Maya Wilkins's life turns upside down the day her sister commits suicide. With emotions overwhelming her every moment, she feels herself drowning in the chaos of memories and an uncertain future.
Trying to escape the sudden limbo her life is suspen...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
15 | ODD
ISN'T IT ODD,
HOW YOUR SMILE CAN CHANGE MY DAY.
The anxiousness in the pit of my stomach rose exponentially with every moment. An odd chatter filled my mind, creating a fog in my thoughts I couldn't clear. With a low groan, I slumped forward, banging my head against my desk.
With my head settled on the desk, I turned it to the side and stared at my phone. Events from yesterday danced in my mind, ready to be presented in a verbal performance at a chance. I could hear Link's voice, my confession, and whispers of Lily's memories.
Sleeping on a raging mind didn't help my cause. Instead, it fed the fiction of my dreams. With dark craters under my eyes, I forced myself to find solace in art.
But it was near impossible when I didn't love the task. Hence, the abandoned pages and pencils scattered around me. My fingers smoothed over the metal edge of my phone with the crack on the screen glinting silver.
It didn't take me long to realize that I needed words to ponder, not lines and gradients.
One option was to return to writing. But I dismissed the thought as soon as guilt stabbed my conscience. That left the option of talking, and the only person I trusted enough to talk to seemed busy. At least that's what I could make out of the one unanswered call.
With my fingers drumming on the screen now, I contemplated doing something foolish.
Fuck it! With my motto roaring in my mind, I called the teen helpline number. Some optimistic part of my heart hoped that it was Yani who picked up my call. There was an odd yearning inside me that wanted to hear her calm and understanding words. Maybe her refined comments could sort my scrambled sanity.
With each passing ring, my bravado faltered. My foolishness seemed ridiculous. When I was almost sure that this call was going to be unanswered too, it connected.
"Welcome to the teen helpline! Feel free to share your thoughts. I am happy to help you," came the voice from the other end.
The tiny part of me that was elated for a moment got crushed. The unfamiliar voice on the other end made my brows furrow.
"I need to talk to Yani," I blurted the first thought that came to my mind.
Heat rose to my cheeks when the stunned silence on the other end extended beyond a few moments. My demand was unexpected, even for me.
"Excuse me?" Indignation shone through the two words.
With a deep breath, I grasped at the straws of my courage. "I need to talk to Yani. Is she available?"
The huff on the other end gave me an idea about the reply coming my way. "It doesn't work that way. You can't just call us and demand to speak with someone else. It is extremely rude and against our rules. So, you can't talk to Yani," she ranted.
