Play the Game ~ R O G E R T A Y L O R ~

10

Later that day, the boys finally went to their hotel room, and I had the apartment to myself once again. I decided to practice some singing. I looked through my vinyls and decided on my "Rubber Soul" one by the Beatles. I set it on the record player and skipped to my personal favorite song on the album, Girl. I placed it under the needle and let the beginning part of the song to play out. The chorus began and I started to tap out the beat with my foot while listening to the soft echoes of my voice ring throughout the apartment, which now smelled of vanilla and cigarettes from all the baking and smoking that goes on now that Freddie and the rest of the boys hang out here every day. The song finishes as I wipe a tear from my eye, remembering how much the song meant to me. I take the vinyl out from underneath the needle and place it back in it's case. I walk to the bathroom to put my hair up into a messy updo, and just as I do, there's a knock at the door.

I walk up to the door and notice that there isn't the familiar shadow of the four boys or Mirina, but rather one shadow of a petite girl with short hair. That's all I could attempt to make out as I opened the door.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to punch her in the face.

But I didn't.

"How did you find my address." is all I could say.

"Hey Grace. I looked you up in that handy address book that just came in the mail a few days ago and just decided to tell you hi!"

I stared at her, confused.

"I just moved here. How was my name already connected with this apartment? There's no way that you found me through that book."

She ignored me and walked in.

"Uh, excuse me." I stated, cold eyed and angry. She turned around.

"Oh, I just thought that since we already know each other, I could ju-"

"Stop, Marie. You went out with my ex boyfriend and now you're just going to waltz into my apartment and act like nothing happened?" I cut her off. "And again, you didn't answer my previous question. How did you find my address?"

Marie was my best friend back in middle and high school. She stabbed me in the back. And just as best friends do, they fall out sometimes, but this was serious.

She once again ignored my question.

"I just thought I'd come to apologize, for all the trouble I gave you, so I brought you a present."

She pulled out a medium sized package that was wrapped with brown paper and tied together with a white bow. I grabbed it from her and held it tightly in my hand.

"I'll...open this later. Please leave."

She smiled as she turned slowly around and walked off, shutting the door behind her. I went up to the counter and set the package down, debating on whether or not to open it.
————

After having a small talk with myself for over an hour, I finally decided to grab a knife and open it. The curiosity was killing me. I went to my knife drawer to grab something to slice the package open with, and went up to the counter where the box was and stared at it for a second. Then, all the built up anger in me rose, and I remembered everything that happened in the past.

Then I stabbed into the box, ripping and tearing at it, crying as I looked inside.

All of my old items that I forgot at her house were in the box.

My pens, a notebook, two bikini bottoms, one top, my polaroid camera, polaroids of us, and lastly, my favorite t-shirt that has a singular butterfly on it. It's white and soft, and I used to wear it everyday. I've been looking for it ever since I lost it, and here it is, of all places.

I'm now a sobbing mess, tears stained the brown box and turned parts of it dark brown, I ended up accidentally cutting my arm while falling to the floor and letting out all my buried emotions and memories I had with Marie. All the times when we'd go to the mall, go see movies, go have friend dates, mess around with friends, and be the best friends we always thought we'd be. I looked at one of the polaroids that fell to the floor as I did, and realized that it was one of me, Marie, and my ex, all hanging out at the beach. Marie and I were matching in all white bikinis, and as I looked closer at one of the bikini bottoms, I realized that they were the ones from the picture. My sobs got loud and now I was gagging, coughing, and losing air.

The door opens and I see the four boys smiling and laughing as they walk in, but John's attention averted to me, then the rest of their gazes followed. Brian ran up to me and tried to help me up, I heard Roger quickly dial a phone and scream for help, Freddie crying, and John grabbing my hand and attempting to help Brian pick me up, but that's all I remembered before blacking out in a hazy daze.