Voodoo Doll // cth

eight

Things are getting bad again, but no one is noticing. Now, I'm going to point out the small cries for help I send out to people, but none of you will notice them until I point them out. Calum and I both sent out cries for help, but no one realized.

I watch everyone slowly enter the café, waiting to see at least one person that sparks interest in me. I've been sitting here for hours, not ordering anything, just waiting.

I used to love the idea of being alone, but now the silence is deafening and I can't escape it.

What am I waiting for? That's a question for someone else, because I surely don't have an answer. I gently bounce my leg up and down, still watching everyone that comes into the small shop before someone interrupts me.

"Is this seat taken?" I turn to the sound of the voice, noticing Mali standing on the opposite side of the table. Her hand is rested on the back of the empty seat, waiting for confirmation to pull it out from under the table. I get her a soft shrug and she uses it as her chance to sit down, sighing. "You've been here all day. Are you alright?"

Heart of gold. She always had such a love for people that was indescribable. She deserved to be loved.

"Yeah, I just needed a place to hangout. My mom is a bit insane right now, so I felt it was best not to bother her." I shake my head, smiling gently. Its Saturday and I chose to come here as soon as I woke up. I brought a book with me, but I'd be lying if I said that I've opened it at all.

"It's been a few weeks since you came in here last. I was wondering if you were upset about anything that the guys said while you were in here." She looks at me with concern and I shake my head, earning a nod from her as she presses her lips together. "They're nice guys once you get to know them, but they're hard to figure out."

"Everyone is hard to figure out nowadays." I mumble quietly, causing her to laugh.

Cry for help number one. I just needed someone to ask me questions and I would've told them everything. I needed to talk, but no one would listen.

"Why do you say that?"

"Sam is always pressuring me to do things now and using the excuse that I need to live in the moment, mom hasn't really been paying attention to me and dad hasn't even been around, but Calum says he likes me and wants me to do stuff until I—sorry, never mind." I stop myself from talking, looking down at the table.

"No, what does he do? Anything you tell me will stay between us, Adeline. I promise." She shakes her head and I shrug.

I wanted to tell her about what Calum did, the night that he did it. I told him that she would understand, but he made me promise not to say anything.

"He calls me a witch and says that I have a voodoo doll that's causing him to be hopelessly obsessed with me as if I have the time or energy to do anything like that." I explain, causing her to furrow her eyebrows. "Then he told me he wanted to kiss me and when I almost did, he left."

"Well, boys aren't my strong suit—clearly—but I think you just need to talk to him. I don't know what is going on between the two of you, but I doubt it's a voodoo doll." She laughs quietly before continuing. "He needs someone like you, just so you know."

"Someone like me?"

"Someone to keep him down on earth without suffocating him. Y'know, sometimes I find myself envying you." Her statement makes me look over at her as she laughs. "It's stupid, but you remind me of my younger self. The girl I wanted to continue to be, but had to abandon."

I hope she gets to be that person someday. I hope she finds herself again.

"I'm sorry about that." I whisper, genuinely sorry for her. "I never knew that you had to abandon your old self."