Torn » h.s./marcel

Chapter 16: Everything Has Changed

Chapter 16: Everything Has Changed

Marcel's POV

Allie had looked like she had been holding back tears. That scared me slightly. Was it something I said? Was it something I did?

I shouldn't have told her I could relate to her problem. Now she was probably going to hate me even more for practically pointing out that she was a bully.

I stared at my reflection and pulled out my boxes of contacts. I looked at one for a moment and turned it over in my hands.

My mother and I still weren't talking. It hurt. I wanted to make it up to her and apologize, but I wasn't sure how.

I finally opened one of the boxes and tore off a contact case. I peeled off the wrapper holding the contact in the disinfectant and I took it out. I balanced it on my finger precariously.

I found that, unlike most people, I couldn't look in a mirror as I put in my contacts. It wasn't a matter that I didn't WANT to, it was that I COULDN'T. I wasn't sure why, but that's how it was. I operated by touch alone.

I stuck the contact on my left eye and wiggled it around so it stuck. Something didn't feel right. When I pulled my finger back, the contact fell out of my eye and into the sink with a wet plop.

I scowled in annoyance. I've had my right eye contact in for a while now, and I was having trouble with the left eye. My vision was lopsided. It was so lopsided, in fact, that it was almost painful to see through both eyes at the same time.

I closed my left eye and disinfected the left eye contact again. I put it in my eye again. It fell out again. And so on and so forth and what have you.

This happened three more times until I finally lost patience. I took out my right eye contact and threw them both in the trash. I could practice later, when I had more time.

I put on my glasses and went downstairs. I sat at the counter and watched my mother. She didn't acknowledge me.

"You know, you're kind of being immature about this," I told her loudly.

She didn't respond.

"Come on, Mum, you're a grown woman. You should be over gossiping by now."

She still didn't say anything, and I felt a surge of frustration.

"Fine, are you just going to ignore me for the rest of your life?" I exclaimed.

She turned away.

"Fine," I repeated, more hurtfully. "If that's how you want it."

I grabbed my backpack and dragged my feet out the door. I was tempted to call back and tell her she'd be sorry if I died the next day. But I wasn't that cruel. I kept walking.

*~*~*~*

Allie avoided me the entire day. She'd give me little glances, but never longer than that. She looked nervous about something, which made me nervous.

I wondered if she would still come over to my house tonight. I kind of didn't want her to. I wanted to go back to my secret place by the lake and think again.

I mostly thought about my mother during the day. How should I apologize? Would she even accept my apology or acknowledge me? Would she ignore me for the rest of her life, like I thought? I hoped not. I needed my mother.

Music class was more boring than usual. I barely paid attention. I took out a book and began reading. But I couldn't even concentrate on that. I closed it and put it back in my bag, as miserable as could be.