They love me, they love me not

PROLOGUE “It’s raining,” she muttered to herself, “it’s raining. That’s the only reason my face is wet. It’s raining.” A sudden warmth overcomes her as she is wrapped with a black leather jacket from behind. I know that scent. CHAPTER 1 “Are you gay and secretly in love with me?” I’m sorry, what?! was the only thing Alina could think of as she stared at her best friend. “Al!” her best friend, Lisa, shouted, snapping her fingers in front of her face. “Yes, yes, yes?” Alina answered, a tinge of irritation in her voice. “I said are you gay and secretly in love with me?” “What the f**k will make you think that? Your self love is getting out of hand,” Alina chuckled. “Well, I have known you for 17 years and you have never so much as complimented a guy. Bro, you don’t even have any friends except me. I am the only person in your life. Literally.” “I still don’t get your point. How does that mean I am in love with you? I just don’t like people.” “That’s bullshit but okay,” Lisa rolled her eyes as she twirled her brown hair around her fingers. A comfortable silence blanketed them and slowly, Alina was slipping back into her thoughts. But not for long. “Matt has been getting on my nerves lately.” Alina raised an eyebrow. “Blonde haired Matt or brown haired matt?” “Blonde. I stopped talking to brown three weeks ago. Don’t you listen to me?” “I’m sorry I can’t keep count of all the guys in the world.” “You don’t need to keep count of all the guys in the world, just keep count of the ones i tell you about.” Lisa is so dumb. “I shouldn’t even be surprised that the sarcasm flew over your head.” “What sarcasm?” “Nevermind, Lis. Tell me, why has Matt being getting on your nerves?” “Well, firstly, he is as dumb as the stereotype about blonde people go-” “Hey!” Alina interjected glaring at her brown haired best friend. “You’re also dumb,” Lisa stuck her tongue out. “Secondly, all he ever wants to talk about is his stupid self. I actually i’m very convinced all his brain cells decayed because they got tired of having to think of him all the time. Like he’s just-” “Woah woah woah,” her blonde best friend interrupted her laughing, “Chill, I can practically see the fumes coming out of your ears.” “It’s not funny, Al. I am actually very serious, that boy pisses the s**t out of me for real. I know way more about him than he could ever know about me and that is not by choice, it is because he just doesn’t shut the f**k up! And don’t get me started on how f*****g skilled he is in killing vibes. For example, when he sends his unnecessarily long paragraphs with no single emoji to make it fun or something-” “Lis, calm down. Just talk to him about it.” Silence. “What? Did I grow a second head?” Alina asked. Lisa was definitely staring at her like she had. “Did you just say… talk? Al, this, this is why you are probably going to die single. Talk?! You think talking will fix anything?!” “Sure, why not?” the blonde shrugged in response. “Contrary to popular belief, communication doesn’t fix everything. Don’t let what others say fool you.” Alina snorted. “What?!” her brunnette best friend defensively cried out. “Calm your t**s, stop being so defensive-” the blonde started before she was interrupted by an “ALINA!” coming from downstairs. “COMING, MUM!” she answered. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> “Mum.” Alina spat out. “To what do I owe this wonderful visit?” “I just came to check up on you, I won’t stay long,” her mum replied while gathering her files from the dining table. “You’re not checking up on me.” “Watch your tone, young lady. What do you mean by that?” her mum glanced up sharply. “I mean exactly what you think I mean. You didn’t come back to check up on your daughter, you came back to gather your files. I am highly certain that you have a flight you have to catch in less than 2 hours to some weirdass place and you’ll stay there for almost a year leaving me all alone in this hellhole by myself. Again. You would never have come back if the files weren’t needed. All I would have gotten was a phonecall saying-“ “Shut the hell up!” her mother cut her short. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that. And never in your life, should I ever hear you refer to yourself as my daughter. I have never birthed a child in my entire thirty five years on this earth,” she said in a voice drenched with so much venom and distaste. She gave Alina a once over, her face scrunched with disgust and said, “Yes, I do have a flight to catch in an hour. Guess where i’m going? Africa. For how long? It could be six months, it could be a year, it could be two, it is really none of your business. These papers? Not important,” she smiled as she dropped all the files back on the dining table. She picked up her handbag and phone and strutted to the front door, the only sound in the room being the clicking of her heels. “And will you like to know who I am going with?” she asked an when she reached the door. Her hand on the handle, she slowly turned and a smirk made its way to her face, “Mark.” She walked out and slammed the door. Another piece of Alina’s heart, gone. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Alina let out the fifth exhausted sigh in the last half hour. Lisa glanced over at her while twirling her hair. “What happened downstairs?” the brunette asked. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” Silence. “Okay then. What do you think I should do about this Matt situation? He really pisses me the hell off,” Lisa complained. “I don’t know what you should do, Lis, you tell me,” Alina let out another exhausted sigh. “Okay, I want you to call him out.” Alina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you mean by that?” “I want you to call him out. Scold him when next he interrupts someone. Or something. Just call him out for it,” Lisa stated without hesitation. “Lisa, I have said less than twenty words to that guy in the entire time I have known him. What makes you think I could have the opportunity to call him out?” “You could do it during lunch. When we are all sitting together at the table. It’ll be perfect because he’ll be so embarrassed at having been called out in front of people he’ll most definitely change!” Alina raised an eyebrow. It all seemed a little too… perfect. Like it was carefully planned out. “Why should I do that though? Why can’t you do it?” “Because,” the brunette rolled her eyes, “You are blunt and straightforward. I’m a people pleaser and it might end up just coming out as a compliment. You could make it sound all mean and make him actually want to change.” Alina stared at her best friend. In all the seventeen years she had known her, this was the most carefully thought out plan she had ever presented to her. Lisa’s plans were usually careless. Always careless. It was almost as if there was someone working the strings behind the scene. Almost. Lisa was the one person Alina trusted with all her heart. “You are my best friend. And I am supposed to help you in your times of need. So fine, I’ll do it.” An excited “Thank you!” was what she got as a reply. She closed her eyes allowing her thoughts to swallow her, completely missing the smirk that had made its way to her best friend’s face.