Torn Between Choices

Emotional triangle

Dora's POV

I woke up in my bed feeling so lightheaded. Yesterday felt like it was never going to end.

Oh no! Mum.

Did she suspect anything? Did she find out I went out last night? I sprang up from my bed and checked the time. It was 9am, around the same time mum should be awake.

A knock on the door

“Who is it?” I went to the door and opened it. It was Thessa.

“You won't act suspicious or weird throughout today, mum is awake and we just made breakfast, she asked why you were still asleep and I told her you were reading throughout last night, is that clear?”

Thessa spoke in a harsh, authoritative tone as though we were never close. I didn't understand what had changed.

My phone rang. It was Anna.

“Hey”

“Hi….why weren't you in bed?”

“I won't be coming back, my Mum just came back and she needs me”

I paused. I was shocked. She could've at least woken me up to say good bye

“Dora!!” mum yelled.

I cut the call.

“You can't possibly be sleeping by 9am, have you no shame?!” she yelled even louder.

Breakfast

The clinking sounds echoed as the fork scraped against the surface of the plate.

“Anna's a negative influence”

Silence followed.

“I sent her out,” Mum continued.

“Finally, some good news” Thessa said with glee

I felt a sharp pain which stemmed from the feeling of being betrayed and lied to.

“Why?” I was fuming with rage but I decided to speak softly instead.

“Sorry, what did you say?” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I stood up and slammed the table “ I said, why did you chase her out?!”

“How dare you?” she retorted angrily

She stood up.

“I am going through a personal crisis and the only thing you can say is why I sent Anna out?”

“You think I don't know?!” she yelled

Thessa and I exchanged glances. The tension increased.

“Do you think I don't know how Thessa has been skipping lectures and how you have been staying up late chatting and doing absolutely nothing worthwhile with your free time?”

“I wouldn't be surprised you woke up by 9am today. You were probably up late chatting or watching movies or not checking up on your mother, you are so busy that you don’t even care that you have a mother in this house.” she paused and breathed as though she was trying to catch her breath.

“And somehow I should understand just because you are sixteen?”

“What If I passed out last night? You’d be too busy sleeping!”

We were a bit surprised but relieved. Mum hadn't found out.

“Is that why you chased her out? I have done everything to make you happy all my life!”

“ All you know how to do is …” I paused, tearing up. “Take from me!!”

I yelled and ran upstairs.

Thessa finished eating and cleared the table while Mum sat down quietly as if nothing happened.

When I got to my room. I began to reminisce about what happened earlier. The switch in emotion. Is mum okay? She'd normally yell till the whole roof came down but she did and sat down as if nothing happened.

Thessa too. What's going on?

I picked up my phone and chatted with Ethan. We chatted for a few minutes about basic stuff and then I remembered what happened at the party.

I called Ethan.

The phone rang.

“ Hey” he responded in his flirty tone

“ You deserted me, I thought you cared” tears running down my cheeks as a result of Anna's sudden leaving, mum's drama and last night.

“No,” he said calmly.

“I had no choice and I didn't want to let the whole world know I felt something deep for you. I didn't want to inconvenience you by rushing into a relationship. I wanted to keep my distance and allow you decide if we should take any step further…this doesn't make sense, I should stop giving excuses but ..” he heaved

“I love you Dora” He said and kept quiet allowing me to bask in the romantic atmosphere those words of his let out.

Those words thawed every pain I felt in my heart. The anger, the loneliness in that moment. I felt loved , like I finally had someone who’d have my back. Like my dad would have

“Can I take you out on a date?” He asked

I was dumbfounded.

I didn’t respond immediately. My heart was still bruised, but his words wrapped around it like a bandage.

“ Yes,” I want to be happy for once.

“Let's meet at Rick's restaurant by 5pm, next Saturday. What do you think?”

“Yeah, ….sure”

He hung up.

There will be a sneak out part two and this time, I don't care anymore.

Thessa's POV

I have never felt better. Anna's finally gone. Well, at least mum didn't find out what happened yesterday.

I lay on my bed , staring at the ceiling. It's my birthday in two days from now. Since I wasn't the villain in today's story, Mum would buy me gifts and make me feel loved.

Flashbacks of yesterday's moment ran through my mind. Ethan and I kissed. He left me when Rose came in.

Anyways, I'll think about this later. I have plans for my birthday. Mum and I would go out and have some time together.

I smiled.

I snapped out of my thoughts.

What am I? Some attention-starved teenager?

I chatted Ethan up to let him know it's my birthday.

“Hey” I sent him with kisses emoji

Twenty minutes later, he replied.

“Hi” he responded without any emoji.

“Missing me?” I asked

“Not really” he responded without any emoji

“You sure?” I sent him a picture of me in that swim outfit.

“No. . , I do actually” he responded.

“Of course” I smiled while chatting with him.

“So…when do we meet?” I asked.

“How about tomorrow evening?” He replied with a love emoji

“Alright …but…”

“But what?”

“It's my birthday the day after” I responded while I clung to my bedsheet with optimism that he’d respond nicely

“Yeah ..that's cool, I’ll get you some gifts tomorrow”

“Oh…that's so sweet”

No response.

I knew he couldn't resist me. Something in me felt a bit guilty for sending him my photo before he could respond nicely but at least I'm loved and I will be receiving gifts from my boyfriend or is it too early to call him that?

I’ll just tell Mum that I will be reading at a friend's tomorrow evening and that I will be back of course, I'll have evidence.

I picked up my notebook from the desk beside my bed and I began to write down questions and answers, a few mathematical problems and their solutions in my notebook.

A loud bang hit the door. It was so loud that it seemed as though the doors were about to fall off.

I placed my notebook on the desk.

I moved towards the door and opened it.

It's mum. With anger written on her face , she seemed like she was about to pounce on me but something kept holding her. I saw Dora crying, behind her.