Only For You

Chapter 13

Summer

I met a girl named Ariana, and when I asked her name, she cheerfully told me. She then asked if I wanted to be friends, and I responded that I preferred to take things slow and see where our friendship might lead. Just then, Blossom, a tall girl in jeans, approached us and mentioned she had heard a lot about me from Ariana. After exchanging pleasantries, Ariana confirmed if we were still on for the movie on Friday night. Blossom agreed, but the bell rang, so she excused herself to go to class.

I headed to my last class and afterward, Neil came to pick me up. We arrived at Janet's law firm and took the elevator to the third floor. As I walked down the hall to her office, Kendra, Janet's assistant, greeted me with a less-than-friendly look. I asked if Janet had eaten lunch, and when Kendra said no, I mentioned that I didn't want her to starve. Kendra then instructed me to lock Janet's office door.

I asked if Blossom and I had patched things up, and she confirmed we had. I inquired about the argument, and she dismissed it as trivial. I then invited her to lunch, and she accepted. As we were leaving, Janet asked me to make copies of some paperwork. I went to the printing room and found Kendra using one of the printers. After making the copies, Kendra asked what my "deal" was, and I told her to mind her own business. I returned to Janet's office, handed her the copies, and she asked me to repeat something. I smiled, and then we left to get lunch at a café that also served ice cream.

I ordered an ice cream cone with my sandwich. When I got some ice cream on my lips, Janet pointed it out playfully. I licked it off, and she jokingly asked how I knew how to lick so well. We both laughed, and then she asked about my full name. I told her my father always talks too much, and then we headed home.

Once we arrived, I had the house to myself until Janet got off work. I took a shower and did some homework. When I got hungry again, I decided to cook and found some pasta and cheese in the cabinet. After finishing my meal, the front door unlocked, and Janet came in with an old friend of my mother's, Mrs. Bothworth. She had been best friends with my mom. Mrs. Bothworth asked about my age and if I was in college or had a job.

She then complimented me on my looks and placed her hand on my thigh. Janet scolded her and brought us drinks. Mrs. Bothworth asked if I liked living in the house, and I said I did because it felt like home. She reminisced about teaching my mother many things when they were younger.

Before leaving, Mrs. Bothworth mentioned that she found my middle name, Deluna, beautiful and reminiscent of the ocean. After they left, I cleaned up and went upstairs to my room.

I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, drifting into a nightmare. My dad appeared, grabbing my hair and pulling me closer. "Let go of me, Dad!" I cried, but he just laughed. "There's no one here to save you," he taunted, kissing me forcefully and calling me derogatory names. I defended my mom, and he slapped me, yelling at me to never talk back to him.

I screamed, my cries echoing through the room. Janet rushed in, concern in her voice. "Kitten, are you alright?" I shook my head, and she slid into bed with me, wrapping her arms around me. "It's going to be okay, it was just a nightmare," she whispered soothingly. "I dreamt about my dad," I murmured.

"Don't leave me," I pleaded. "I won't. I would never leave you," she reassured me. Hours passed, and when I woke up, I felt feverish. Janet checked my temperature. "Your temperature is 102.1 degrees," she said. "You're not going to any classes today."

Janet left the room and returned with medicine, pouring it into a small cup for me. I took it despite disliking the taste and lay back down.

"Do you want me to stay home?" Janet asked. "No, I'll be fine," I replied. She went to get ready for work but returned to check on me. My headache worsened, and I called out, "Mommy!" Janet returned, and I told her I was cold. She covered me with a blanket and left again.

When she came back, she had a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a bottle of water for me. I slowly ate the soup, my mouth too dry to swallow it quickly. After finishing, I took more medicine and drifted back to sleep.

***
I hate colds, they always have to ruin a good day or have you stuck in bed.

I would love to know what you guys think of the story or what I should add.

Bye Lovelies