Veronica's POV:
"Please go away, Veronica."
"Leave me alone."
"I don't wanna talk right now,"
"Just leave me the fuck alone!"
I had heard these phrases before, but the amount of times I had heard them lately was scaring me. And they were always coming from my very best friend.
I grabbed my phone, and to my surprise, a notification for a message from Tia was on my screen. Curious, I tapped the message. I was really confused, lately I was the only one initiating conversations. But I wasn't going to complain. I watch as my messages app opens up.
"Please come over. I need you." The message read. I was very confused now. Why was Tia telling me to come over all of the sudden? I debate my options. Go over or stay home. But at the end of the day, Tia's my best friend. I text her back.
"Alright. I'm on my way, I'll be there soon," I text. She sends me a simple "okay" back. I hop out of bed and make myself look somewhat presentable. I grab my keys and head outside. It's raining a little bit. I go to my car and get inside.
I start the car up and boot up my GPS system and I drive to Tia's house. The car ride was silent, save for my own breathing and the sounds of the gentle rain tapping on my windows. I arrive at Tia's house and park the car before going to the door.
I ring the doorbell and wait for Tia. I stand there for about three minutes before the door opens, revealing Tia. She thanks me for coming. I gasp, not at all expecting the sight in front of me. I step inside and shut the door, my heart sinks to my stomach as I do.
The house is a mess. The cabinets are all open, dishes are piled high in the sink, the TV is still playing, and crumbs decorated the couch and floor. I follow Tia upstairs. The carpet on the stairs is all torn up. Tia hasn't said a thing.
Upstairs, Tia's room looks as if a Tasmanian Devil had rampaged through it. Her clothes are all over the floor, food stains and crumbs were on the floor and her blankets, and countless dishes were still piled up high, waiting to be washed. Tia turns to me.
Tia's eyes look dull and glassy. They seem more grey instead of their usual color. Her eyes are normally full of life, but now they seem dazed and scared. They're red and bloodshot, seemingly from her crying and rubbing them a lot. She looks like she's on the verge of tears.
Her hair is tangled and messy. Countless little wisps stuck out from every direction imaginable. There's a lot of knots. I come to the conclusion that Tia wasn't taking care of herself that well anymore. I immediately let my own tears fall and I hug Tia as tight as I could.
"Ti Ti..." I murmur, clinging onto her tightly. Tia hugs me and also starts to cry. She shakily asks me why I'm crying. I look up at her and ask her two simple words, "what happened?" and she freezes up. Her tears don't stop streaming down her face.
"N-No. I don't w-wanna talk about it!" Tia screams, sobbing even harder now. I immediately go to comfort her. I don't like seeing her so upset. I grab her hand and squeeze it, and she keeps sobbing. I feel my heart snap in two. I wrap my arms tight around her.
"Okay, it's okay, you're okay. You don't have to talk about it. Please try and calm down for me, okay?" I ask. She shakes her head, screaming and sobbing as loud as she can. She's curling up in a ball on her bed. She looks so small, and so scared.
I know what's happening. She must be having a panic attack. Oh god, what do I do? I hop on the bed next to her and start to rub her back to try and calm her down. She hiccups and looks up and me, and I speak softly.
"Tell me what you need," I instruct. She holds her arms out. I ask if she wants a hug and she nods quickly. I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly. I rub her back again, trying to offer any sort of comfort that I can give her.
"W-Water, please, Ronnie," Tia requests. I nod and pull away from her, telling her I'd be right back. She nods and I rush downstairs. I go into the kitchen. I'm faced with another conundrum. None of the cups have been washed. I go over to the sink and grab a cup that's sitting in it.
I turn on the hot water and grab a sponge and some dish soap. I scrub out the cup with the sponge, and I decide to wash all the dishes in the sink. Once the cups have been washed, I grab a towel and dry them off.
Once that's done, I grab some ice from the freezer and place it in the cup before filling the cup with cold water. Once the cup is filled about 3/4ths full, I bring it upstairs. Tia is still crying and hugging her knees. I tap her shoulder.
"Here you go, Ti Ti," I spoke softly. She takes the water and thanks me. She takes small sips until the water is finished. I smile and rub her back as her tears slow down a little. She looks up at me, she seems really really tired. I sigh.
"Tia, you look tired. Get some rest, okay? I'll be right here," I suggest. She nods and hops onto my lap. I wrap my arms around her and she wraps her arms around me. I hum softly and Tia lays her head against my chest.
Soon enough, she was fast asleep.
YOU ARE READING
Underneath The Smile
Fanfiction"I'm just falling apart. I don't like this.." "It'll be okay. You'll be okay," "You don't sound very convinced," "I am. You're going to be okay. But you need to stop hiding underneath the smile,"
