A few days later I met with Arlie and told her to meet me at that same park. This time it was my turn to tell her about me.
We got to the park and sat in silence till Arlie spoke up.
"Hey... Mila. You know how we met that guy that knew you? He said something about you running away and how you hurt him. What did he mean by that? And whenever he mentioned... Shula was it? You'd tense up. Who was this Shula person?" She asked me.
Hmm... so she wants to know that part first... damn.
"Ah. Well, like you, I grew up without my parents too. My mother hated me, and my father was in prison. My mother would constantly beat me with her fist because I looked like my father. It's not like she wanted me anyway... I was the product of rape, the reason he was imprisoned in the first place. When I was ten, my mother sold me to a random person for $12. That's all that I worth to her... just $12. The person I was sold to was no better. They gave me to their son as a punching bag. If I swung back then I'd be kicked out. Then... like you in middle school, I hung out with the wrong crowd. We'd get into fights with other schools, beat up upperclassmen, and torment teachers. It's not like I'd fit in with normal kids anyway, they all knew my home situation and were told to stay away from me. By high school, I started to mess around with girls. I guess I needed to know what love was. Then one day, as I was walking with a girl, I met him. The guy you met earlier. His name is Dune. Now Dune was known for sleeping around and causing problems. For some reason though, we became best friends, or at least I thought so. Wherever we went, havoc was sure to follow. One day though, Dune saw me with that girl and apparently, she caught his attention. We were walking late at night, and I thought I'd see her home, we got there and she let me inside. We went to her room and Dune and a few of his friends were there. We both were shocked and confused as to how he got in, and in that confusion, they'd knocked me out and tied me up. When I woke up, Dune and his friends were raping her. All I could hear was her screaming 'MILA!! MILA PLEASE!! HELP!!' I got angry and got out of the rope they tied me up in. I beat them up but then realized that it was all a trick. She wasn't being raped at all, she invited them in. She never liked me, to begin with. She was Dune's girlfriend. They had another friend outside recording the whole thing. I was used for their enjoyment. But, what Dune said about me running away, happened not too long after that. Dune came to me and said he was sorry so I forgave him. I know, I was gullible. He offered to have a party for our being friends again so I went, only, at this party, I never expected that my mother would try to kill me. As of then, it's been years since I've seen my mother, I didn't even remember her face, but she remembered mine. She sent people, gangsters after me. They were disguised as Dune's friends and all had guns, there were a lot of casualties that night. I got shot in the leg and Dune, twice in the chest. Everyone else was dead. It... it was a homocide. The lights were still on so I saw how they all died, I thought it only happened in movies, but some people's limbs were blown off. I've never been so scared in my life. I laid there in a pool of blood when one of the gangsters that were leaving said 'she should've killed you rather than sold you'. I instantly knew that it was my mother... it was that woman that hired them to kill me. We somehow got to the hospital and I asked to be transferred to a different hospital so she couldn't find me. Dune thinks I ran away and brought those guys with me. His girlfriend hates me and wants to kill me too... so yeah. There's my past."
She sat there. Angry. I could tell she wanted to explode. She tried to keep her composure but couldn't.
"WHO SELLS SOMEONE FOR TWELVE DOLLARS!? WAIT... WHO EVEN SELLS SOMEONE!? THAT WOMAN NEEDS A BEAT DOWN! AND DUNE SHOULD BE HAPPY HE'S STILL ALIVE... And if that girl, Dune's girlfriend even tries to come near you... I'll rip her head off." She yelled.
"I... never thought that someone could've had a life similar, or worse than mine. We both have issues we need to work on, and if you let me, I want to help heal you of that mental stress, Mila. I would never trick you. I love you. If that's what you really need then I'll be sure to give you more than enough of it. If you trust me... then I'll trust you."
I... I didn't know what to do. There was never a woman I could completely trust in, well there was never really anyone I could completely trust in for that matter. I felt relief that I've never felt before. It felt amazing.
"Wow... Dune told me you'd be here, but I didn't believe him. I can't believe how lucky I am!" A woman said as she made her way towards us.
And just like that. The feeling of relief was gone.
"Mila. That's not all that happened, you're forgetting something... Something important... Remember? There was another girl you were close with. Come on, tell her the real reason you ran away. The real reason I hate you." She said as she grabbed me by my collar.
"My sister... is dead because of you... no, she was killed by you."
I stared at her, with a straight face. "I'm... not the one who killed her,-"
"ENOUGH WITH THE BULLSHIT! MY SISTER SHULA IS DEAD, AND YOU WERE THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HER ALIVE DAMN IT, DUNE SA...!" Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. IT... WAS DUNE?! That makes sense now that I think about it, he never really liked or cared about Mila, and why would you kill your best friend? That wouldn't make any sense. So... that means... Dune wanted me to hate Mila and used... me... and... my sister. Naila tried to regain her composure. "Don't... Don't try to make excuses, I... I need somewhere to put this hate." She cried as she spoke. She realized I hadn't been the one to kill her sister. I mean, how could I? We were best friends.
"Wait... Dune said I killed her!? Shula and I were best friends... what reason would I have to do that?! It doesn't make sense... but. Hm, so it was Dune. I got it now. I wish I never met him." I said to her.
"Mila... I blamed you for everything and I'm sorry. The one that I hate now is Dune. It should've been him I hated from the beginning." She said as she stared into my eyes.
"Um... hold up! Don't you think you're moving too fast? You literally just hated him like a minute ago, and now you want him to forgive you? Wow... you... are the most fickle woman I've ever seen." Arlie remarked while getting defensive.
