From within

Chapter 7

"Grrrr".. The alarm bell rang.
She turned slowly and stopped it, she didn't feel like getting up. She managed to check the time and saw it was noon already. Her eyes widened and she got up immediately.
"God! I overslept".she headed quickly to the bathroom.
   Minutes later,she was done then she cleaned herself, wore her hoodie top and shorts. She brushed her hair backwards then rushed downstairs. She met them all in the sitting room.
"Afternoon dad".she greeted.
She spoke to the rest of them and they all answered too.
"You woke up late today..tired?" .her dad asked.
"Mm mm".she nodded.
Nicholas spike."Debbie,why don't we...uhm.....go around town so you could get to know places". She turned him down politely,saying." No thanks..I don't need that.....for now".she tries to fake a smile.
"I'll be going upstairs".she said but Camilla stopped her.
"Aren't you going to eat?".
"No, I'm not hungry".
"Okay".
"Thank you".she smiled then headed to her room.
Nicholas just stared at her,amused by the way she turned him down. No one had ever done that to him.
"Just leave her be.. She'll come around". Her dad said to them.
"We hope so".

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She plugged in her headphones and hung it over her ears. She didn't feel the need to sleep so that was the next best thing she could do.
She listened to billie eilish's" all the good girls go to hell". She closed her eyes for a while then she felt someone tap her. It came once at first, then in twos. She opened her eyes and saw it was Nicholas.
"What do you want?".she hung the headphones over her shoulders. She waited for an answer.
When she saw her wasn't speaking,she asked.
"Aren't you saying anything?why are you here?".
"This is my house..I can be anywhere I want".that was obviously the wrong answer to the question.
"And so? You knew quite well I was inside so even if it's your house you can't just enter this place anyhow you like...and besides...if you don't have anything meaningful to say I'd like you to leave so I can go back to my music".she wanted to plug her headphones back but he held her hand.
"Okay fine. I came here for something".he let go of her hand.
"So...."
"Why did you turn me down downstairs?"
She scoffed."so this is why you're here?just be on your own and I'll do same....no paths crossed".
"So you don't go out?".
She didn't answer.
"So you like being alone?I'm just trying to be friends".
She rolled her eyes. She just stood up and left the room,leaving him stunned.
She went out the balcony a d felt like screaming out loud.
"Mom!why did you do this to me?".she knew it was a rhetorical question. She just couldn't understand why everything was happening so fast.
She just sat under a tree and put her headphones back. Nicholas was just everywhere and she hated that.
  At this point,she missed her two friends. She smiled at the thought of them,but she frowned again because they were far away from her.
She sighed,there was nothing she could do. She took her phone and tried calling but it wasn't going through.
She dropped it and bent her head.

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"Debbie!Debbie!".her dad called but no answer. He had to move closer and tap her.
She got startled.
"Dad....".
"I've been looking all over for you".
"What do you need me for?".
"I found a job".he announced.
She smiled." That's great dad".
"But I'll have to travel next week".she frowned immediately.
"Why?".
"It's a construction company. I've been assigned to one of its branches".
"Where exactly?".
"L.A".
"Does that mean we're going away from here?".
"Not we, I".he spoke.
"You alone?why?".
"You ask too many questions..but I've decided that...."he paused.
"Dad?"..
"You're going to school here..." She got annoyed. She stood up and faced him.
"What's that supposed to mean?".
"Calm down".
"I'm not calming down. So what?you want to abandon me here?.
"Don't say that..I'm not abandoning you here. You've got better options here. At least you'll be far away from all the drama".he tries to convince her but she wasn't listening.
"Drama? So mom's death was a drama?".she was now confused.
"I didn't say that. Stop mincing words. I only meant that you should focus on being happy and put the past behind you".
" You don't just get it dad!. I don't want my past behind me,I don't need to be happy. I'm fine the way I am".
"Debbie....".
"You know what?Fine!.You want me here?okay. You can ask well go wherever you want to go to".she finally said then walked out.
He called after her but she didn't answer.