Quandary

Desire

"Hey Don." Spoke Hailey.

I shut the door behind me. I shyly rubbed the back of my neck and sat down by my desk.

"What are you doing here?"

She grinned at me and blushed in an adorable way.

"I wanted to see you."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I watched her get up from my bed, leaning closer into my face.

"Don't you miss me?"

"Nope," I said as I got up from the desk, walking over to my now vacant bed.

I should probably explain the situation happening. Don't think I'm crazy, but my mind does this weird thing... My brain sometimes creates a fake version of Hailey. I don't know why it happens, but it does... I didn't want to be with her so badly that I'd hallucinate her, but... I guess that's what was happening. That was the only explanation that made sense anyway. This more erratic version of Hailey would visit me at random times in my life, no one but me would be able to see her. I had researched and looked up this phenomenon over and over but I couldn't find a suitable answer. The Hailey standing in my room walked after me. She sat down onto my bed, running a finger along my shoulder in a kittenish way.

"You don't like me?"

I sucked in a breath and pushed her hand away from me.

"You're not real."

I turned to look her in the eyes. Her face looked exactly the same, down to the very last detail. From her entrancing green eyes, to her bright blonde hair. I didn't understand why my consciousness was doing this to myself. I wanted to be in a relationship with the real Hailey, not with some imaginary friend. The fake Hailey made a pouty face.

"I look real though, right?"

I moved down the edge of my bed, away from her.

"But you aren't real. You're an imaginary person I made up. You're nothing like the real Hailey."

She made an angered face. I could feel my heart beating faster at the sight.

"Don, you're breaking my heart..."

"Shut up!" I shouted.

I flinched at what I had just done. That was loud. The fake Hailey laughed at my troubled state.

"You're so pathetic. You get all riled up when I try to seem even an ounce like her."

I shut my eyes, trying to ignore her slander. I then heard my father's footsteps travel across the wooden floor below.

"Who are you talking to?" Bellowed my father's voice from downstairs.

I opened my bedroom door and peered down to see him standing at the base of the stairs, arms crossed. The counterfeit Hailey galloped out of my room and slung her arms around me.

"Pleased to meet you sir! I'm your son's girlfriend!"

I grinded my teeth against each other in rage. My father stood their, unphased by the fake Hailey's words. His eyes sliced through the air, staring at me coldly.

"I was playing a video game, sorry about the ruckus."

His arms dropped down by his side, his expression loosening.

"Keep the noise down."

He began walking away but stopped.

"And don't forget to study for school."

I turned around to then see the counterfeit Hailey vanish before my eyes. She disappeared like smoke in the air. Perfect. I walked back into my room, unzipped my backpack, and began pulling out its contents. I was going to study. I forced my mind to dispel all the thoughts that had to do with Hailey. I brought my pencil down to my papers and began slowly answering as many questions as I could. The high and mighty sun retreated over the horizon as the afternoon passed. The moon hung in the sky before I knew it. I had fallen asleep in the middle of studying. Why did I even try to study? What was the point? I knew I would wake up, go to school, come home, study, and repeat it all over again. It was a dull cycle. The only thing, or rather person, that made that feeling go away was Hailey. She made it seem like the cycle didn't exist. That I could do anything in this plain world. Maybe that was why I liked her.