CHAPTER FIVE

            Last Class was Bio. Empress became my lab partner, we talked casually though.

The classes ended and I was always the last one who leaves the class, blame my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I did not want to leave the classroom until I made everything perfect; Perfect alignment of the chairs and desks with equal distances, clean board and floor. I wanted everything to be PERFECT. I noticed that I was not the only one in the room, Empress was there.

            “France, can we talk?” She started; her voice was like she was going to cry like a baby anytime.

            “We are talking…” deadpanned, still doing my cleaning.

            “I mean, at your house?”

            “I don’t like strangers at my house.” Yes, I managed to say strangers rather than s**t.

            “You’re my best friend, right? Why can’t you listen to me first…”

            I started to cry, “Your best friend doesn’t exist anymore. R.I.P to her.” Then I walked away.

I really could not believe that she lost her respect to herself, my God; she was just 17; Teenagers and their sex hormones these days. I was just worried at her ok, good thing I was the only one who saw them. Good thing I was not a b***h to take pictures of them, print it and scatter it all around the campus. She lost her respect to herself, but she still had my respect. And that Chad? I hate guys who could not even respect girls. Call me old-fashion, whatever. He touched my best friend? He should be prepared of the consequences; he should be prepared of what I could do.

I went home, acted like nothing happened because I did not want my Mom to be disappointed at me again. I went to the kitchen counter to greet mom, kissed her at her cheek and she handed me a PB&J sandwich and some cinnamon pop tarts; my favest afternoon snack.

            “You know what Sweetie; you shouldn’t keep the wrath in your heart. Try to forgive, start all over again. We all make mistakes, and that, we should learn from it…” Mom suddenly spoke, like she was actually talking to me. I glanced at her then I saw she was talking with someone over the phone.

            “…forgive sweetie, especially when the person is, you think, sincere. I guess the best thing you can do is talk to her, call her… give her, I mean, the person another chance...” She continued. I was just listening.

            “Okay… uhh-huh… I understand… Yeah… that’s right! Just phone me anytime you want ok?... yes… bye, take care!” Then she hung up. Oh Mom, you failed once again. I know this is just one of your little-games… I did not ever hear the phone ringing.  I knew that was clearly for me. I did not know how on Earth my Mom could know about the stuffs; maybe I just sucked at keeping secrets or something. Maybe I was too obvious.

            “Since when did you become a Psychologist, Mom?” I joked as she walked back the kitchen counter to prepare for our dinner.

            My mom laughed, “Why? Anything wrong with what I said?”

            “hmmm, I don’t think so. You’d be a good Psychologist mom.”

            “I know. And since it’s too late for me to study Psychology, I want you to take it for college.” She gave me a wink, I gave her a smile. I don’t want to think about going to a University yet.

I went up to my room, lay on my stomach on my bed for more than an hour, still thinking of what my mom said, thinking if I would call Empress. And so I did. I went down to the living room for the phone; it was not a wireless phone so I stayed there.

First ring…

Second ring…

Someone answered.

            “Good evening, Parker’s residence. Empress Parker speaking, may I help you?”

            “This is a zombie. I’m here not for your brain.”

            “Uhm, excuse me? Wait, I know your voice… Frances Blaire?”

            “Yeah. I came back from my grave.” I was born corny ok. I did not want to make everything so serious.

            “I knew you can’t resist me!” She teased.

            “I just want to hear everything, everything that you wanted me to listen to. Start now…”

            “I actually don’t know how to start… uhm, maybe when we were having our training and they were having theirs as well, I noticed him looking at me, smiling at me. You know that I like Chad right? And you know me. ‘till the training ended, I went to the locker room then I just saw him following me. I tried not to give a f**k at all. I heard the door shut then there. He said he locked it blah blah… I don’t know. I have, like, needs too.”

            “Wow. Because of that needs you’ll just f**k whoever’s there? Dude, that’s bullshit.”

            “I know, I know… I’m sorry. And I… I feel like this part of me? I can’t never ever get rid of it. I’m really sorry.” I could hear her crying.

And again, WOW. I never expected her to say those. Too ironic, like, she wasn’t sorry about what she did yet she was crying. I don’t know how to deal with this.

            “Uhm, France? You there?”

            “Yeah. I just don’t know what to say. I mean, what’s happening to you?”

            “I’m sorry…” she sobbed, “I said this to you cos I know you’re the only one I can share these stuffs with…I thought you can accept me.”

            “Okay. Okay…forgiven,” I breathed. “If you’ve totally lost your respect to yourself, respect me and I’ll respect you back. I gotta go, see you at school on Monday. Don’t think about this anymore ok?” Then I hung up.

I never expected these stuffs to happen, to think that, Empress was a consistent top student among the batch; she’s been the head of their squad. She managed to balance everything even when she knew that she was adopted? Yeah, she was strong. I tried to accept her. I could not just lose people, not my best friend. Maybe something happened that turned her into this. Everything happened for a reason right? We could not judge people that instant; we have to know their story.

As days past, I got to get along with the new Empress Parker. Just look at the bright side, at least she did not lie and she showed her real self.

And being real is what matters.