"First off. My name isn't you. It's Naila." She retorted. "Well...? Mila. Can we be friends again? Please?!" She asked me as sincerely as she could.
I see no problem with it. I don't mind. I thought. "Sure. Let's be friends Naila!" I said.
She cried again, said thank you, and left.
"Well... at least that's one thing taken care of. I don't think we'll get along though." Arlie said.
"Right. All that's left is to take care of Dune and find her sister's killer. Oh, and at least try to get along with her, please Arlie? She needs female friends, and you're perfect."
"Hm?! I'm what?" I'm perfect? I'm... perfect? "Um... could... could you repeat that? I... I don't think I heard right."
"Haha. I said... Arlie, you're perfect."
Arlie's face went from happy to down in an instant. "Mila... you, you said you met someone who knew me right?" She asked in a slightly nervous but serious tone.
"Yeah. I did." I replied.
She started breathing really heavily and grabbed my hand tightly. "They... they're coming after me again. I mean, it makes sense. I beat most of them up, but... how did they find me? How?!" She said as she hyperventilated.
"ARLIE!" I screamed.
"Calm down! I've got you. You're safe." I said as a reassurance.
She was still breathing kind of heavily. I held onto her tightly and spoke. "If they do come after you, we'll beat them together. You're not alone now, remember that." As I said that, she gradually calmed down. Finally back to normal, we walked to her house.
The next morning I went to pick her up for school. "Morning gorgeous! How's it hangin'?"
"It's good!!! Morning!! Let's head to school before we're late!" She said as she closed the door behind her. Hm. I wonder what today will bring! she thought as they walked to school.
"Oho? Would you look at that? Hi, Mila!!! I missed you, so I transferred here!" Naila said.
I SHOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT!!! Arlie thought. "W... WHY...! WHY IS SHE HERE?!? Wait... transfer?! D... did you transfer here just for Mila?!?!"
"Um... yeah! Why else would I transfer? Mila is all I need! Why? Did you think I transferred here for you?!"
"WHAT?!"
I saw Arlie making a fist and thinking of something to say in response, so I went behind her, covered her mouth, picked her up, and ran away. I can't say we didn't look weird.
"MMMF! MMF! MMMMMMMFFFF!" Arlie was trying to speak but to no avail.
As we ran, the danger that was Naila, followed. I was still covering her mouth while running when she bit me.
"Oww! You bit me?! Why'd you bite me?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want your girlfriend to die? AND WHY IS SHE CHASING US?" She said and asked. Well, since I'm over his shoulder now, I guess the only thing I could do is... THROW THINGS!!! TAKE THIS!!!
She dug in her bag and pulled out some pens and pencils. I'm gonna hurt you well today! She thought.
She threw a few pencils at Naila's face but she kept chasing.
"AGH!! YOU'RE LIKE A FRIGGIN' ZOMBIE! WHY WON'T YOU FALL?!"
I got tired and ended up falling, when I got up and looked at Naila, I saw a few pencils stuck in her hair, and a pen sticking out her forehead. I looked down and saw a path of writing utensils and other objects on the ground... honestly I didn't know what to think.
"I finally caught up to you!! Yay!! I was worried you'd get away."
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?! I thought as I kept staring at the pen stuck in her forehead.
"But on a serious note." She said as she pulled the pen out of her forehead. "I think Dune is planning something, and if you're planning on fighting against him... I want to help. I'll pay him back for everything he did to me... and my sister."
"You said 'on a serious note' but there's a rainbow of blood gushing from your forehead. How do I take you seriously while watching that?" Arlie said. I tried to hold in my laughter, but I couldn't. Arlie saw me struggling and decided to add oil to the flame.
"Not only were you a unicorn zombie but now you're--a-ah! A double bloody rainbow!" She said as she laughed. I laughed so hard that I couldn't breathe.
"Come on. I'll take you to the nurse's office." Naila and I were shocked that Arlie would even offer to take her anywhere for that matter.
"HEY! DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!! I could be nice if I want to be!"
"Yeah. But we just never thought you'd want to be. It's cute seeing this side of you." I said, knowing how'd she react.
Her eyes widened from embarrassment. "Sh-shut up! Naila, we've got to get you to the nurse right? Come on! Let's go!"
She said as she dragged Naila with her.
When they were far enough away, I sat down and started to think. According to Naila, Dune is gonna start something soon. I don't know if I should confront him first, or wait it out. I do know though, that those two can't get hurt again. That absolutely can't happen. I don't know what I'd do if it did. Oh, but then there's mother too... what do I do about her? It feels like she knows where I am. I got lost in thought while contemplating how to deal with Mother and Dune. I didn't even realize that the girls had come back already.
"We're back!!!" Arlie said. I looked up to see someone I didn't recognize.
"Um... Arlie... who's that behind you?"
I said as I pointed.
"Huh? It's Naila stupid! How could you not recognize her?!"
HOW COULD I RECOGNIZE HER WITH HER FACE COVERED IN TOO MANY BANDAGES?! I thought. "O-oh. Okay then." Is all I could say.
I checked my phone and saw that it was almost time for class.
"Hey! Let's get going. The class is starting." Luckily, we were all in the art department. More specifically, Naila and I were in the animation field, while Arlie was in the acting field.
"Ok. Let's go! See you guys after class! And Naila... if you try to do anything to Mila... I'll give you a reason to have your face bandaged like that."
Wow... what an amazing woman, to say all that with a smile on her face. Well... least I know why her face is like that now.