Irene, My dead best friend [Wattys 2015]

Chapter 6: Don't drop another bomb, Irene

 "There was a picture of me in my phone sleeping on my bed. I sleep with the room locked."

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Before I could even ask her a thing, ask her what the hell that was, why on earth had she exposed me to that or how on earth she even managed to project anything on me (was that even normal for human beings?!), mom walked into the room carrying a tray laden with cups brimming with coffee and plates filled with cookies. My mouth, for the life of me, was frozen. I couldn’t smile back at her, why should I? After what I had just seen, how could SHE smile? How had she even managed to clean up her tears so fast?

“It smells great, maám, thank you,” Irene beamed and smiled at my mom, watching her intently put the tray on the coffee table.

“You’re welcome, dear. I hope you like the cookies, I baked them myself,”

It was so odd, watching mom being so nice. She was usually so quiet and to herself, seeing her like this made me think, was I the reason she was like this? Would she rather have had a daughter? The sensory overload was all too much for me. First, Irene wrecking havoc on my brain and now mom; my brain was going to explode. I could see It already, my mind steaming up like a pressure cooker making my eyes bulge out of their sockets, making my face red and then with a loud BHAM! My head would explode like firecrackers in a pumpkin on halloween night and have my brains all over the walls.

I shook myself out of it. Now was not the time. Irene and mom were towards the end of a conversation and I had zoned out.

“It really was a pleasure meeting you, maám and I’m so sorry I have to leave. It’s just that I live so far and it’ll be dark by the time I reach back home. I don’t want my parents to worry,” she smiled a small apologetic smile at my mom.

WAIT. WHAT?! She knows where she lives? Parents? But the images I had just witnessed? Wai….what?!

“Of course dear, I understand. Do come by again. Jason never brings anyone over, it’s nice to know he as such well mannered friends,” mom was genuinely happy. I groaned on the inside, don’t get so attached, mom, I thought as I looked between her and Irene, “and don’t go alone. Jason will drop you to your house, won’t you dear?” she was looking at me expectantly. Well, hell yea, there was no way I was letting Irene walk away after all the things she had just dumped on me.

“Sure, no problem,” I couldn’t trust myself to say anymore, not with mom here.

Irene however, just ignored me, waved her good bye at my mom and walked out the door. I followed out right behind her, trying to keep up with her pace. She was floating faster than before; maybe she was trying to get away.

“Irene! Wait up,” she pretended not to hear me. “Irene, I’m talking to YOU, not the air!” I all but yelled at her.

“oh, I didn’t notice” she replied calmly, slowing down just a hint and smiling back at me. I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to scream and let my frustration out, let out my anxiety. Yes, she was making me anxious. Everything about her was making me anxious and uneasy…everything…except her eyes. She had turned around to smile at me and I had been transfixed by those eyes and I felt myself calm down..just a bit. I jogged a little faster, finally falling in step with her. Keeping my eyes on the path ahead of us where we were now walking through the patch of woods on the opposite side of the lake, heading towards the main road that lead towards the city.

“What was that back there? Who were those people?”

“Errr, that was your mom? I’m pretty sure you know her,” I was looking at her stupidly now, trying to understand what she had just said. “You’re the one who told me she was your mother, what’s wrong Jason?”