Chapter 23

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As I'm lying in the chilly hotel room in my bed, a sense of déjà vous hits me. More tears keep rolling down my cheek like a...like a...waterfall. The very sad but short lived dream from a while back replays itself. And all of the emotions I was feeling in there, I'm feeling now. I'm reliving my dream? But who cares at this moment? I mean I don't. I didn't think Daniel or any of my friends would do this to me. But here I am in that exact situation. It's been a day and I haven't left my room. I can't go out there and show my face to everyone who probably are thinking and talking horrible things about me.

I really thought telling him was the best idea. And what really bothers me is that they thought I did it because I had feelings for him. Yes, I have or had feelings for him but they had absolutely nothing to do with the situation. I care for his feelings and I didn't want them to be wasted on someone who doesn't even appreciate them.

On the night stand beside my bed, I hear the ringtone of my phone as someone's calling me. I really don't want to talk to anyone right now so I try to tell myself that if the call is important, they'll leave a message. The ringing stops. But not for long as my phone starts ringing again. I heave a sigh and checked the caller ID. It's mom. I can't let her hear me like this. But I also can't ignore her.

I inhale a deep shaky breath, pressed the answer button and put the phone to my ear. "Hello?" my voice comes out raspy.

"Hey El! We miss you! How's it going over there?" She asks cheerily. A light sob escaped my lips.

"I-I miss you guys too!" I say as I was trying to hold back another sob. Hearing my mom made me realize how much I really want to go home right now. I don't like it here one bit and I want to get away. Unfortunately though, I can't. The school has a contract with this resort and whoever signs up has to fulfill the whole three weeks of it.

"Why are you crying El?" She asks with worry. "Did something happen?"

I open my mouth about to tell her but I close it shut realizing that I can't do that. What if my mom doesn't believe me either? And I don't want to seem like a snitch, like I just was a day ago. And even though they treated me like they did, I don't want my mom to think any less of them. She already thinks quite highly of them as it is.

"Y-yeah" I say sniffling. "My friends and I are watching a movie and we're at a sad part" I lie to her. A huge guilty feeling sets itself onto my shoulders. The feeling of lying to my own mother doesn't feel pleasant at all.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. And don't tell me, I don't want to cry either" she laughs. "I'll leave you guys to it then, love you!"

"Love you mom" I say back and immediately pressed the red hang up button.

I slammed my phone back onto the night stand and buried my face into my soaking wet pillow. A huge sob I was holding in throughout the phone call is finally released and I just let the tears fall and soak into the fluffy, white pillow.

*******

It's been three days since the incident and my recreation time is now over. I've tried to make myself go out of the room but the only time I was able to get myself to actually step out, was when I knew everyone asleep. But today...today is different. I have to go back to work in the kitchen. Which also meant that I have to face everyone again. And I'm no where near ready to do so.

I have exactly ten minutes until I have clock in and it takes about five minutes to get from my room to the kitchen. With a shaky hand, I turn the doorknob to my room open. No one from our school was here but when I got closer to the doors of the building, there was a group of them. And I'm pretty sure almost everyone knows. News like this wouldn't take time to get around. It would spread like wildfire.

Preparing myself for the worst, I made my way through the resort. On my way there, it was as expected; people were whispering and pointing in my direction. My skin prickles with goosebumps as I feel my eyes start to tear up again. I try to inhale and exhale to try to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill.

When I got to the kitchen, it was no better than when I walked passed the group of students. It felt even more worse. As soon as my presence was known to everyone in the room, it was almost as if time itself stopped. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look up and stare at me. And they weren't the nicest of looks. The sense of not belonging there sets in.

Everyone went back to what they were doing as I took unsure steps more further into the kitchen. On my way there, a huge force bumps into me almost making me fall. I look up to see who it was and my heart immediately sunk to the bottom of my stomach.

"Watch where you're going" Daniel spits at me and turns to go where he was going.

My heart sinks at the fact he said that to me. My eyes well up in tears once again but this time I'm not quick to wipe them away. A stray tear rolls down my cheek making me wipe it away with the back of my hand. I fix my purse that slipped off my shoulder and got myself settled at my station.

As hard as I'm trying, I can't get myself to put my full focus on my desert. My eyes start to prickle with tears as a flashback of what happened that night appears. I sniffle back the sob that was trying to make its way out and went back to work.

*******

As lunch time rolled around, I was forced to eat in the dining hall with the rest of the students. There was nothing more I wanted than to just take my lunch to my room and watch tv. But they said that wasn't allowed.

As I was walking through each isle trying to find a seat, every single pair of eyes were on me, with slight whispers here and there. I found an empty table toward the back of the room but unfortunately, it gave me a view of Daniel's table. And what made it worst was that Willa and Violet were signing to each other while looking at me. Willa signed something and they all laughed at it. Their table was too far for me to see what they were signing but I think I have a general idea of what it was about. Me.

That wasn't even the worst thing to happen to me at lunch. I was trying to enjoy my meal when Katie turned around from her seat next Daniel and smirked in my direction. Knowing that I'm looking, she brings in Daniel for a long and passionate kiss. Right in front of my eyes. She whispers something in his ear making him turn around. He laughs and brings her in another kiss.

I avert me eyes elsewhere, trying to finish my sandwich. I rolled up my sleeve to reveal the bracelet I'm still keeping on. At least one of us kept their side of the promise.

A/N: Hey!

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A/N: Hey!

What?! 3K! Thank you all so much! In "celebration" of reaching 3K I decided to do an early update. Hope you guys liked it.

Until the next chapter,

- Gia

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