Reduced To Tears.
Wishes For The Nonbeliever
Music running into her ears, she stood at the edge of a cliff at Bellcut Bay. She just stands, and looks out at turbulent waves. Crashing, swirling, and then breaking. Just like Caris’s heart. That’s when she heard it. Laugher. Ella’s sweet laughter. It wound itself through Caris’s head, and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to witness the happy couple together, laughing, having a good time. It would be the last straw, and with the edge of a cliff so close, it probably would have been a bad idea anyway. But they walked past Caris, without noticing her, and then when Ella’s laughter had finally been drowned out, Caris re-opened her eyes. The tears leaked down her face, and she didn’t even notice. She never bothered with mascara anymore. ‘It’s a waste...’ Caris thought to herself. She spun around, and took the five minute journey home. When she arrived home, she walked up the stairs, Caris gingerly picked up the LG Shine sitting on her bed. She turned it on, and it began to beep and buzz to the tune of ‘Stop and Stare’ by OneRepublic. Curiosity got the better of her, as she opened the text message from an unknown number. Her breath caught in her throat as she read it.
‘hey Caris. are you okay? at school you always seem.. forgive me... sick. your really pale and sick now. in music, you never touch your violin anymore. i guess i’m worried. please reply. i mean, i guess you don’t have to. I’m just saying.
love, hayden.’
Caris screamed in pain, and threw her phone at the wall. It fell onto her bed, feigning innocence, and Caris fell to the floor sobbing. How she wanted to tell him she wasn’t okay, and she loved him, and he was the reason for her pain. But he would never speak to her again. It became obvious to Caris what she could do to solve this entire problem. She could get it easily enough... she just needed to go to the downstairs bathroom. But she wouldn’t. Not yet, anyway. She would wait for the right moment, the deal breaker, should it arise.
Her mobile phone, obviously not destroyed, began to buzz and sing again.
“I should have done a better job finishing you off.” Caris said to the phone, opening the text message. Once again, it was from Hayden.
‘caris, PLEASE. i know there’s something wrong, i just don’t know what it is yet. I don’t know what the rest of your friends are doing, if they haven’t noticed. please tell me, i can help.”
Caris closed her eyes at that. She knew he could help her, if he really wanted to. She was going to try and destroy her phone for a second time, but she figured she was probably too weak to do it, and Hayden would keep texting her until she replied. So that’s what she did.
‘Hayden. I’m not okay, you're right. But I’ll be fine after a while. I promise, okay? Caris.’
Caris switched her phone off, put it on her bedside table, lay down on her double bed and stared up at the roof. She thought about how wonderful it would be if SHE was Ella. The pretty face, the friendly smile. The niceness. The popularity. And, above all, Hayden as her boyfriend.
If only.
‘hey Caris. are you okay? at school you always seem.. forgive me... sick. your really pale and sick now. in music, you never touch your violin anymore. i guess i’m worried. please reply. i mean, i guess you don’t have to. I’m just saying.
love, hayden.’
Caris screamed in pain, and threw her phone at the wall. It fell onto her bed, feigning innocence, and Caris fell to the floor sobbing. How she wanted to tell him she wasn’t okay, and she loved him, and he was the reason for her pain. But he would never speak to her again. It became obvious to Caris what she could do to solve this entire problem. She could get it easily enough... she just needed to go to the downstairs bathroom. But she wouldn’t. Not yet, anyway. She would wait for the right moment, the deal breaker, should it arise.
Her mobile phone, obviously not destroyed, began to buzz and sing again.
“I should have done a better job finishing you off.” Caris said to the phone, opening the text message. Once again, it was from Hayden.
‘caris, PLEASE. i know there’s something wrong, i just don’t know what it is yet. I don’t know what the rest of your friends are doing, if they haven’t noticed. please tell me, i can help.”
Caris closed her eyes at that. She knew he could help her, if he really wanted to. She was going to try and destroy her phone for a second time, but she figured she was probably too weak to do it, and Hayden would keep texting her until she replied. So that’s what she did.
‘Hayden. I’m not okay, you're right. But I’ll be fine after a while. I promise, okay? Caris.’
Caris switched her phone off, put it on her bedside table, lay down on her double bed and stared up at the roof. She thought about how wonderful it would be if SHE was Ella. The pretty face, the friendly smile. The niceness. The popularity. And, above all, Hayden as her boyfriend.
If only.