Shattered Mirror [Rewriting]

Chapter 5 - Impossible Normality

Nomathemba watched Corliss stare out the bus window with glazed eyes, her heart reaching out for her best friend. She'd seen the look of pure terror on her face the evening before and, although she'd felt guilty as hell for leaving, she'd gone home anyway. Now...now Liss looked vacant as if her mind and soul were on a distant planet where she wasn't being hunted down by three villains from her books. Nom wanted to bring it up. She wanted to say something to her friend but beyond the emotionless greeting she'd gotten when they'd met at the bus stop, Liss had made it clear she wasn't open to conversation. Her best friend had never been so despondent in all the time they'd known each other and it scared Nom that she couldn't accurately gauge what she was feeling. Usually it was as simple as reading an open book but today Liss was shut tightly, locked with a padlock and hidden behind several other thicker volumes on the bookshelf. When the silence finally wore through Nom, she shifted in her seat and, looking right at her friend, she stated simply, "Please can we address the elephant in the bus."

Silence.

"Liss, please," Nom tried again, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"There's nothing to discuss," was the only reply she was granted before the conversation died off again. What Nom couldn't decipher was how to properly broach the topic so Liss would contribute because it had to come out. She had to vent before she self-destructed under the ton of stress the African knew she was currently under.

"I think there is," Nom tried again after a moment, setting her jaw stubbornly, "there's a lot to discuss."

"No there isn't," Liss muttered, shifting even further toward the window and glaring at the passing shrubbery as if it were to blame. Her reluctance to open up stung Nom deeply but she refused to be put off, recognizing it as a defensive strategy on her friend's part. She was forcibly trying to cut herself off.

"Liss, I am not going to go away just because you're trying to act like a bitch," Nom responded firmly.

Silence.

Half of her wondered if it wasn't perhaps a better idea to tackle the topic head on when they were off the bus. That way Liss wouldn't be able to hide or turn away. So Nom let her be for what remained of the bus ride, wisely using the time to figure out her plan of attack so she was both firm as well as tactful. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her best friend's feelings when she attempted to lift the load from her back. It would be more than slightly counter-productive. The African found herself drumming her fingers against the edge of the seat, frustration at the problem at hand and anticipation for the confrontation making her more impatient than she normally was. And Nom wasn't an impatient person. As if Fate was mocking her, a sudden influx of traffic brought the bus to a near complete stop nearly a kilometer from the school. She wanted to grind her teeth together. On any other day, she and Liss would have rejoiced at the chance the opportunity brought to chatter animatedly about whatever their obsession of the time was but today they were caught in silence. A silence they both wanted to escape from, Nom was almost certain despite Liss' complete emotionless state. Sighing heavily through her nose, Nom glanced down at her phone for the umpteenth time in a minute and cursed time for turning on her as well. It wasn't even late enough for her to suggest they walk the remaining distance to school.

'Patience,' the African chanted mentally as the bus edged forward before coming to a halt again. After several repeats of stop, go, stop, go, the public transport finally brought them to their destination with an almighty hiss and a jerk that would have uprooted anyone unprepared for it. Liss systematically followed Nom off the bus but as she turned to her friend, the girl was already strolling passed her, her head ducked down, arms folded across her body and her stride purposeful. Everything about Liss' posture screamed do-not-disturb but Nom played blind, rushing to catch up with her.