Trouble's Favorite

Chapter 28

A day before Drake’s flight, I was locked up in my room, staring blankly at the window. Mom has been worried that I haven’t eaten well since I’ve arrived the night before. My appetite hasn’t been working well after Drake has told me that he was leaving. Tomorrow.

      My inbox was flooded with messages that I didn’t even bother to read. I was afraid that maybe one of those messages will tell me something I wasn’t prepared to know. I’ve never even thought of crying, especially when I still feel numb inside and out.

      There was a knock on my door and I sighed and rolled my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood to have visitors. Not right now with this kind of situation.

      “We’re coming in,” Maki said.

      The door opened and the girls started filling up my room. They brought some snacks with them and they immediately started opening and sharing it, tossing to me one of my favorite snacks. I was starving but my appetite wouldn’t cooperate with me. The least I could do is just watch them fill their mouths with food.

     “Your mom called us,” Megan told me. “She said you haven’t gotten out of your room since you’ve arrived. You’re making us worry about you.”

     “You don’t have to,” I replied in a flat tone.

      Dona jumped on the bed beside me. “We’re your friends. You could tell us anything.”

     Just before I could tell them what was wrong, tears were already rolling down my cheeks and the painful memories of Drake’s words came flooding back to me.

     Dona gave me a hug but I was too weak to even return it. I haven’t had enough sleep and water was the only thing that’s filling up my stomach.

       The rest of them stopped eating, looking at me like they were also sad. I just wish it would be that easy to tell them what was going on.

      “Drake texted me and asked me to take care of you,” Megan stated.

       “Why would he say that?” Dona questioned.

       “He’s leaving,” I managed to say.

       “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”

        Wiping my tears, I got up and tried to put my best act in pretending that I was strong. “He’s leaving for this scholarship thing. He said he’d be thousands of miles away from me.”

        Maki stood beside me, squeezing my arm like she was trying to console me. “When’s he leaving?”

     “Tomorrow.”

     “What?!” Dona nearly jumped out of the bed. “How could you say it like it’s so casual?”

     I shrugged and closed my eyes, silently praying that something would stop him from flying somewhere far. “Like I could do something about it.”

       “You could at least spend the rest of the day with him,” Megan suggested.

       No, thank you. That would make things a whole lot harder for me. What was worse was that Drake actually said he loves me. Could it be for real or was he just trying to make me feel better?

       “A friend’s role is only to give you advices, Chloe. It’s up to you to do the action. You decide what’s good for the both of you. If you really love him, then you have to at least let him know. Whether he returns your love or not, at least you’ve done your part before he’s gone,” Megan advised and I was struggling to put the words together. She was right, but I can’t find the guts to do what she actually wants me to do.