Chapter 96: Chapter 96

CHAPTER 96

SARA

Staring lazily at the ceiling up ahead, Sara blinked her eyes twice for the umpteenth time that night.

She was trying to force herself to sleep but it wasn’t working at all.

She had turned and tossed tirelessly on the bunk bed she shared with Ariel, and even after some complaints from her best friend, she just didn’t stop.

She couldn’t stop rather, with her mind going haywire and streaks of dried tears still on her face.

Letting out a soft sniffle and whimper, as if she wanted to begin crying again, Sara turned to the left side of the bed, her eyes wandering about as she looked around the dimly lit hostel room.

It wasn’t so late at all, and she and Ariel were the only ones in the room, as they had eaten their dinner albeit hurriedly, and then come back to rest.

Now though, the last thing Sara was doing was having a good rest, and she hated this feeling so much! She tried closing her eyes slowly again, making it droop and at the same time praying that this strategy of hers would work, and sleep would come but nothing was forthcoming.

Damn it, but she was really tired.

“Can’t sleep still?” Ariel asked from below, as she added again, “Don’t tell me you are still crying Sara. I wouldn’t take that lightly honestly.” She finished and her statement, just made Sara all the more nostalgic and sad.

Tears threatened to burn at the back of her eyes, and despite knowing that Ariel was just concerned about her welfare and all, Sara still wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, and yell at her best friend for sounding so obnoxiously.

Just why wouldn’t Ariel take the fact that she was crying lightly? Was there anything she could she do except cry her heart out, and clutch her stomach tightly?

Her world was falling apart, her whole existence crumbling but still yet she had to be calm?

It’d been two days since she’d seen Christian last, going to his home to tell him the shocking news of her pregnancy, but what had she gotten in response. More shocking news, photos of a nude staged photos that she still couldn’t explain, and him breaking up with her.

She had begged him, expecting him to give her a listening ear at least, but he’d refused, banging his door at her face when he was finished, and leaving her alone outside like he didn’t care whatever happened to her.

The breakup might have hurt a bit, but the way he’d reacted when she told him about their child baffled her so much. He had vehemently denied the pregnancy, claiming she was cheating on him, and that the child couldn’t be his and her heart had shredded further.

She’d only been with Christian all her life, and she had tried to tell him this but he was impassive, refusing to listen or admit that she was saying the truth.

Coming back to the shelter dejectedly, she had told Ariel all that had transpired between her and Christian. Daniel had been present of course, and he kept on telling her sorry over and over again, but the deed had been done.

Christian had broken up with her, denied her pregnancy, and he would soon leave for Seattle. Since he’d gone two days without calling or talking to her, she already had her answer and he had made his mind up about their breakup.

When he left, she would be here all alone, and furthermore it wouldn’t take long before the shelter came to know of her pregnancy, and then banish her.

The hospital would gladly inform the matrons, who in turn would scold and send her out, and then she’d be homeless and helpless, roaming the streets like some mad woman.

She was already imagining her future, and how it would be like without Christian in it, and the mental image she’d cooked up in her head was frightening to say the least.

“Oh jeez…” She said out loud, her voice trembling as she tried to stifle back sobs yet again.

She heard the rustle of sheets underneath her, and she could hear Ariel putting on her slippers, obviously wanting to get to her, and her guess was right.

“Oh Sara…” Ariel mumbled softly, climbing the bed gently, and pulling her close for a hug.

Sob after sob racked through Sara’s body, and as she embraced her best friend, she couldn’t help but lay out all her worries and how sacred she was.

“… I don’t even know what to think Ariel. I’m so scared. Christian might have already left for Seattle already. Now I’m beginning to wonder if he ever loved me like he said he did. I’m just so confused and…”

“Shhh… it’s okay. Everything would be fine, as long as I’m here.” Ariel said trying her best to sound positive and reassuring but Sara wasn’t getting it at all.

“Nothing would be fine. My life is literally in shambles right now. I can’t even be positive right now because my head is full of frightening images about my future and…”

Sara paused instinctively, the words on her lips dying down when she heard the door to the small room creak open.

Disentangling herself slowly from Ariel, the both of then turned to stare at the door, wondering who had come in.

The silhouette of a familiar looking chubby kid appeared by the doorway, and a frown etched atop her forehead, Sara turned to look at Ariel, who also did the same, their gazes trapping for a second.

What was Miranda doing here by this time? Besides it’d been long since they’d seen her, and she had not even bothered visiting Sara at the hospital, this she could note.

Well, she wasn’t angry at her for that, and besides she was their friend right? Smiling and waving her hands, Sara who had wiped off her teary face clean called out after some time of precarious silence, “Hello Miranda, what’s up?”

…….

MIRANDA’S POV

“Hello Miranda, what’s up?”

The cheery sound of Sara calling out to her, had Miranda’s chest squeezing in pain and guilt, as she slowly walked into the dimly lit room.

Finally she was here to confess and tell Sara and Ariel, about her involvement in Dinah’s disastrous plan, and how she had tried stopping them from attending the carnival festival, but they’d both been adamant.

Her face bent down, her hands clasped together as she trembled slightly, Miranda hoped that they would have it in them to forgive her, and let bygones be bygones.

She’d been foolish and scared of Dinah’s threats, and she had kept such valuable information from people she called her friends. The same girls that had her back, and cared for her when Dinah and Tessa had left her stranded, and cut off all ties with her.

Damn but she had fucked up big time, and now she was just realizing it.

“Miranda?” Ariel called out, waving her hands in front of her face and cutting her out from a seeming trance.

“What’s up Sara, what’s up Ariel?” She greeted solemnly, her head still faced down.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at them, not after what she’d done to them, and what she was about to say. She was already hoping for the worst, but one thing she could only pray against was them cutting of their friendship.

