Hidden Girl

22- The Pictures That You Sent Me

I woke up the next morning to see that he had already left, but the glass was still on the floor. I clean it up and finally head to the bathroom and see that the cut has already healed over and is just simply a scab. As I clean it a little more, I hear a knock at the door.

It better not be Alex...

Instead it's Azalea that storms into the apartment. I lead her to my room and after she gets over the paintings, she tells me about the real reason she came.

"Alex wouldn't stop talking about how concerned he is about you so I decided to take matters into my own hands," Azalea tells me as she digs into her purse and finally pulls something out. "I got you a cell phone."

"I can't take this," I tell her as she tries to shove it into my hands.

"Please," she begs me. "I just want him to shut up!"

I laugh and finally take it. I turn it on and see that the wallpaper is Alex and I hugging in Central Park. We were there last week with Azalea and Sebastian taking a walk, but I don't remember her taking this picture. Alex made me blush about the weather looking prettiest when it's on me, so he hugged me just like we always do now; my arms around his neck, my feet hovering over the ground, and his arms tightly wrapped around my waist.

"You took this?" I finally ask her after I get over how perfect the picture looks. The snow's falling all around us and we truthfully look like a cute romantic couple at a photo shoot for a Kay's Jewelers commercial.

"Yeah," Azalea says shyly. "You guys are just two adorable!"

I shove her as I open the phone. The background behind the apps is a picture that makes my heart leap.

On a cold winter day Alex and I were curled up next to each other in front of the fire in Azalea's house. The picture is from the side, showing the fire shining on our faces. I'm laughing at some stupid thing that Alex said with a hot chocolate in my hand. Alex has his arm around me and is looking down at me.

"That's how he looks at you whenever you aren't looking," Azalea says happily as she looks at the picture. "I just thought you should see how he feels about you."

"Thank you so much!" I exclaim at her as I wrap her up in a big hug.

"No problem. Everything is paid for, so don't worry," she says with a shrug as if this phone is nothing. "Now I have to go run some more errands, but we will talk about this later."

"Talk about what?" I ask innocently as I sit on the bed and fumble with my new phone.

"Why did you never tell us you live in a place that is a little bit above a dump?" Azalea pointed out, probably because she saw how many liquor bottle there are between the door and my room.

"It's embarrassing," I shrug my shoulders,"especially when you all live in mansions."

"We could help you, Aurora," she sighs. "You just had to ask."

"I'm done talking about this" I tell her as I stand up. "It's time for you to leave."

"Fine," she states rudely as she begins to walk out the door, but she turns around to talk some more. "Does Alex know that you live in a pigsti?"

I just shrug my shoulders because I really don't remember if the place looks any worse since the first time he came and the only time he ever came inside the apartment.

Azalea just raises her hands as if she's helpless. "Why do you do this?" she yells at me.

"Do what?"

"You let us in and tell us about that accident 4 months ago, and now you don't say anything about what's going on with you!" she points out angrily, and I realize she's right.

"I shut people out. It's what I do," I tell her quietly. "It's the easiest thing to do, then no one gets hurt."

"I bet it gets lonely though," she says sadly and turns to leave.

I let her leave the apartment. Even if I did stop her, I wouldn't know what to say.

I set my head in my hands and just scream. I just let everything out. I was doing fine, but Azalea's right. I keep shutting them out.

"I'll tell them everything one of these days," I tell myself as I lay down on my bed and shut the world out with my music.

I wish I could've made you stay

And I'm the only one to blame

I know that it's a little too late

This is everything I didn't say

I should just tell them everything some day, just not right now.