When You Smile, I Melt Inside
Five
"Did she buy it?" Gwen eagerly asked Tom as he rejoined the group at lunch. A smile spread across Tom's face, he was killing two birds with one stone with this plot. Please Gwen and get Nona.
"Of course she bought it" Doug smirked "Everyone knows she's madly in love with Tom" Doug laughed again putting his arm around Kerrin. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. Tom felt a twinge of guilt ad his eyes flickered momentarily to Mark. He could see the way Mark looked at Nona.
Like nothing else mattered.
Like giving her the world wasn't enough.
Like her would rip out his heart for her as soon as she asked.
It was the same way Doug looked at Kerrin, when he put away his bitterness towards the world, and let his true self shine through.
"What did the note say?" Cindi asked
"Something corny no doubt" Dallas laughed nudging Tom's side and pointing to the entrance of the cafeteria. Nona had just entered with a dreamy look in her eyes, she was standing by the door and scanning the crowd. Tom caught her gaze and smiled, which Nona returned with great enthusiasm. Following Tom's gaze, Gwen caught Nona eyes, and a sour look spread across her face.
However, a different gleam appeared in Nona's eyes, somewhere between anguish, envy, and realization. As quickly as she had entered, Nona disappeared through the door.
"She doesn't like me very much" Gwen giggled lacing her fingers with Tom's.
"I wonder why." Tom spat back pulling his hand away.
"That was years ago" Doug interrupted as if he was reading Tom's thoughts.
"That doesn't mean she forgot" Tom growled at his friend, taking everyone by surprise.
"It was an accident" Gwen defended herself.
"You shouldn't have been driving" Doug mumbled.
Happy that he had a new ally in this argument, Tom turned his attention back to Gwen.
"The hypnotist wiped her memory" Gwen noted "It was too traumatic for her too function properly"
"You'd be surprised what a bump on the head could do to you" Cindi spoke up "Memories you want to keep fade away and repressed memories can resurface. It can be dangerous if not treated"
"Who asked your opinion" Gwen hissed.
Cindi slumped back into her seat. She knew better then to talk smart in front of Gwen but sometimes, she let it slip. She couldn't help it, it's who she was, and she was getting tired of Gwen dumbing her down.
See Gwen wasn't one of those girls who underneath it all was a decent person. She wasn't someone who had a troubled youth or a traumatic experience to make her the way she was. She had everything handed to her on a silver platter, everything she desired was given to her. She thought she was happy, but then she met Nona.
Even with her awful hair, hand me down clothes, small house, poor family, few friends and no male admirers, Nona was always cheerful and kind. This made Gwen very jealous, something that was hard damn near impossible to do.
See on the inside, Gwen was rotten, like a squishy tomato. But somehow making Nona unhappy all these years had an opposite effect on Gwen. The guilt and remorse any other person would feel was replaced by a feeling of satisfaction. Nona had everything Gwen wanted, and if Nona had nothing left when Gwen was done with her, made it so Gwen needed nothing more.
It was simply really, in Gwen's mind: Destroy what you want, and you don't want it anymore. Simple, easy and efficient. The memories of everything she had done to Nona brought a smile to Gwen's face, the plan was set: Destroy Nona from the inside out. Tom was her key to this, whether he knew it or not. Gwen cleared her throat and the groups’ attention shifted from the argument back to her.
"Alright Tom" she announced "Time for faze two."
"Of course she bought it" Doug smirked "Everyone knows she's madly in love with Tom" Doug laughed again putting his arm around Kerrin. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. Tom felt a twinge of guilt ad his eyes flickered momentarily to Mark. He could see the way Mark looked at Nona.
Like nothing else mattered.
Like giving her the world wasn't enough.
Like her would rip out his heart for her as soon as she asked.
It was the same way Doug looked at Kerrin, when he put away his bitterness towards the world, and let his true self shine through.
"What did the note say?" Cindi asked
"Something corny no doubt" Dallas laughed nudging Tom's side and pointing to the entrance of the cafeteria. Nona had just entered with a dreamy look in her eyes, she was standing by the door and scanning the crowd. Tom caught her gaze and smiled, which Nona returned with great enthusiasm. Following Tom's gaze, Gwen caught Nona eyes, and a sour look spread across her face.
However, a different gleam appeared in Nona's eyes, somewhere between anguish, envy, and realization. As quickly as she had entered, Nona disappeared through the door.
"She doesn't like me very much" Gwen giggled lacing her fingers with Tom's.
"I wonder why." Tom spat back pulling his hand away.
"That was years ago" Doug interrupted as if he was reading Tom's thoughts.
"That doesn't mean she forgot" Tom growled at his friend, taking everyone by surprise.
"It was an accident" Gwen defended herself.
"You shouldn't have been driving" Doug mumbled.
Happy that he had a new ally in this argument, Tom turned his attention back to Gwen.
"The hypnotist wiped her memory" Gwen noted "It was too traumatic for her too function properly"
"You'd be surprised what a bump on the head could do to you" Cindi spoke up "Memories you want to keep fade away and repressed memories can resurface. It can be dangerous if not treated"
"Who asked your opinion" Gwen hissed.
Cindi slumped back into her seat. She knew better then to talk smart in front of Gwen but sometimes, she let it slip. She couldn't help it, it's who she was, and she was getting tired of Gwen dumbing her down.
See Gwen wasn't one of those girls who underneath it all was a decent person. She wasn't someone who had a troubled youth or a traumatic experience to make her the way she was. She had everything handed to her on a silver platter, everything she desired was given to her. She thought she was happy, but then she met Nona.
Even with her awful hair, hand me down clothes, small house, poor family, few friends and no male admirers, Nona was always cheerful and kind. This made Gwen very jealous, something that was hard damn near impossible to do.
See on the inside, Gwen was rotten, like a squishy tomato. But somehow making Nona unhappy all these years had an opposite effect on Gwen. The guilt and remorse any other person would feel was replaced by a feeling of satisfaction. Nona had everything Gwen wanted, and if Nona had nothing left when Gwen was done with her, made it so Gwen needed nothing more.
It was simply really, in Gwen's mind: Destroy what you want, and you don't want it anymore. Simple, easy and efficient. The memories of everything she had done to Nona brought a smile to Gwen's face, the plan was set: Destroy Nona from the inside out. Tom was her key to this, whether he knew it or not. Gwen cleared her throat and the groups’ attention shifted from the argument back to her.
"Alright Tom" she announced "Time for faze two."