"I'm moving forward in life,
Only way I'm looking back is if
It's my ass in the mirror."
—Rihanna

C H A P T E R  0 7| Through The 'Bad' Girl

"D'you have Tylenol? My head is bursting!"

Hearing the strong, shrill voice, I looked up from my food plate to find Amelia's body towering over our lunch table.

"I don't think I do," I answered, wondering why she had approached me of everybody else; especially after the little incident with her last Monday.

"Uagh." Making a ridiculous groan from her mouth, she pulled a chair and sat down carelessly; clenching at her hair with her fist. "I just wanna bash my head so hard right now."

For the first time she looked a little out of place. Her hair was falling all over her face, she was wearing a baggy t-shirt, and there was no sign of makeup in her dark olive skin this time.

"Oh—wait. I'll look around the class. Someone must have it."

She stared me wide eyed, probably in disbelief. "You gonna do that?"

"Sure," I said with a smile.

Why would I do that, you might ask. Not because I was a goody two shoes or I had taken up the mission of world welfare. But right now she looked quite helpless to be honest, and I never felt she was bullying me or anything that day. I knew I was at fault. It's easy to find excuses to hate someone, but it just didn't fit in my small list of morals.

These answers were for Peter, minus the last sentence, if he asked me why was I helping that 'bitch'— as he'd probably call her.

"You don't have Tylenol, do you?" I asked Cyan, who was so lost in his own train of thoughts that he couldn't even hear me.

"Hey!" Suddenly Amelia yelled at him, snapping her fingers at him, as he looked surprised. "Oh hello, here!"

His eyes grew wide. "Huh? Yes?" Probably no one had ever talked to him like that.

Okay, she was rude.

"Ty-le-nol?" She spoke slowly, pronouncing each syllable, and moving her hands animatedly, as if he was deaf, or nearly deaf, or whatever.

"N-no." The scared look on his face was priceless. I tried hard to keep a straight face; and quickly left the table.

I knew who had Tylenol packed in her bag for all occasions—Emma. Alcohol and migraine visited her too frequently.

Emma was inevitably the most popular girl. Punk at heart; girlfriend of the football team captain, Jayden. The very few times I had talked to her, she was always nice; but nevertheless she had the usual 'queen' attitude. Studded earrings, drainpipe jeans, cowboy boots; she had a signature 'Em' look.

Unlike me, Emma hated to be called her full name.

She sat with the football team, of course. But everyone knew how dysfunctional her relationship with Jayden was. Still they stuck to it, maybe because everyone at school shipped them.

"Hey, Eloine!" Peter's face brightened up when I stopped at their table; he surely was surprised like everybody else. "What's up?"

Peter had a huge crush on her. But he had never done anything about it; even when she wasn't dating Jayden.

Shooting him a gentle smile, I turned to Emma. "Umm, Em, have you got some Tylenol, maybe?"

Nervousness was lacing over my words; seeing the most popular people at school looking at me wasn't exactly a comfortable idea for me. Plus, most of them had been close to Andrew.

"Sure." She looked amused for some reason. Then she plucked out a bottle of Tylenol, and threw it at me. I somehow caught it, thankfully not embarrassing myself in front of them.

"Having a headache?"

"No, it's for her." I pointed at Amelia. Everyone made a 'ooh' sound; I didn't know whether it was because the loner (read: me) had a friend, or because Amelia had an arrogance bigger than whole Islaire Town.

I turned to leave the table. However, someone's comment stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Say hi to Andrew from me, 'kay?"

I span around in shock, seeing everyone except Peter sneering at me. It was Jayden. Andrew and Jayden had huge rivalry; to put it mildly, Jayden hated Andrew. Putting me on his list of least favorite people in the process.

I knew people had made a lot of fun of him in the past because he dated me. Our love story wasn't fairytale at all. Sometimes I felt the whole world was against us.

Minus Peter and Stacey, everyone had bet we wouldn't last.

Okay, we didn't.

Jayden was just hinting at this. He didn't like the idea of Andrew leaving their table to join me. That had started their fight. I was the reason.

I felt as if someone had slapped me. It was best to leave.

"Jayden, shut up." Peter shot a glare at him. He had a different reason for disliking Jayden altogether. Emma.

However, I didn't wait to hear more of it. It didn't take a genius to tell I was upset and at the verge of breaking down. Worst thing was, Andrew's mere name was enough to bring a lot of memories.

Amelia was impatiently patting her foot when I came back to our table. Cyan was nowhere to be seen.

I didn't even had to ask her about him. "I was just trying to talk to that boy to distract this fuckin' headache, and he just left!"

The thought of Amelia trying to 'talk' to Cyan and scaring him off in the process had me smiling, making my mood slightly better.

That boy was even more socially awkward than I was!

"What took you this long?" She asked, not rudely; for the first time.

"Just..got held up." I trailed off, handing her the Tylenol.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly. She probably didn't have a habit of saying it much.

"No problem."

I realized I'd have to go to that table again to return the bottle. I just couldn't.

