Mimeomia

23 | cloudburst

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CLOUDBURST

( — a sudden and very heavy rainfall. )

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

          GINNY'S SHAMPOO IS NOW MICHAELA'S FAVORITE SCENT. It used to be mint, but, now that Ginny's sitting next to her, flipping through the TV channels in search of something so stupid they don't have the time to be so sad, she decides things have changed. Lincoln has always been the reason behind her sudden affection for mint-scented things, as it's in his cologne, in his after-shave, and in the chewing gum packet he always carries with him.

          Ginny's damp hair smells like strawberries. It's sweet instead of fresh and it numbs Michaela down instead of waking her up—it all she needs right now, as being alert and attentive to her surroundings would only remind her of the reason she's not at home or even at Lincoln's apartment, where she woke up not even that long ago.

          It's like she's missing a limb. She absolutely hates that—she hates that she's still giving him the power to get woven in her brain, even now that she has decided she doesn't want to see or to talk to him again.

          Ginny and Roya have been kind enough to let Michaela take a quick shower and even let her borrow fresh clothes, and, when she stepped out of the bathroom, hair as fluffy as a cloud, she had to force herself to remember sometimes people are kind just because. With no hidden reasons behind it—they're doing this because they're her friends, because they care about her and her well-being, because it's what's expected from human beings in their situation.

          She doesn't want to be pitied and they're not giving her that. They've left her alone, letting her move around freely and watch bad television with them so she can distract herself, but they're not constantly shooting her concerned glances and asking her if there's anything they can do.

          Roya steps out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with three steaming mugs of coffee and lets her take the first one before sitting down and handing Ginny hers, complete with a hot-pink sleeve surrounding it. Michaela's doesn't have one, probably because she likes feeling the warmth of the porcelain caress her skin, and Roya's doesn't either, so she decides to not try to read much into it.

          Still, Michaela knows they'll have to address the big elephant in the room eventually. They'll have to talk about the reason she's here, the reason she was bawling when she rang the doorbell, and the reason they wanted her to come here before doing anything in the first place. She doesn't feel able to speak, at least about all that, and tries to focus on the episode of The Biggest Loser they're watching.

          She feels like the biggest loser in this room. It's been a while since she last felt this way, absolutely defeated, without it being a work-related occurrence. It's clear evidence she needs to leave UD as soon as possible before she has a meltdown, but she can't possibly think it's plausible to spend the rest of her life running from everything that leaves her minimally stressed out.

          It's different when you get your heart broken. It's even worse when you get your heart broken by the same person who had done it before, even after you decided to give the two of you a second chance. Betrayal is the worst part, though—having your heart broken by anyone is painful enough as it is, but heartbreak never comes from your enemies. They can turn into that when you're blinded by your rage and hurt, but they were never your enemies at first.

           "Mich," Roya begins, never looking away from the screen, but Michaela knows she's not paying it much attention. Michaela herself can't focus on it for too long either, with the contestants being put through arduous work-outs—and even throwing up every once in a while. "There's something I need to tell you."