Checkmate (Sequel to Game On)

Chapter 11: What Friends Are For

"Sweetie, are you sure you don't want to come down and eat something?" Martha, with another name called my biological mom, asks me for the fifth time, her voice sounding from the other side of my locked door.

I can barely hear her over the sound of the music that is blasting out through my speakers in my room and as all the other times before, I keep my mouth shut and ignore her and continue with staring outside my window at the gloomy weather that is playing outside. It's raining, the clouds have turned from white to grey and the wind is cold and wild. A pretty good match to my mood and emotions.

It's not like I want to hurt Martha's feelings by not talking to her but I can't seem to find the right words to say. She knows what happened, but I didn't tell her, Jamie did. It doesn't feel like I got dumped three days ago, but I was and I have barely left my room ever since, with only my muffled cries and music coming through the door, Martha and Roland eventually called my friends and got the truth out of Jamie. To say that they were shocked is an understatement. Like everyone else, they thought that Nathaniel and I had a perfect relationship without any flaws, but it seems like I had to ruin it. Or maybe not I, but Nick. Yes, Nick had to ruin it but all I've ever done is to blame Nick but is it really all his fault? Maybe I should've told Nathaniel about who I really am. Maybe I should've told him the truth before it was too late. Before Nick took the advantage of his unknowing.

"Celiné, I really think you should come down", Martha tries again but I remain silent until another light voice speaks up, and my heart skips a beat at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Alex?" It asks, as soft and high-pitched as usual with a slight tone of worry. I immediately break my silent treatment towards everything and everyone and speak up, my voice sounding weak and sad but now also with a tad bit of surprise.

"Lindsey?" There's no way I would forget her voice but why would she be here when she lives halfway across the earth?

"Yes, it's me Alex", she says with a soft voice, "please open the door."

Slowly, I stand up from my bed and walk towards my door, unlocking it and carefully twisting the doorknob. I've barely opened it an inch before it's torn open with what I would call for violence or a bit of superhuman strength, and I'm engulfed in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, Alex", Lindsey murmurs as she continues with stopping my blood flow, "I'm so sorry."

"We all are", another voice speaks up, this one a lot darker, and I feel two other pairs of arms sneak around my body and I open my mouth slightly in confusion and even more surprise and I turn my head to look at the other two people who accompanied Lindsey's and I's hug.

"Parker, Patricia!" I squeal, a real smile finding its way onto my lips, "what are you guys doing here?!" I direct the question to Lindsey as well but before any one of them have time to answer, Martha does it instead.

"They're here because I called them." I stare at her in disbelief.

"You called them? You got them to come here all the way from America?" I couldn't believe it, it was too good to be true.

"She did", Patricia confirms, "and after hearing what happened, we couldn't say no."

"B-but..." I stutter, trying to find the right words, "why? I mean, it must have cost like-"

"Because we're your friends", Parker cuts me off, "and we care about you."

I feel my eyes becoming glossy with tears, but this time it's not because of sadness, but because of happiness.

"You guys are seriously the best friends ever", I say in a voice barely above a whisper. Truth to be told, I'm overwhelmed. Yes, I know that they're my friends but to travel across the world just to comfort me? It's almost unbelievable. A small voice in the back of my head questions if they paid it all themselves or if they got some contribution from Martha and Roland, but I push the thought away. What is important is that they are here.