"Hey, though I don't care much, you..err, look stressed." She said.

"Yeah, it's nothing much."

I looked over to the popular table, and by chance my eyes fell upon Peter. Seeing me, he got up from his chair.

"You had a fling with that boy?" Amelia asked out of nowhere, turning her head towards Peter, who was now approaching the table.

"What!" I was so...okay I just lost words.

Peter appeared at that moment. "Give me the bottle, I'd return it."

Savior of the hour. He always understood me and supported me so much. But of course, we didn't have any feelings for each other.

"Thanks, Peter. You're always the savior!"

He chuckled before leaving; and yes, throwing a disgusted look at Amelia. I was thankful Amelia hadn't opened her talking machine; I could never face Peter again had she blabbered about Peter and I sleeping together or something.

Oh God, I couldn't even imagine.

"Don't worry, I'm always not that bad." She spoke, as if reading my mind.

"What got to you?" I asked in turn. "Do you often get headaches?"

"Oh no." She shook her head. "I drank too much alcohol last night, and woke up with this goddamn headache at 10."

I had kind of guessed.

"And? What's gotten your twat in a knot? Come on, say it!" She questioned after some time.

Maybe she was like that; little inappropriate, straightforward, and carefree.

"I was just some upset over my ex. And these people were, well, snickering and insulting, and stuff."

"Ouch. That's bad. What did he your ex do? Cheat?"

"No, we just broke up. We figured we weren't working.." I looked down.

I didn't agree we didn't work. We rocked. We were perfect.

"And you don't agree, right?"

"Whoa.. You mind read or something?"

She laughed out, shoulders shaking. "Show me where's he. I wanna talk some sense into that boy."

"Umm..no he has left town. We haven't talked in a while."

"So?"

"So..?" I was unsure where she was heading.

"Talk to him!"

I shook my head. "He's in New York." Then I smiled, thinking how she was not making sense. "What? We'd do long distance? I think he is trying to move on.."

"How do you know he is trying to move on? You said you guys don't talk anymore?"

"I might have checked his Facebook?" I said, blushing. "He's partying hard, drinking, and doing all that I hated."

"And you last stalked him...?"

"Today morning?" I smiled sheepishly.

"No way! That means you still want him in bed!"

"Can you please be appropriate for once?" I flustered. God, how did she talk dirty all the time?

"Nope." She said, crossing her legs. "See, he's partying hard; i.e. he wants to forget something, but he can't. What do you think he's trying to forget? His fifth grade toy aeroplane?"

I laughed.

"Of course he's trying to forget how good you were in bed." She said in a matter-of-factly tone, and I couldn't but smack her head.

Wow. I just smacked that girl who was being a bitch to me a week ago. Ok, I admit, she was being a bitch.

"So, what are you implying anyway?"

"Talk to him. Simple as that!"

"I don't think it'd work, you know. I'm not sure of his priorities anymore. Plus, we've broken up for so many reasons. It's just gonna be—"

"Shut your ass up!" She cut me in the middle of my rant. "Just talk to him! You still like him or not?"

"I think I...still love him." That was an honest confession, and it felt good to be saying it to someone in a long time.

"Oh God. That's fucked up."

"I know," I said in a small voice.

"You should totally talk to him."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course! This is cliché, and I've never fallen in love, but I still think love always finds a way. If you guys are to work, you would."

****

The thought of contacting Andrew again made me distracted for the rest of the classes. I didn't stalk Cyan painting like before; even later in the coffee shop I was absent-minded. However, it didn't go unnoticed by Cyan.

"You seem oddly distrait today."

Generally he was the preoccupied one. But today neither had I pulled his legs for running away from Amelia, nor had I even talked like usual.

"Yeah..just thinking of something."

I was largely confused. The idea was luring me. Knowing I still had a chance of getting him back was overwhelming. But I couldn't overlook the things we broke up for either.

And at that moment I didn't want anything more than someone else's opinion on it. Especially a boy, if possible.

So I asked him.

"That's so unexpected from you!" This was his reply.

"W-why?" To hear a boy disregard the idea was getting me scared. Would it not work, then?

"Because love doesn't last, Eloine. Don't contact him again. You are so better off of it."

And I, Eloine Pentaris, had just gotten myself into the biggest dilemma of my life: to try to get Andrew back or not.

And this dilemma was bigger than last time, when I was spending restless nights thinking whether to break up with him or not.

*****

Hope the re-written version is alright with you guys. Also, after loads of thinking I couldn't figure anyone else who nailed any better than Rihanna as Amelia.

Please do vote, comment, and share this book if you are liking it.

Recent plagiarizing issue on my Short Story, An Anonymous Call had gotten me so worked up. Seriously I was so disheartened, I felt like unpublishing that book. But again, it's an honor my book is at least that famous for someone to do so much struggle of copying it!

Anyway, thanks to those who stood by.

And law is there, don't plagiarize. You'll end up in jail.

Until next time, bye guys!

P.s. Saw a video of yours today. Skipped a beat.