Was I Just A Bet?

(6) The Broken Necklace

Rachel started cutting her cake. We all clapped as she cut down a triangular piece of cake and carried it towards me so that I could take a bit.

But instea, she smacked it on my mouth. I was shocked at the sudden move. And its not where that stopped. Next, brown pop rolled down my face. So this was it.

"What did you think, I would invite you, a looser, to my birthday party?" Rachel said , smirking like her b***h self. So she planned it all to trap me, again.

"Yeah unless we want some fun from you" Venus said making the crowd laugh at me. Everybody, stood there enjoying what was happening. This was the purpose of calling me - fun. It was a fool of me to even think Rachel would be nice to me. And here I was who thought that there was a hope for me and Rachel. Hope - that's something too far from Rachel.

Just when I started to get myself out of the party Diana stopped me. "Babe, where are you going? We just started having fun." and with that Venus stopped me from behind making it easy for Diana to place fake clown nose on my face. When everybody enjoyed I was trying to calm down the anger boiling inside me. I won't give them the satisfaction of watching me in misery. I won't, I just won't. They are doing it again, they would do it until they know I am strong enough to face them. I would be strong enough and won't be a coward. I won't be weak, not this time at least.

"Oh wait" I heard Damian's voice, the guy who just loved to see me embarrassed. He emptied a bowl of noodles on my head. Struggling out wasn't an easy task when Venus was behind me holding my hands. The noodles hung down my face. I tried to block my ears from all voices inside the hall. "Now you look even better like a ... um.. geek?" and with that he broke into a laughter along with everybody.

"Cute dress geek" Diana said as she poured a glass of champagne down my dress. "Not anymore." I looked down to see a part of my dress turning into a purple shade due to the champagne. I took a deep breathe. Its okay. Everything will be fine. I will be fine.

From the corner of my eye I looked at Rachel, to find that satisfactory look on her face, after all the purpose of calling me here is accomplished. I became the fun that was needed in the party. She obviously, would be very happy because her party has become a great success. But she was looking everywhere but at me. C'mon don't tell me its the guilty. And for the second time in my life I hated her to this level.

"Oh, what is this?" Diana touched the silver necklace tied around my neck. It was lotus necklace gifted to me by my mother at the time of my birth. "Leave it" I said, at last. That necklace was the only thing I had of my mother except all the photos.

"It looks so pretty" Diana untied it from my neck and suspended it with the help of her fingers.

"Give it back Diana" I said boldly, struggling my hands out of Venus grip and when I thought her grip was getting weak, Damian took a hold of my hands and said "Relax. Its just a necklace" No its not just a necklace.Somehow I managed to slip one hand out of his grip and tried to take my necklace back. Diana dodged my hand and immediately engulfed the necklace in her tight fist. "Give it back"

"Oh" she said clicking her eyebrows up and slowly opening her fist to reveal the necklace which was broken now. The lotus was no more the part of the silver chain. It broke.

The necklace broke and I couldn't do anything about it. I just kept looking at her breaking it. I let her broke the only thing I had of my mother's. And that was when I let loose. I closed my eyes as the tears pour down my eyes. Its never gonna mend. Its broken. Along with the necklace my heart broke too.

"Now I don't think you will need it" and she shoved it on the floor. I struggled Damian's grip with all the power I was left with. And maybe he was shocked because of my sudden power that he himself let his grip loose. I bent down on the floor collecting the silver chain and lotus pendant when everybody present in the crowd was laughing at my misery. Tears rolling down my eyes, while I kept the pendant and necklace on my palms. It would never mend. Its broken. Forever.

I was crying like someone died. Like my mother herself died, again with that necklace. I tried to join the lotus with the chain again and again even on knowing that it would never be one again.

I stood up collecting my necklace and lotus pendant in a tight fist so that no one could snatch from me. I walked towards Rachel who was now looking at me with a blank face. I opened my palms slowly in front of her. "Are you happy now?" Her face still looked blank as if she don't know what's happening, as if she wasn't behind all what happened today. And that's when I got sure about something. I hated her. And then something happened which should have happened long before. I slapped her. And that too in front of the whole damn school. This surely would harm her 'flawless-queen-bee-image'. Everybody was silent while I could see the anger developing inside her.

"How dare you?" She said as I backed two steps and turned towards the gate to get away from her. But even after all this, as if I wasn't yet satisfies, tears kept rolling down my eyes. My head started aching badly as I cried more. "You know what geek, you are a coward. Coward enough to let this all happen to you. Go on, tell dad and let him know what you are. A weak , timid, pigeon-heart girl who her father think is strong enough than me, and than anybody else"

I walked away, pushing the door open, trying to ignore but still hearing what she was saying. I closed my ears. No more. I know I am a coward and I am tired to hear that and realize it again and again. I had in my hands, the keys of my car, that I found on the drawing room's table before coming here. I got into the driver seat and put in the keys.

_____

I pressed my head trying to stop the bloody headache and the tears. What was happening? Please don't tell me its happening again. I felt like I was going to loose balance anytime and fall on the ground. I opened my fist and looked at the broken necklace again. And came in the flashback of it getting broke in front of my eyes while I was struggling to free myself.

'Coward you are a coward'

'go tell dad and let him know what a coward you are..'

'Coward ... timid... weak.... pigeon-heart..'

It was happening. I was getting those panic attacks again. My head had started turning dizzy again. I no more felt control on myself.

'Please leave me, I am afraid of darkness. Please. Please'

'Its Halloween. Its all about darkness. C'mon it will be fun'

It didn't look like a flashback. It was so real that I felt myself being dragged. And with that single memory, rushed in every single thing that happened 3 years ago.

"Nooooo....." I finally shouted , loosing control over my body. But I kept walking. I didn't stop.

"Gabriella? What happened?" And with my partially open eyes I saw the her rushing towards me. I saw Jessica saying something. But before I could take in what she was saying I lost balance and fell on the ground but not before watching Nathan running towards me with her.