TTEOTB -- Ch. 15

Chapter 151

“Anika,” Arianna was holding me tight again for the second time tonight, this time so I wouldn’t fall off the bed, “Do you have a headache?” 2

“Yes! No!” I thought about that for a second. He is like a headache. A headache that never goes away. That won’t ever go away. “He never goes away.” I was starring off into space, wide eyed. 3

“Who?” She whispered, “Who never goes away?”4

“Him.” I said. 5

“Who is him?” She asked. 6

I snapped out of my trance.7

“No one!” I yelled, pulling away from her. 8

She grabbed my hand, “Tell me right now Anika Osborn.” 9

“No.” I said, pulling away again. She can’t know. No one can know. Ever. They’d think I’m insane. They’d send me to a nuthouse. They’d hate me even more. If that’s possible. 10

“Please tell me. I want to understand.” She looked at me with pleading eyes.11

“Okay...” I said, finally giving in, “There’s a thing I see… He follows me everywhere…” I know I sounded so stupid but I didn’t know how else to explain it to her. 12

“He?” She quirked her eyebrows.13

“Yeah, it’s a boy… I can tell by his voice.” I tell her, staring off into space thinking about how much of an idiot I sound like. 14

“So, you see a guy?” She asked.15

“No, it’s dead like he’s a skeleton with red eyes and sharp teeth…” I started describing him slowly, “He smells really bad but I go used to it… His voice is wheezy like he’s smoked too much.” 16

After I told her that she looked like she was trying to picture him or something. I knew she hated me now. She thinks I’m crazy…17

“Alright well, what’s he do that make him so… unbearable?” Arianna asked, sounding like a psychologist or something of the sort. 18

“All he does is follow me around at the worst possible times and puts me down… ‘You’re stupid’, ‘You’re ugly’, ‘He’s using you’, ‘You’re going to fail’ blah blah blah blah!” 19

“Is he here right now..?” Arianna scanned the room. Silly her. She wouldn’t be able to see him. 20

“No.” I told her because he wasn’t. 21

“Was he at the party?” She asked, leaning in closer.22

“Yeah,” I whispered, “He was. He was here a few minutes ago too…”23

“That was the headache?” She asked.24

“Not a headache… I’m just so fucking sick and tired of it.” I spat out, “He makes my life hell!” My whispers got louder. 25

“Shh! We don’t want mom and dad to wake up.” Arianna put a hand over my mouth. 26

I took a deep breath, “Sorry.” 27

“Are you sure you see this thing… Like you aren’t making it up?” 28

“How the hell am I supposed to make that damned thing up?! I’ve been seeing him for as long as I can remember!” I was furious. How could she think I’d make something like that up? 29

“Shhhh!” Arianna put her hand over my mouth again, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything, jeez.” 30

“I’m done. You think I’m insane now. Great. Goodfuckingnight.” I said, wrapping myself up in a blanket and throwing my head on a pillow. 31

“Fine. G’night.” I felt her weight lift off the bed and then heard the door close. 32

“Way to go, loser.” He chuckled.33

* * * *34

I got up a few hours before noon the next morning and found that mom and dad had gone. Groggily and slowly I went down the stairs and into the kitchen. 35

“Hey, where are mom and dad?” I asked as I walked up to Arianna’s side by the stove. She was making pancakes. 36

“Uh, church or something.” Arianna shrugged, turning over the pancakes. 37

“Oh, alright.” I said.38

“Do you want any?” Arianna asked, nodding towards the sizzling pan. 39

“Uh, sure I guess. I’m gonna go brush my teeth first.” I told her, heading for the stairs.40

“Okay, five minutes!” She called to me. 41

I ran upstairs brushed my teeth and hair, changed and was back downstairs in less than five minutes. Super Anika! Hah, not. 42

“That was fast.” Arianna commented, setting a plate of pancakes in front of me.43

“I know. Didn’t you know I’m a superhero?” I took a bite of my breakfast. 44

“I didn’t, thanks for telling me.” She laughed, “Now tell me something else.”45

Oh, great, here we go again, “Like what…?” I asked mid-chew. 46

“Like who he,” she put finger quotes on the word ‘he’, “is…” 47

“He? Who he?” I asked with a blank expression.48

“You know exactly who he.” Arianna narrowed her eyes.49

“No I don’t.” I said through pancake.50

“Anika, don’t play stupid.” Arianna scowled. 51

“I’m not playing!” I laughed at my own joke. 52

“Anika, really, come on.” Arianna was begging now. Why’d she care so much?53

“Nah. Hey can I ask you something?” I asked, pointing my fork in her direction.54

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She said, eyebrows arched.55

“Are you a virgin?” I looked up to see her falter but regain herself quick.56

“No, I’m not.” She told me, dropping my eyes. 57

“No way… You and Donnie?” I asked, she nodded, “When?”58

“Not too long ago…” Arianna put a hand over her stomach. Weird. Could she? No, she couldn’t… She has put on a bit of baggage. But she is stressed out from school. Eh…59

“You aren’t… pregnant, are you?” I asked, putting my fork down slowly. 60

She put both hands over her stomach and started to cry. Not cry, bawl. She was bawling, shaking uncontrollably. 61

“Arianna!” I got up out of my chair fast and went to hold her, “Sweetie, it’s okay.” 62

“N-n-no,” She blubbered, “Its n-n-not uh-oh-okay!” 63

“Calm down,” I begged her, “This can’t be good for you or the baby.” I put a hand over her stomach. 64

“I j-juh-just don’t know wh-wha-what I’m gonna do…” She sobbed, calming down a bit. 65

“I’ll help you.” I told her, and I would. 66

She cried even harder and I didn’t understand why. I mean, yeah, her parents would blow a gasket but they weren’t going to kill her.67

“Have you seen a doctor?” 68

“Nuh-no.” She stammered, tears were slowing down.69

“We’ll go see one tomorrow after school then.” I told her. She was going to do this the right way and I was going to help her. 70

“No!” She yelled, “We can’t…” 71

“Why not? You have to.” Why wouldn’t she want to go?72

“Well,” She was looking for an answer, “Mom and Dad might find out.” 73

“We’re going.” I told her, getting up and returning to my breakfast.74

“I’m not going.” She crossed her arms.75

I rolled my eyes. She was going whether she wanted to or not. 76