Haunted | h.s

four » rima

They didn't find me until a few days later. They were searching for dead bodies, and they were surprised to come across a survivor.

"A living miracle."

"Amazing."

"Too bad she's an orphan now."

I always hated that word: orphan. It labeled me as different, strange, and secluded.

I was in the hospital for a week, recovering from minor burns. But I miraculously escaped with hardly any scars.

I was sent back to New York, where I lived with my grandmother and my cousin, Grace.

As far as I knew, Harry never came looking for me. I wondered if he thought I was dead. I became bitter with each passing day, anger building inside of me.

Suddenly, I didn't care if Harry thought I was dead. He left me. He probably didn't care about me anymore.

He was the reason my father died.

'You hate him now,' I tried to convince myself. But I couldn't deny the little part of me that still loved him, still longed for him.

I only focused on schoolwork, and I earned good enough grades to please my strict grandmother. I was very antisocial; I made very little friends.

My old friends visited me once, when I was back in New York, but they constantly shot me pitied looks, like I was broken. They never acted normal towards me, so I avoided them.

I didn't want the pity. I was fine. I rebuilt my life, tried my hardest to forget him, and now here I am.

I'm fine.

_________________

"How are you single?" Tasha giggles. "You're gorgeous."

"I agree!" Courtney squeals. "Your blue eyes are absolutely stunning."

I try smiling in an attempt to cover up how uncomfortable I am.

"Thanks," I say awkwardly.

I'm not used to this, just hanging out with other girls. I shut myself off from other people ever since that day.

I have no idea how I even ended up here, the old me would've immediately refused Tasha and Courtney's offer to go out for lunch.

But they were so convincing and besides, I was planning to go out for lunch anyways since I forgot my packed lunch back at our condo. The cafe we're eating at is actually pretty cute, and not very crowded.

"So...how are you enjoying FAME so far?" Courtney asks me. At least, I think it's Courtney. Tasha and Courtney are twin sisters, so it's hard to tell them apart.

I take a moment to finish chewing my sandwhich.

"It's good," I say. "I was a little nervous since it's my first job and all..but I'm starting to get more comfortable."

Courtney nods-definetly Courtney, she's tanner than Tasha. "I was nervous when I first started too," she says.

Tasha-she has more freckles-looks at me.

"Wait..so why are you single?" she asks. She must be really interested in dating, because we've somehow circled back to the fact that I'm single.

"I'm just really busy, that's all..." I say.

"But you need to get out there! Have fun!" Tasha squeals.

"I'm not interested in dating right now anyways," I say firmly.