Losing My Mind

Chapter 8

Small objects collide and thump as they fall hard to the carpet. Ryleigh's eyes squint as she tries to wake up from her nap.

'What are you doing?' She fought to open her eyes, rigid from lying on her back, and heard another thump.

'Just going through my make-up stuff.' Ester says.

'Yes, but you don't have to throw it around. You might break something.' After stretching, she sat up in bed, still unable to connect with reality.

'I'm almost done now. We're all thinking about putting a film on, you coming?'

'I'm having a chat with Russell, but I shouldn't take long.' She would have called sooner, but he'd been working late, and now that it's the weekend, he's staying up late to talk.

Ryleigh was in a hurry when the food arrived, so she grabbed a plate of whatever was available and smelled good.

'I'm just going to grab a plate, and if I am not back in time, just start the film without me.' She told anyone who would listen, then ran upstairs to the spare room, laptop in hand, ready to log in.

'Hi, can you hear me?' Ryleigh stares at the screen, which shows a portrait of Russell, and is surprised that she doesn't feel a thump in her heart from missing him.

'Are the cameras on us?' He came across as rude and uninviting.

'No, they made it clear they aren't doing that here. It's the quietest room in the house, which is pretty cool, by the way....' She ignored his harsh tone and went into detail about the place and what she's been working on.

'Sounds like your having fun.' He said it, and the frown on his face didn't disappear. Ryleigh is on the verge of asking why he's maintaining his distance, even though she already knows the answer.

'What's wrong?' It should sound concerning, but she's bored of it.

'I'm still not keen on you doing this.'

She rolled her eyes from his negativity. 'Here we go again, we already discussed this, and I don't want to hear it anymore. Why can't you be happy for me?'

'Because I don't understand why you're doing it? What do you need to prove?'

'There's a point where I don't want to say "what if?" and regret not taking this chance. This could be my opportunity.'

'Isn't being here with your family and me not enough?' Russell became tense. 'You're chasing just some silly dream.'

Ryleigh's stomach sunk, and her mind wandered to a horrible place. Why does she let people like them in all the time? Russell might be challenging at times, but she figured that's what she loved about him: he could help her keep her feet on the ground rather than in the clouds. Having someone there pulled her back into reality when she kept visualising a parallel universe.

'It's not just some silly dream!' She raised her voice. 'I thought out of all the people who would support me. I didn't think you would act like this. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, even if I didn't boast about it. People like you made me believe that I wasn't good enough.'

'Ryleigh, please stop yelling at me. I'm looking out for you. I don't want you to be laughed at and be embarrassed from it all.'

She began to notice his belief in her.

'You don't think I can do it.'

He went quiet and thought carefully.

'I never heard you play, and I don't know if it's the right thing. You're not thinking straight.'