What If Our Life Threads Bind?

Chapter 9.

It has been seventy two hours since I locked myself into my room. Lila has called out to unlock and open the door several times now but I can't. A part of me wants to go out and beg Chloe for mercy but I am too worn out and empty to bring myself to even look at myself in the mirror. I stay still, sitting in the same position, my legs hugging my chest with my head buried between the crevices of my legs, my curled up hair overflowing out of my messy bun from everywhere.

I check my phone halfheartedly and smile at my own foolishness for expecting a message from my cute- Austin. Of course, he doesn't feel the same way as I do. What do I feel, anyway?

Here, people don't even want to be friends with me because I probably turn out to be scary to them or a boring girl who thinks of nothing but books and writing them, and my sister believes a stupid prophecy told by a total stranger who 'thinks' I have already found my love partner.

Right....I can totally hear my prince from here, telling me to throw my curly hair down for him to climb so that he comes and rescues me. Right over a cliff, correct!

Muffled voices from outside alert me. I press my ear next to the door and it takes me one minute to understand that my sisters are fighting. Worry washes over me. It doesn't happen usually when my two elder sisters fight. I try to listen but their voices are not clear and almost inaudible. I unlock the door but I was too late - the conversation seems to have ended by the time I let myself out and then there was nobody in the hall.

I tip-toed slowly to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee and took a handful of cheetos inside my mouth, walking back inside my room, leaving the door unlocked.

I open the book that I got from my college library, putting it next to it's spin off poetry collection, For When She's feeling Blue. I really like the words Edgar Holmes uses -simple but daggers to your heart and mind.

Taking a side-way glance at Her Favorite color was Yellow, I find the poems I had highlighted in yellow.

"most of our lives are spent convincing our minds of what the heart already knows"

"freedom. that's what her spirit seemed to whisper under her mask freedom. i can teach you to be free."

"perhaps i care too much and that has caused me a tremendous amount of pain during my life"

Then I take a look at my most favorite quote of the moment from For When She's Feeling Blue and highlight it with blue color.

"your insecurities creep up on you and tell you

you are not enough but you are"

I didn't understand when did I start to feel tired and dozed off to sleep. I woke up at six in the evening and checked up my phone with squinted eyes. My breath hitched when I saw a message from an unknown number. It could be him.

Unknown number: Hey.

Before I decide whether I should ignore the message or ask them who is it, another text was received from my end, from the same number.

Unknown number: I'm Austin from The University Of Manchester.

I breathe and type a 'hello.' and added his number on my contact list.

Austin: How are you and where have you been last couple of days?

Me: I am good. How are you?