The Wrong Best Friend

Chapter Fifteen: It Fades Away

CHAPTER 15: It Fades Away.

"She ain't tryin' to hide what's goin' on inside,
and I know I've been there before
Waitin' for somebody at the only place you'll see them anymore."
- Alex Roe.

They say running helps. They say it helps to ease the pain, to forget the anxiousness. It puts the uneasy mind at peace, helps us get over distress and torment and clears our mind. For a long time it has helped me outrun monsters that I didn't want to deal with, the gnawing feeling that slowly, agonisingly eats you away, it has helped me escape from all of it.

But not this time.

It was like a shadow, following me, haunting my back with every curve and turn I took, I couldn't escape from this monster, it was far bigger than any I had ever faced.

I couldn't outrun it this time.

Because it was my own mind.

My own thoughts.

My own family.

It was Dad.

It was Emma.

He can't take my ball of sunshine away from me. Her every laugh, every smile, every giggle makes my day. It makes me go through tough days, it makes me want to protect them. If she was taken way, we would wither away. Like a dried rose placed to face a treacherous storm.

More tears fall.

More sobs escape.

But I keep running.

I keep running until my knees buckle and I fall down on the asphalt scraping my hands and knees. Some people ask if I'm okay, if I need any help and I want to scream that they can't fix this, they can't make me okay but I simply smile and nod a Thank you and get up.

Sweet aroma of food swarms around me and I suddenly realise I haven't eaten since Lunch except for a bar of chocolate at work. I look around and spot a small diner and my tired legs take me there without reservation.

I enter hesitantly and a few chatter of people helps me breathe slowly. I walk to the furthest corner and gulp the water placed on the table like a homeless person. Mum would kill me if she saw me drink like this. I nervously look around and sigh in relief when people continue talking barely acknowledging me.

A lady in mid thirties walks upto me with a small notepad, a pencil pushed behind her ear, hair braided and nestled in a small bun on top of her head, her apron spelling the name of the diner. She smiles warmly.

"Hey, I'm Millie what would you like to have?"

"Um..I-I.." I trail off my eyes darting to the menu sitting untouched on the table.

"Would you like a minute to decide? Or I would suggest you to try our new burrito, its flavours are so amazing it'll make you forget your name." She gestures excitedly with her free arm and a man passing by with the same apron winks at her.

"Or I could make you forget your name."

She steps on his toe and he mutters walking away, she smiles apologetically at me.

"Sorry about him. So..?" She asks hopefully and I nod with a clumsy smile.

"Sure."

"Great. I'll bring it over soon." She claps her hand and moves over to the next table. I let out the breath I was holding and cover my face with my hands. But quickly flinch my head back to see my burning hands.