It's Friday now. I stayed in bed all week and refused to have proper social interaction with anyone in my family.
The box that Damian had given me lies in my trash can, taunting me. I roll over on my side and snuggle under my covers.
Buzz.
I look over at my phone.
Pls come 2 school! I need you! :(
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:12am
Can't
8:12am
Why not???
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:13am
Cus
8:13am
I miss you
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:14am
I just can't come to school 2day. I'll see you Sat, if you wanna catch up.
8:15am
Does Harby's at 10:00 sound good?
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:16am
Sure :)
8:16am
Okay! :)
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:16am
Thank you for understanding
8:17am
No prob ;)
Harly (Quinn) Jones
8:18am
I sighed and put my phone down on my pillow. I know I'm just kidding myself thinking staying in bed for a week going to do anything.
Damian will still be there. Shay will still be there.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.
"Imogen?" said a muffled voice from behind the door.
"Yeah?"
"Can I come in?"
"Sure." I rolled over onto my stomach and hid myself under the covers.
The door creaked open and I heard footsteps approach my bed. The place where my feet were sunk down as Annette sat.
"Hazel wants to know if you're okay to go to school today," says Annette. The tone of her voice tells me she'd rather not be up here.
"I'm not." I closed my eyes tighter and balled my hands into fists.
"C'mon, you've been in bed all week, school is important you know." Annette was probably smiling sheepishly. I know she's only trying to get me out of bed because Mum wants her to. Mum's probably fed up with me by now.
"I don't feel well," I replied. I feigned a cough. It wasn't very convincing, but Annette doesn't care.
"Right." Annette got off and marched out of my room.
I heard Mum yelling at Annette and the sound of thunderous footsteps racing up the stairs.
"What is the meaning of this?!" yelled Mum, throwing her hands up in the air, presumably.
"Hazel..." Annette said cautiously.
"No, Annette! Enough is enough. Imogen you are going to school today, and that's that!" Mum yanked the covers off of me and I shivered in the cold.
"I don't want to," I said quietly.
"What was that?" Mum said, seething anger through her teeth.
"I don't want to!" I cried in exasperation. I sat up and stared at her.
Mum was taken aback. She stood angrily in her spot and scanned my face.
She took a moment to collect her words.
"Well, too bad. You don't have a fever, you sound and look fine to me, so you should be going to school," said Mum. Her voice was calmer, but if it were up to her, she would be yelling her top off by now.
"Please," my voice was softer now. "Please just let me stay in bed."
"Hazel, you got_"
"_Imogen! Why are you being like this?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
I took a deep breath. I shouldn't do this. I really shouldn't. I can't do this to her. She'll be devastated. I'll be killing her from the inside out. I_
"Here." I reach under my bed and pick up a piece of paper. It's crinkly and yellowed slightly and smells old and dusty.
"What's this?" Mum asks, taking the paper from me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. I watched Annette walk over to Mum but I turned my head away.
I heard the paper unfold. I felt the uncomfortable silence lingering. I tasted the bitter sourness of suspense. I saw my vision blur before me. I smelt the cold peppermint aroma in my room.
"Imogen." Mum's voice cracked with emotion. She jumped over to me and hugged me tight.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered in my ear. "If I had known..."
"Imogen?"
I didn't answer. I didn't want to answer.
"Imogen?" Mum asked, squeezing my shoulders.
I still didn't answer.
"Hazel. Leave her." Mum hesitated for a second but then followed Annette out.
The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in my ears. The letter was discarded on the floor, tilted awkwardly.
I walked over to it. I picked it up. I scanned the words one last time.
My fingers felt numb.
My heart felt cold.
My body shuddered.
My fingers pulled apart the thin paper, agonizingly slowly, until the words were no longer understood in short phrases that were scribbled chaotically on the paper.
It took no more than five seconds to rip that paper to shreds.
It's taken years to build up my cracked heart, and I'm still shattered.
YOU ARE READING
I'm Fine
Teen Fiction'I'm Fine.' Imgoen fears the day her past will come back to haunt her. Her stupidty, idiocy and the trauma of her childhood. She wants to forget it all, but when an old friend (and enemy) moves to her neighbourhood and school, keeping her secret is...
