The Heartbroken - S01 E127

2 years ago

The Heartbroken - S01 E127

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 127

To say I was surprised was somehow an understatement. She was looking at her food like it was suddenly so interesting, trying not to look at me. “No,” I said. “Hail, it’s not that.”

She peeked at me. “It’s not?”

I sighed. “Of course it’s not. It’s…” I trailed off, unable to find the right words to finish that sentence. “It’s about Seth and me.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, staring at me with a quizzical look on her face. “What about Seth?”

I took a deep breath. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

She gave me a look, like she was offended. “Is that even something that should be asked?”

“Do you promise?” I repeated firmly, letting her know the importance of the matter.

“Of course,” she said in all seriousness. “I promise. Now out with it.”

I fixed her with a long, hard stare. She looked serious, so I rid myself of any uncertainty. I told her everything–from the reason behind my sudden change, why I’d gone to parties, how things started with Seth, and how everything was fake. She seemed shocked beyond compare, occasionally asking questions as I told her everything there was to tell.

“Oh, my god.” The look on her face was starting to scare me. Her eyes were so wide I was pretty sure her eyeballs could fall out of their sockets. “Kyla, this is…”

I bit my lower lip. “This is?”

“I can’t believe it. Tell me you’re joking.” She looked me straight in the eye.

Squirming a little in my seat, I said, “I’m not. I’m telling the truth.”

She pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head. “But–but you and Seth are perfect.”

“What?”

“I swear,” she said. “Nothing about it looks fake.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, we’re good actors.”

“Bullshit.”

I reeled back from the shock. Hail never swore. She never said anything that was even close to cussing. She wouldn’t even say the word “piss” because she thinks it’s completely inappropriate and vulgar. “What did you just say?”

“I said”–she pushed her hair out of her face, gritting her teeth like she was really, really frustrated–“I think you really like him. For real.”

I nearly stood up from my seat when I said, “No! I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

Shaking my head, I leveled my gaze with hers and said, as calmly as I could, “Uh, no, I don’t.”

She squinted her eyes, analyzing me so closely I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting. There was a knowing look on her face that I was absolutely, completely terrified of. “Have you always been this blind?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I downed the last few ounces of my caramel latte before standing up. “Come on, let’s head to the hospital.”

—

That night, I dreamt of me as a little girl. I was running in an endless white corridor. At first I thought I was running from something, but then I realized I was running towards something.

I was a following a bird, chasing after it, running as fast as my short legs could manage.