Who Did It?

Chapter 9: Strong, Independent Woman

Chapter 9: Strong, Independent Woman

(Aza's POV)

"I am tired of being with the two of you." She bitterly said. Her words piercing thought my heart.

"You two are suffocating!" She paused to take a breath. Bri's face was red because of all the crying and screaming.

How could Brianna say this to us? How could she be so angry and frustrated with us. What could I have possibly done to make her hate us?

I didn't want people to see me cry, so I stormed off. Vivian didn't follow me, he knows I need to be left alone. Instead he went to Bri to calm her down and bring her back to her senses.

I could hear muffled voices as I went to the stairs thirty to calm myself down.

I tried to cry but couldn't. It felt like my brain wouldn't let me feel the hatred I should.

My palms went warm and I couldn't stop kicking the wall. The words that came out of Bri's voice kept ringing in my ear.

"You are suffocating me!" 

"I am tired of being with the two of you."

My eyebrow started to throb with pain as I remember the way Brianna treated us that day. I remember how for the first time someone who I trusted with my life insulted and broke it into a million pieces. 

I remember going back to her place, thinking that she had calmed down. Instead of apologizing. she made Vivian choose between me or her. I remember Vivian so bothered and distraught.

But at the end he chose me. He decided to stop hanging out with Brianna for me. 

***

I walk to my locker to get my two bags of food. 

As I came near the emergency staircase, I realized that I will be eating alone. No one would be talking about how stupid I am. No more talking about people behind their backs. No more sharing food. 

And no more Vivian.

I take a quick deep breath and turn back to the cafeteria. Eating on the staircase alone is more awkward than eating alone on a table. 

"Hey, Aza!" A familiar voice says.

I look back and see Xavi and Ryder  holding their food trays and staring directly at me with smiles. They almost look like the twins in 'The Shining.'* Key word being almost.

The difference between the two never goes unnoticeable. Xavi has brown hair and Ryder has blond. Their clothing is also very opposite, Xavi wears basic colored t-shirts with a jacket on top and Ryder wears t-shirts with bands or weird cartoons printed on them. I bet the height difference goes the most noticed. Ryder looks like a middle-schooler compared to Xavi who is as tall as Brianna.

"What do you both want?" I bitterly say. 

I wince when I hear the words come out of my mouth. I don't usually mean to sound rude or unbothered, it just sometimes happens. I try being nice, but fail every time.

I can see that the two of them are taken a back, but soon regain their composure.

"Someone is grumpy." Ryder jokingly says.

"No shit." I retort back.

"Well, we just wanted to tell you that we are sitting with you today." Xavi says cutting Ryder from giving me comeback.

"I don't want pity partners." I say.

"You don't want pity partners, but you need pity partners." Xavi says calmly.

How dare he?

I start heading back to cafeteria to sit alone when Ryder stops me.

"He is a fucking idiot. He doesn't know what he says sometimes." Ryder pauses to look at Xavi who is now glaring at him. "You are a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man's support." He says dramatically.

"Okay you can sto-" 

"-But as your friend, it is my job to be on with you on both your good and bad days." He cuts me off. "And I am not leaving you." He ends it with a fake voice crack.

Xavi and I roll eyes.

I smile accepting my defeat. "Okay fine." 

They both smile wide and then get serious all of a sudden.

"Now since you have accepted our request and WILL not back down." Ryder says in an indirect voice.

"What is going on guys?" I say afraid for my sanity.

"We have invited another person who also happens to be a strong, independent woman." Xavi says finishing off Ryder's sentence.

Please don't be Brianna. Please don't be Brianna. Please don't be Brianna.

"We have asked Brianna to join us."

No.

-------------------------------

Well, well, well. Let us hope that the lunch goes well. 

I answered why Aza isn't friends with Brianna anymore. But there is more to the whole fight.

*The Shinning: (Most of us know this piece of art.) The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-written with novelist Diane Johnson. The film is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name.

Vote, comment, share
Peace out