Toast

Chapter Forty Three // Three Problems

- Priya's POV -

"I'm going to join my friends so you can go.." I said to Eff awkwardly when we had returned from the train station, she nodded and left me alone beside the front desk. Inside the common room Ashley and Carrie-Anne sat closely together with nervous expressions on their faces, I knew that whatever they were talking about wouldn't be as horrifying as the news I had received from my uncle an hour before. I entered the room and let the door slam behind me so they knew I had arrived, both of them jumped slightly and turned around to stare at me. Nobody spoke, it was as if there was a monster in the room and we were all terrified to move.

"Guys? What's going on?" I asked in confusion, I folded my arms and stared at them. Carrie-Anne glanced at Ashley and she lowered her head as if she didn't want to tell me what they were talking about. I waited patiently until Carrie-Anne got up from where she was sitting and approached me with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Ashley knows.." Carrie-Anne whispered while walking closer to me, I continued to stare in silence because I didn't understand what she was saying. I glanced over Carrie-Anne's shoulder at Ashley who still had her eyes locked on the floor, Carrie-Anne sighed loudly.

"Ashley knows you like girls" Carrie-Anne blurted out, I stared at her in shock and my body instantly went into meltdown. My hands shook, my stomach turned as if I was going to throw up and my head spun quickly.

"W-What?.." I muttered quietly while my eyes flickered to and from both of them, I walked backwards to find the exit before sprinting out of the common room as fast as I could and rushing towards the stairs. Carrie-Anne hurried after me while shouting my name but I never looked back because I was so embarrassed, terrified and hurt.

"How could you do this to me! You knew I didn't want her to ever find out! I trusted you with that secret!" I yelled down the corridor at Carrie-Anne, she insisted on explaining but I didn't want to listen to her petty excuses. I slammed the bedroom door and locked it from the inside so she couldn't enter, her key was in the room with me. Carrie-Anne stood outside hitting the door and calling my name, I ignored her until she finally shut up and left me alone.

All I wanted to do was tear her side of the bedroom apart, rip her posters and pour water all over her study notes which were stacked up neatly on the desk. But instead I fell to the floor and cried loudly over the events of today, my mother ending her life and my life at this school about to end when Ashley tells everybody that I am a lesbian. After aggressively crying for a long period of time I seemed to have passed out, I tired myself out from the intense gaps for air every few seconds.

I jumped up in fear as the door began to bang once again, I glanced up at the clock on the wall to see that it was 9:00pm which was curfew. I stood up slowly and held my right hand to my forehead as it thumped loudly from the trauma I had experienced today.

"Let me in Priya!" Carrie-Anne shouted angrily, I tip toed towards the door and opened it for her without making any eye contact. She stood at the door and watched me get into bed before I threw the blankets over my head so I didn't need to speak to her.

"Can I explain now?" She asked me while closing the door and entering the room, I rolled my eyes.

"Good night" I told her without any further discussion.

~~

I decided to get up early the next morning so I wouldn't have to speak to Carrie-Anne, I knew that she wouldn't be stupid enough to bring up this conversation in a busy school. I grabbed my outfit for the day and quietly left the bedroom to head to the showers, it was 6:00am and I knew nobody would be awake.

I entered the shower room and set my clothes neatly on the bench opposite the many empty showers, I quickly undressed and jumped into the warm water that I desperately needed. The only sound I could hear was the water bouncing off the tiled floor and it was incredibly relaxing, I closed my eyes and stood still so I could enjoy it. The water suddenly started to get warmer and I didn't realise until my shoulders began to burn, I jumped out of the way and stared at the shower head in shock. I turned the water to cold and got back in to begin washing my hair and body.

My fingers were slowly shrivelling up as I had been in the shower for too long, I glanced down at them and sighed before resting my head on the wall. I was waiting for Sydney to visit me as she has before when I was in the shower, but this time she was nowhere to be seen.

"I need you! Where are you?!" I called out, my voice echoed around the empty shower room and I lowered my head in sadness. Sydney was not coming. After getting out of the shower, getting dressed and plaiting my wet hair I decided that it was time for a walk before school. I glanced around the shower room looking for Sydney before walking out and leaving all hope that I would see her again.

7:00am was here and it was still slightly dark outside, the perfect time for me to take a long walk to think about everything that was going on in my life. I walked slowly down the stairs and passed the front desk where a lady stared at me in shock because of how early I was ready for school.

I walked out the front door and looked left to see Eff and a random girl, my eyes widened in shock just like the lady at the front desk did. Why is Elizabeth awake so early? And why is she standing under a tree with a strange girl? I stepped backwards and hid at the front door so they couldn't spot me, I watched in confusion. I noticed that Eff looked extremely upset with whatever this stranger was saying, she occasionally shook her head and looked away from the girl as if she didn't want to be there. The strange girl repeatedly tried to grab Elizabeth's hands as they spoke and then Elizabeth began to cry.

I had never seen her cry before and it was weird, I sometimes forget that she has feelings and emotions too because I'm so wrapped up in my own. The stranger looked scared once she realised she had made Elizabeth cry, I was tempted to run up to them and slap her in anger. My phone vibrated in my hoodie pocket, I glanced down to see a message from Carrie-Anne asking where I was, I obviously ignored. I looked up at the drama before my jaw dropped in shock, Elizabeth and the girl were kissing..

I stood up and continued to watch them in horror, they wouldn't stop kissing and that's when I had to step in. I stormed across the green and began to shout which caused Elizabeth to shove the stranger away from her, I stared at her with tears in my eyes.

"So, who's this? Your secret girlfriend?" I asked Elizabeth sarcastically while pointing in the strangers face, they both watched me in terror as I was clearly acting insane.

"No.. We have history Priya, she is trying to ruin everything for me once again" Elizabeth explained while glaring at the stranger, I shook my head quickly and refused to believe her. I know what I saw, they were kissing and Elizabeth was clearly kissing back. I shouted at her in anger, taking out all of my emotions on the situation that was before me.

"I love Elizabeth! Deal with it!" The stranger shouted, Elizabeth told her off angrily.

"You're a fucking attention seeker! You never loved me alright?" Elizabeth told the stranger while shoving her violently, the girl almost fell over with the force of her push. I watched them in confusion because I had no idea what they were talking about before I butted in but I didn't care, I was hurt and I had to show it.

"You convinced me that you had feelings for me, I trusted you with all of my shit and you do this? I thought we were close, I thought you cared.. You've ruined everything" I told Elizabeth before turning away and walking off, that was when I let myself cry. I cried when nobody else could see the pain and sorrow on my face.

Now I have three problems and nobody to turn to.

"Fuck you Connie.. Priya! Come back!"