Miranda didn’t think she would be able to live with that if they did. She would be alone, and she couldn’t bear that at all.

“Miranda… It’s been long since we’d seen you last. How are you doing?” Ariel asked again, a small smile on her oval shaped face.

As she asked that question, Miranda watched as they both began to clamber out of the bed, coming to stand on the floor where she was.

“I’m good Ariel. How are you both?”

“We are both okay.” Ariel said again, and stretching out her hands she said, “Come, let’s have a seat. You look stricken, is something wrong?”

“No, thank you. I’m okay standing.”

“Are you sure?” Sara asked joining in, and Miranda could only nod.

She was shaking profusely, her hands trembling so bad, she feared they would see and notice just how anxious she was in their presence.

“I… I…” She began to stutter, the words she’d prepared to say flying off the window, as she forgot it all.

“Don’t you want to sit?” She heard Sara asked gently, but she only shook her head negatively, her mind wandering off again.

How would she start? What would she say? And…

“What’s the matter now? You’re scaring us Miranda.” Ariel said again, still stretching out her hands but she refused, shying away from the touch like it burned.

“I’m so sorry for not visiting you at the hospital Sara…” Miranda began after a while, finally finding her voice.

“It’s okay. I’m fine now, and…” Sara interrupted and Miranda heard her sniffle as if she was crying, “It’s fine Miranda honestly. Now you just tell us what’s bothering you. Did someone bully you again? Did something bad happen?”

Sara was genuinely concerned… Heck, the both of them were genuinely concerned, and once again Miranda’s chest squeezed lightly agonizingly.

They had loved her, brought her into their clique, defended her countless times, but the one time when she would have been of great help to them, she had fucked up so badly and now Miranda had no idea how to atone for her sins.

For a second she thought against not confessing, contemplating what would happen if she didn’t.

She would continue being friends with them, and things might seem normal, but inside she would be carrying a heavy guilt and the whole world on her chest.

She barely slept these days, thinking every night, and she knew she couldn’t keep living like this.

“I came here to… to apologize Sara. I came here to tell you how sorry I am about the carnival incident, and keeping something so crucial from you.”

“Huh?” They both said in unison, and Miranda only nodded.

Time was ticking so fast, and she had to muster the courage to say something before she would decide against it.

“What are you talking about Miranda?” Sara asked again, and sighing heavily, her chest rising and falling Miranda blurted out her response, “The nude photos that Dinah took of you… I knew about them.”

“Wait what? You know about the nude photos? I never showed you, how come you know about it and…” Sara began, already hysterical and Miranda took a step back as she began to confess, with tears rolling down her eyes at the same.

At first, Sara and Ariel didn’t say a thing until she was finished, and even when she stopped talking, her hands on her cheeks as she tried to wipe away the tears streaming profusely they both stared at her in shock not saying a thing.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” She asked slowly, her whole body shaking as she took a step back, and that was when all hell let loose.

Sara began to cry, her voice so loud as she yelled, “How could you keep this from me Miranda? How could you?”

“I’m sorry. Dinah threatened to kill me, or do something drastic if I said a thing. I wanted everything to cool down first before telling you and…”

“And now it’s too late!” Sara screamed, her hands going to her hair as she began to ruffle the strands, “The police asked you to make a statement and confess all that you knew, but you blatantly lied to them saying you didn’t know a thing! The matrons asked you, they asked every one of us to say something, but you kept mute that day, wearing a disguise and I just couldn’t see through it because I loved you, and saw you as a friend. You couldn’t betray me, I thought that but here we are. To make matters worse Christian has broken up with me, and he doesn’t even want to listen when I tell him I never cheated. I am even p… oh jeez!” She broke off, falling to the ground as she continued to cry heavily.

“How could you Miranda?” Ariel began, her eyes bitter as she took menacing steps that sent shivers down Miranda’s spine.

“I… I wanted to…”

“Oh will you shut the hell up! After everything we did for you? After the support and love we showed you when your friends threw you out of their clique, now you have the right to do this to us?”

“I’m sorry… I tried to tell you guys. I warned you both not to go to the…” She began softly but Ariel was not having any of it it as she began to lash out at her and she sobbed profusely.

Going on her knees, she continued to beg but they weren’t listening, and the worse she had hoped against happened because Ariel said bluntly and without any remorse.

“I regret ever becoming friends with you. Had I known, or had we known rather we wouldn’t have added you to our clique. You’re nothing but a liar, and a cheat and I hate you with all my heart!”

“Please Ariel, Sara say something. Please, I’m so sorry…” Miranda continued to beg.

They were already causing a scene as some girls had already started trooping into the room, watching as they fought and exchanged words, and Miranda could only continue to beg heartbrokenly.

“Just get out!” Sara spat out, finally saying something and she still tried to beg, but her words only made Sara more angry as she yelled again, “Just get out! Leave, before I do something more disastrous!”

“Are you deaf? Leave!” Ariel chimed in, and dejectedly with her head bowed down, Miranda turned around and headed towards the door.

On getting towards the door, she swiveled around again shooting a glance at her two former friends, but they were no longer staring at her. Instead Ariel had wrapped her arms round Sara, in a bid to comfort her friend and the sight broke Miranda over and over again.

Twisting the door knob, she stepped out into the corridor, walking past some children who kept murmuring and pointing fingers at her, as they talked about the fight.

Now more than ever she was truly alone, and as she trudged slowly she recalled Ariel’s words over and over again. How would she cope in the shelter, now that everyone seemed to have deserted her. But she’d caused it all.

She was truly a selfish friend, and a betrayer and now she was fucking alone with no one to talk or turn too.

She hated herself so much! She hated it here!