those three have stuck around for her. Well, those are not really her friends to begin with, those were her ex’s. She doesn’t really have friends per se, she only gained them thanks to her charming, genuinely friendly and cute,

“No! She’s your ex dammit!” Monique blurts out. Right, she gained them thanks to her ex.

Her only friend is Rebecca, also her roommate, who she hasn’t heard from, nor seen, since the break-up. She’s somewhere in Africa having a Safari trip she saved ages ago. So, Rebecca contemplated on foregoing her safari trip just to be with her best friend but Monique insisted for her to go on with the trip saying she needs her time alone. Rebecca diligently sends her selfies with animals and natives through viber which Monique only bothers to send a smiley for a reply.

Monique rejects her calls and even those of her “friends”. To give credit to her “friends”, they let her have her space only sliding a note through her door with notes saying “We Love you, You’re still our friend” to “You Should Eat and take bath xx” to weirdly paranoid “Are You Alive? If you are… grunt or something”. She did grunt, knowing all too well that note came from Ricky.

She needs to tidy up the room and even herself, Rebecca’s coming back tonight and she can’t, God forbid, can’t be seen as some emotional wreck (which she is) since it’s already been a month and she still hadn’t  made an effort to continue having a social life. She doesn’t need one before, but now she freaking has one. She was content with the afternoon-laying-on-the-grass-with-headphones-on hang-out she was having with Rebecca. But when she and Craig became a thing, she has to go to parties and stuff.

“Uggghhh! I hate him!” she screams at the wall. She wants to just vanish and wake up to a future where she doesn’t need to deal with her past.

Monique remembers so well how she met Craig and his friends. Rebecca introduced her to Craig as a sorry gift for not being her partner for their photography class. Apparently, Rebecca ditched her for Matt, Craig’s best friend. The beginning of the end, as she describes in her head.

Well, the end is basically here in the shape of her bubbly, charming and, “Oh my God you’re so tan” best friend in their doorway wearing an assortment of scarves and bracelets.

“Jumbo!” Rebecca practically screams with her arms outstretched towards Monique who just stands their like she’d seen a ghost or something.

“This is it.” Monique mumbles to herself. “Jumbo?” She asks Rebecca, who has engulfed her in the tightest hug she ever experienced from her.

She knows it’s time to get out and face the world again because her best friend is here and she thinks she’s ready with Rebecca by her side.

“It’s hello in African, anyway I’ve missed you! I’m so sorry I had to leave! I shouldn’t but you forced me!” Rebecca says in one breath.

Monique timidly hugs her back just thankful that she’s back. She doesn’t why she’s patting Rebecca’s back though and not the other way around.

“Well, at least you’re back…” Monique whispers.

Rebecca pulls out of the hug with that mad look in her eyes.

“Are you okay? You look you haven’t eaten in ages! My goodness Nini you look like Bella fuckin Cullen when she was preggers with that monster of a kid!” Rebecca dramatically exclaims.

Monique just stares at her unable to comprehend how Twilight became essential in pointing out how dreadful she looks.

“My God Becs! Not that nickname please! We’re in uni for crying out loud! And, Twilight?! Really?!” Monique manages to reply. Gosh that felt good to her. Finally being able to talk to someone with whom she totally trusts with her broken state.

Rebecca looks like she’s going to cry or something.

“Awww Nini! You’re alive and… I’m just sooo happy!” She starts walking forward trying to hug her again.

“No! Stop! No more hugs!” she states as she defensively positions her arms against her best friend.

Rebecca isn’t one to give up so easily though, she attacks Monique and stumbles toward her resulting to both of them falling.

Monique groans while Rebecca just giggles. They lay on the floor just staring at the ceiling.

“Gosh, I missed you Nini!” Rebecca says.

“I’ve missed you too. It feels… different and good having you back. I mean, I haven’t stepped out of this building since you left.” Monique admits.

Rebecca turns her head towards her. Staring at her as if she was lab freak or something.

“What were you doing then?” Rebecca asks.

“Well, just trying to recuperate. Trying to rebuild my self by myself. And,” Monique starts.

“And what?” Rebecca impatiently asks.

“And I’ve been diligently scrubbing the tiles of our bathroom.” She tentatively remarks.

“You’re crazy!” Rebecca laughs.

“Well I was bored! Check it out for yourself, if you want.” She sarcastically replies.

“I’ll be the judge of that plus we need to prepare!” Rebecca runs to the bathroom.

“Prepare for what?” Monique shouts at her best friend who has locked herself in the bathroom.

“We’re going out!” Rebecca shouts back.

“Nooo!” Monique groans. She knew it was about to happen but not this soon. She was thinking maybe tomorrow or the next night or the next week or the next month.

Rebecca puts her head out and looks sternly at Monique.

“Yeeessss!” She sassily replies back and winks. Monique just groans. “We are going out tonight because you need a little dirt in your sparkling vampire skin. And the bathroom looks fantastic! It’s so clean and white!” Rebecca finishes and closes the bathroom again.

Monique wants to say thank you but she can’t move. She’s going out. Tonight. Finally. Oh no. And she doesn’t think about seeing Craig that night. Nope.

“Fuck!” Monique screams.

“Are you sure? Maybe tonight!” Rebecca apparently hears her.

Monique just groans. She wishes she could just scrub their dormitory’s bathroom again.