Quandary

Contrary To A Mistake

My eyes violently swung back and forth under their lids. My body jolted up from the soft depths of my bed. My forehead slammed against the top of my desk lamp. Dammit, I kept forgetting to move that. I rolled down from my bed and snatched my clothes up. I picked up a towel from the familiar rack in my bathroom and stepped into my shower. I slid conditioner and shampoo into my ruffled hair and then repeated Spanish conjugations in my head. The warm water dripping down my damaged face felt soothing. I applied deodorant to myself and changed into my clothes. I ran down the stairs of my house quietly. I could hear the soft breaths of my parents from their quiet room. I traversed down the same old sidewalk, staring at the ground. I balanced my backpack behind my shoulders and silently waited for the bus to arrive. It was the same thing once again. The same world. The same life. The quiet and lonely houses looked back at me from their motionless resting places. I could feel the sweat dripping down my hands and neck. I was worried about Hailey. I was worried about what she would think of my text. There was no reply from her. I sighed and tried to shake all the negative thoughts out of my head. Everything felt askew, as if the entire world was tilted. A tap emanated onto my shoulder. I sucked in a breath. It was her. She was stretching her arms out casually. Her blonde hair gracefully flew behind her.

"I see those bruises still look ripe."

I scoffed at her remark and looked away. She was the fake. Where was the real Hailey? A breeze brushed past my body once again. I shivered in reaction. I stood there, hunched over. My eyes looked around at the scratches and scuff marks that the surface carried. Why did I always feel so lonely? Why did hope seem so far from my grasp at all times of every day? A warming sensation snapped at my back. I could feel someone clutching onto me. I turned my head to see the real Hailey wrapping her arms in a warm hug around me.

"I never knew Don." She spoke.

My eyes widened in shock. I took a double-take and looked over to the fake Hailey who was staring at me with an expression of anger.

"Well I- Uh- I..." My mouth sputtered.

I couldn't think of anything to say. My feet suddenly lost their place in the world. They tied into each other and I stumbled to the ground, pulling Hailey with me. Everyone at the bus stop looked up from their phones and stared at us in confusement. I suppose that was one way to get them to look away from their screens. I sat on the ground with my eyes closed, clutching Hailey tightly. A few minutes passed as I found a warm smile morphing onto my face.

"Uh Don... You can let go now."

My eyes opened, I pushed her away and stood up. I scratched the back of my head in a shy manner.

"Sorry."

She chuckled at me and then fell silent. Her face fell to a worried expression.

"I never knew you had depression."

I skittishly scratched the back of my head again.

"Ye- yeah... You've been a big help."

She bumped her right fist against my shoulder in a playful way.

"Glad I could help!"

I nodded my head up and down, not sure what to say.

"If you ever need anything, tell me. I'll be there for you."

The bus clattered down the road and careened forward until it stopped right by us, creaking open its doors. That's right, we were waiting for the bus to come. I completely forgot about that. Hailey had made the cycle go away once again. It was just such a lovely sight to see her smiling so brightly. The whole bus ride we talked about joyful things. From the type of music we liked, to what plans we had for the week. Talking to her made me feel as if all my problems had gone away. I completely forgot about my parents and their concerns for me. I had forgotten that we were on a bus heading to school. I watched as the lively houses of neighborhoods flashed by through the bus window. The counterfeit Hailey had vanished.