The Queen's Dilemma

Ch. 12: The Other Side of You

Sitting in the shade provided a bit of respite from the sun, which clocked at high noon, glaring at everyone who dared to venture out without sunscreen.

Sweat slithered down Rani's face and neck and she fanned herself with the hat while looking around for Charlie and Matt. They still hadn't returned from the stuffed animal booth games.

The food court had filled up; people were squeezed against each other so badly it would've given a heart attack to a claustrophobic person. Every burger, taco, funnel cake, and salad bar brimmed with persons of all ages, genders and races.

At the end of the table she sat at, a family sat across from her at an opposite table.

The child at the end of the table sat with his mouth wide open, like he wanted to scrape the table with it.

The stares.

Several people who walked by her gave her a weird glance, as if she were a pulsating alien waiting to eat them. Every time she'd look at them, they'd scramble away.

What if Matt and Charlie think like that? They may just be tolerating your presence.

The negative thoughts swirled around her like a malicious snake, one that sank it's fangs into her heart with every nasty word.

She could see the disgust in other people's eyes. Wondering why she was there ruining their pleasant day. Like lasers in the middle of the night, slicing up every happy thought she had. She'd hoped the hat would cover her face well enough to hide the scars.

However, sitting in a shaded area with a hat made her stick out like a throbbing sore thumb.

The kid across from her still stared like a zonked-out puppy. A young couple, whom Rani assumed to be the kid's parents, sat on either side of him, and slowly split up the food they'd bought.

As soon as the chicken nuggets and fries landed on his plate, he was gulping them down.

However, it seemed that staring ran in the family because his mother looked at her.

The face.

Like they were looking down on her, like she was supposed to be locked up in a lab, not out in the wild at an amusement park. It was as if someone had taken a fat shit right underneath the young woman's nose; the sneer she gave rattled Rani's confidence.

When's Matt coming back?

People liked looking at him; everyone smiled when he was in the room, talking or joking.

Though in Ash's case, giving him an 'airplane' ride.

Despite the unease pooling in the lining of her stomach, she smiled softly at the thought of him zooming Ash around Lily's restaurant. How Matt's arm muscles seemed to bulge whenever they flexed his t-shirt sleeves.

She squirmed; these weren't the right thoughts when she was worried about the starer.

"Excuse me." Sneer Queen had gotten up from her table and came over to Rani's side.

"Yes?" Rani asked.

"Um, you're, like, disturbing the area. Please go away." Her sickly, fake girly tone reminded Rani of the condescending people in her life.

Equal parts rude and scary.

"I don't understand?" Rani asked. No one else looked disturbed.

Weirded out by her scars probably.

An older black woman, with whom seemed to be her grandchildren, sat at the table over, and looked at the two of them when Rani spoke.

"You're scaring my child, okay? Like seriously, please move." The young woman's face slowly lost the fake smile.