And it all started with this meet & greet - Ondreaz Lopez

Chapter 8: "Do you really think so?"

Soph POV:

"Could I have your autograph?", Amy asked now much more relaxed than three hours ago, when she had just crawled down from Nick. The boys nodded and pulled out both a CD and an autograph card.

The five signed on the two things and Amy immediately pressed them to her chest. I grabbed my skateboard again and ran over to them. Grinning I watched her get excited again as everyone took her in their arms once.

Unexpectedly they pulled me into a hug, which I hesitantly returned. "It was nice to meet you," smiled Chase and the others nodded affirmatively. "Oh, and how!" squeaked Amy and I agreed with her. "Absolutely.", I grinned, as I'd taken a lot of hilarious pictures and the guys themselves were really cool.

"Maybe we'll meet again," Ondreaz shouted to me as I was on my way out. "Yes, maybe!", I shouted, as I had already walked around a corner and heard a loud laugh that the five of them were ejecting.

---

"Annie, will you tell me what's going on? You've been in a strange mood all evening," I sighed worriedly, as I hadn't bought the headache for very long. "I don't know. I was just totally excited," she explained and I immediately noticed that she was lying.

"So don't tell me what's wrong with you," I said somewhat disappointed and also hurt because she didn't trust me and threw my jacket on the couch, just like my bracelets. "I've told you what's wrong," she now also said slightly angry and a little louder than usual.

I snorted pejoratively. "How long have I known you now? Thirteen years? Fourteen? I can tell when you're lying, so don't grumble at me like that. I haven't done anything to you,' I defended myself a little louder and felt anger boil up inside me. I ran to my room, where I put on a top and shorts.

"If you know me so well you should know that I love these boys and that it's not right that you lulled them with your damn buddy charm," she screamed now and her face slowly turned red.

"Buddy Charm?", I asked angrily and had to process what she had just said. "Are you crazy? I was with them just like with everyone else and didn't lull them at all!", I shouted to her, not sure if we were actually having this conversation.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That's exactly what it is. Everyone loves you. When you're standing next to you, you're NOTHING! Don't you get it? Or do you think that's great? Do you like that everyone is addicted to you? Don't pretend you don't know what you look like to others!"

Her voice had gone up an octave. I just couldn't believe she had just said that and I had to take a deep breath before I could even answer her. "Oh yeah? Then why are you friends with me? If I'm so annoying, then why do you spend time with me at all?

You know very well that I used to have a lot of problems and because of that I have become colder and colder towards people and I try my best to treat every person I want or need to spend time with in a friendly way. And there are much more important and better things in life than being liked by everyone!"

She snorted contemptuously. "Oh, I'm so sorry everyone likes you. I'm so sorry you're so smart that one degree isn't enough for you and you've taken two. "I'm sorry that boys like you just because you're good at video games. Just stop it!"

That was one too many. She knew exactly why I was taking music and she stabbed me in the back. After all I'd done for her.

"Are you serious? Is that what you really think? You know what? I don't have to take this. In case you've forgotten: I flew out here for YOU. And even though I didn't want this from the beginning, I came. Because YOu wanted me to. And I liked it because I could make you a oblige.

But you can't see that. And I never expected you to see how much I cut back on my interests to see you happy. You know I don't give a shit about my parents, and that Matt and the gang, and especially you, are the only people I care about.  And that's why I'm here. Because I care about you. You are EVERYTHING to me. I love you like a sister, but when I look at how much you think of me, then maybe I should just go."

I opened the door and I turned back to her.

"Then you won't have to worry about me taking anyone else away from you. And you know what? I would never feel that way about you. Because what you're doing right now is so sad. I mean, think about who's gonna stop anything. A word of advice: it's not me.

With tears in my eyes, I turned away from my best friend, who I didn't even recognize, and I left our suite. I quickly disappeared into the elevator and went down to the gym.

---

Several beats I gave the exercise dummy in the chest and kicked him purposefully against the leg. Everything hurt me, because I must have been standing here for an hour beating on that thing.

Do you like it that everyone fell for you? That's what she said. Again the anger in me grew stronger and took over complete control in my body. Without knowing what I was doing, I beat the dummy up. After only a few hard blows the head flew off with a crack and flew through the air.

I felt a sharp pain in my hand as the skin ripped open and blood came out of the wound, but that spurred me on even more.

One arm flew away. The other arm was torn off as well. The legs were separated from the naked body, which was now attached to the pole alone.

I struck it several more times until the pain became so bad that I could not move. Tears had blurred my vision for a long time, and tirelessly made their way across my reddened cheeks.

Suddenly my legs sagged away and I collapsed within me. While the objects in the room apparently began to dissolve, the pain decreased. I tried to flee from the darkness lurking behind my closed eyelids, but after a few seconds I had to give up the fight. Body against spirit.

While Annie's words echoed in my head and screamed inside me, I realized that this was a fight from which I would come out a loser. My spirit was already weakened, too weak to take on my body.

When I realized that in this case it might not have been so bad to lose, I closed my eyes and faced the blackness like an old friend.