The Outcast

Shattered

"I met him, Troy.  My mate!" Troy's face darkened as he heard Mona's words. He gripped the glass tighter it almost cracked. 

"Your mate?!?" Surprise and disbelief are intermixed in Troy and her Dad's unison of a reply.  Her father just came in,  a brown paper bag in his arms. 

"Dad,  glad you're here," Mona said as she reached for her father. "I don't know what to do,  I can't think clearly. My heart beats like crazy!! I'm nervous!!" she speaks with so much anxiety.

"Calm down, Honey...I know exactly what you need to do." Bill calmly said. Mona, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth,  stressed out. 

"What should I do, Dad? Tell me?"

"Bath."

"What??" Mona asked in a rather high tone. 

"You need a bath," Bill said matter-of-factly. He took a bottle of bath essence out of his paper bag and gave it to Mona.  She just looks at it in utter disbelief.  

"You see? Rose and chamomile, very relaxing..." Bill held the product as if promoting it.

"You're kidding?"

"No, I am dead-serious, Honey.  Now,  off to your bath."

"Yeah,  right," Mona said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. In this dire situation,  his father is not taking her dilemma seriously. She grabbed the bottle and ran quickly to her room. 

"Thank me later, Hon!" he laughed, looking pleased with himself.  "Oh, Troy,  is that for me?" Bill asked, pointing to the glass of water in Troy's hand. "Thank you.  I'm kind of thirsty." Bill took the glass, drank its contents, and put it back to Troy's unmoving hand. Bill whistles a tune as he goes to his room, obviously in good spirits.

*********

"What's wrong with you, Henry?" Paula asks her brother, who, at the moment, was staring fixedly at the TV screen, but obviously, his mind was somewhere else.  They are in the living room,  watching "Guardians of the Galaxy". He ignored her. "Earth to Henry!" Paula said louder and waved her hand in front of him. He blinked,  as if awakened from some obscure dream.  

"What did you say?" immediately asked Paula. The latter laughed hysterically. 

"Oh, dude.  You're spacing out!! Don't tell me one of your pranks went wrong? Or maybe, Alejandra dumped you! Ha-ha!!" she replied, teasing him. Alejandra is the girl he's dating at the moment. 

Henry shook his head. "You bet," he said, sighing.

"Really?  Did she dump you? You know- Henry Madison - the number one player in town has been dumped?! UNBELIEVABLE!!" Paula said in her nitpicky tone.

"Shut up,  Paula!" he yelled,  glaring at her.  Paula just made a face at him.   "Nobody dumps Henry Madison, remember?" he said irritably.

"Well,  if that is so,  what's the matter?  You don't seem to be yourself," she continued, placing popcorn on her pink lips. 

"I found my mate,  Paula," he answered silently, weighing every word he said.

"You did?!" suddenly Paula's eyes widen,  excitement on her face. "That is great news, Henry. Who is she?" 

Henry shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair before replying silently.  "Mona."

"Who??" Paula said in a surprised tone. 

"Mona." This time, his voice is more audible.

"What?!?" she said aghast. "Mona as in Mona-the-freak?" she reiterated, the color in her face draining.