"Hallie"

Chapter 11: Unevenly Broken

Hallie walked toward Vanerro and tried to hug her. Vanerro didn't touch her. Hallie's head rested on Vanerro's chest but Vanerro looked straight up at the auditorium ceiling. She didn't even hug Hallie back. Hallie's heart skipped several beats. "Hallie... let go of me. Now." Vanerro said with no emotion. Hallie refused to listen, but she also felt Vanerro's body tense up. "No not now, not ever." Hallie yelled hugging Vanerro tightly while crying. Vanerro got fed up and surprised Hallie by grabbing her arms tightly and pushing her hard against the wall. Vanerro stared deep into Hallie's teary eyes. "You fucking hurt me Hallie! How the fuck could you do this to me? I-I've given you all I had. Why?" Vanerro asked, tears streaming down her face as she was yelling at her. She broke down. She tried to free herself but Vanerro's grasp on her arms was too tight. "Vanerro you're hurting me." Hallie cried. "Oh you're hurt? How selfish can you be? I lost my mom, I lost my only living parent, Hallie for God's sake I lost my fucking father! I lost my brother, Renendez was family. And worst of all... I lost you. I've lost all the people who were ever dear to me Hallie. I have no one." Vanerro yelled sobbing. She gripped Hallie's arms tighter. "Vanerro let go please, I can't feel my arms. Please you're hurting me!" Hallie pleaded. "I'm fucking hurt!" Vanerro screamed punching the wall behind Hallie. She let go of Hallie's arms and fell to the floor. Hallie cried it seemed, endless tears coming from her eyes. Renendez was lying on the floor still holding his face, half conscious. He groaned and rolled over. Hallie sat down next to Vanerro. Hallie looked at her. She'd never seen her so depressed and broken. "Vanerro... I'm so sorry...please?" Hallie asked softly afraid to speak. Vanerro looked at her. Her eyes were puffy and red, her hair had been messed up and frizzy from punching Renendez. "My dad is dead Hallie. I hate that bastard. I hate that I miss him. But he was all I had left. And he's never coming back. No aunts, no uncles to turn to." Vanerro anxiously bit her lip. Hallie noticed that her tears were getting her nowhere. Vanerro was done, she could feel it. "I remember... that very same year my mother died..." Vanerro hesitated. "My dad... sang me a song. A song only my mother sang to me." Vanerro began to sing.

"Vanerro ka'u mea i aloha ai, e hele mai i o'u nei darling. E ka'u mei i aloha ai hoopuni ia oukou me na mea e pomaikai ai. No ka e mai i a'u ha'alele i kou'ao'ao darling, no ka mea, i ha au e ha'alele unwillingly e ola ko'u uhane, e hoomalu a me ka pale oe. Love oe, e hele mai i o'u ne i ka'u mea i aloha ai."

Hallie saw Vanerro shed a few tears while singing. "Wha-what does that mean?" Hallie asked, her voice breaking with each word.

"Vanerro my love, come to me darling. Let my love surround you with many blessings. For let me not leave your side darling, for if I leave unwillingly, let my soul live on to protect and shield you. I love you, come to me my love."

Vanerro explained. Hallie sat there in silence. She and Vanerro both jumped to the unexpected sound of the bell. Vanerro got up. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a funeral to plan." Vanerro said brushing passed Hallie and picking her snapback up off the floor, leaving Hallie to stare after her.

 ....
That was the last time Hallie had seen Vanerro. Hallie went home the following evening. "Where's, where's Vanerro?" Hallie asked worriedly noticing both Vanerro and her stuff were missing. Regina and Rhonda were both in the kitchen reading newspapers. "She went home." Regina informed putting the newspaper down and adjusting her glasses while looking at Hallie. Regina noticed Hallie had been crying. "Are you and Vanerro in a fight?" Regina asked curiously. Hallie really didn't want to talk about it. But she gave in. "Something like that." Hallie said uneasily. Hallie then burst into tears and dropped to the kitchen floor. Regina walked over to Hallie and put her arms around her. "No no no, Hallie shh, it's okay. You'll always find new friends." Regina explained trying to comfort her. Hallie broke down harder. " She wasn't my friend Aunt Regina. She was my girlfriend! And I ruined everything! I hurt her! I'll never get her back." Hallie cried shrugging Regina's arms off of her and getting up. Rhonda and Regina gave each other puzzled looks. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, I'm going to bed." Hallie sniffled fleeing upstairs and slamming the door to her bedroom. She dropped her body on her bed and cried. She rolled over and buried her face in a pillow. She inhaled deeply when she noticed Vanerro's scent still faintly on the pillow. Axe body spray and peppermint gum. She cried even more. She thought about everything. Her moving away from her school, leaving all her friends back in Michigan, her not being with her dad every day. How much she missed him. And Vanerro. The only girl she's ever caught feelings for. She'd never feel the way she did with Vanerro ever again. And that thought scared her deeply. She then got up and reached over to her nightstand drawer. She opened it and grabbed a pill bottle.  She sat up at the edge of her bed and poured the whole bottle of pills in her hand. She looked down at the pills, a tear dropped down on them. She bit her lip nervously, sweat trickling down the back of her neck, contemplating this decision that could change everything forever. A part of her didn't want to do it. She didn't want to fall asleep and never wake up. But her mind goes right back to now. The hurt she caused for Vanerro. It was all too much for her. She felt like this was the last straw. She grabbed her water bottle and brought the pills to her mouth. "Hallie? There's someone at the door for you." Rhonda said to Hallie's closed door. Her knocking causing Hallie to jump, spilling the pills and water all over her hardwood bedroom floor. Hallie quickly got up and looked through her window. She could hear Regina talking from downstairs. "Oh? Come right in hun." "Hallie! Come downstairs!" Regina yelled. Hallie looked back at the pills on the floor. They dissolved in the pool of water all over the floor. Hallie sighed in frustration at the pills and stepped over them as she made her way to the hallway. She walked down the stairs and stopped in her tracks. Her heart stopped with her. It took everything in her to keep Hallie from crying. "Wha-what are you doing here?" Hallie asked confused. "I came to see you Hallie." Renendez said.