I hate pity.
I hate it so much, those sad and sympathetic looks in people's eyes when they feel sorry for you; it makes my skin crawl. Like the one my aunt was giving me as she showed me to the room I would be staying in until "the situation is sorted out."
This situation is never going to be sorted out.
I know my father. I know when he means something and when he doesn't. I'm probably never going to see them again, not even my little sister, and that fact really hurts.
Everything hurt.
It makes me wonder why I did what I did. Why had I accepted the offer? Why didn't I just turn it down? If I did, maybe I wouldn't be in this mess; maybe my parents would have still loved me. But no, I just had to be blinded by all the good things I thought would have happened if things actually went the way I planned.
"Are you hungry?" Aunt Rhea asked, snapping me out from my world of deep and depressing thoughts. I was so unfocused I had no idea we had already arrived at the room I would be staying in. Never in my life had I imagined I would stay in a room like this.
Not even the five-star hotel rooms I've been to had this much glam.
It was quite spacious, enough to fit over thirty people. Fifty would be the maximum. The Queen-sized bed was outlined by its rich gold frame; I'm not sure if it was made out of brass or gold, but it was something in between those two. The sheets were a dark purple, and those pillows were literally calling my name. My eyes slid over to the flat-screen TV, and I am a hundred percent sure such a size shouldn't be in a guest bedroom, should it? What was it, sixty inches, or maybe seventy-five?
Wait, am I seriously measuring a TV at a time like this?
"No, I'm okay," I finally told my aunt once I was done inspecting the room.
Aunt Rhea stood near the door awkwardly; it was obvious she wanted to say something judging by the way her rose-red lips fluttered open and shut every now and then and by the way her dark brown eyes bounced between my violet ones, not to mention how she rubbed her lightskinned arms with her long, slender fingers.
Damn, her nails were to die for. They were perfectly manicured and covered with black polish and glitter—so stylish, if I must say.
"If you or I need anything, please let me know. Or you can press that button," she said, pointing to a small red button a few inches above the bedside table. "It would notify one of the maids."
Classy.
"Okay, thank you," I hope she didn't catch the impatience in my tone. I just really needed to be alone right now. My aunt still looked hesitant, so I miraculously summoned all that I had left in me to lift the corners of my thin lips. My smile was probably faker than the Gucci slippers I had on, but my aunt seemed to buy it because she left immediately.
The sigh that left my lips was long and sorrowful. Something caught the corner of my eye, causing me to focus my attention on the dressing mirror stationed directly to my left. I refused to believe that the girl staring at me was actually me.
This girl looked like she had just crawled out of the fiery depths of hell. The corners of her eyes were rimmed with a bloody red color, mixed with her violet irises; she appeared almost possessed, and the dried trail of tears was still visible on her slender cheeks, not to mention her dirt-covered Dora the Explorer pajamas.
She was a mess.
I was a mess.
Ignoring the ache in my bones, I managed to summon the will to drag my feet to the bathroom. If I thought the room was impressive, the bathroom was definitely not an exception. It was way bigger than my room back home.
Or should I say former home?
Paying no attention to the crack in my heart, I stripped off my dirty clothes and stepped into the shower. I must have lost track of time and my surroundings because when I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in the fluffy towel I found on the hanger, my eyes landed on Chaya.
She looked like a goth.
And by goth, I mean the black tight dress with heels and way too much black mascara and eye shadow. But what really took me off guard was the fact that her once curly, golden hair was now pin straight and jet black.
Chaya's eyes connected with mine, and she parted her black-painted lips to form an open mouth smile. "I was wondering what took you so long; three more minutes, and I would have believed you were dead."
Yeah, well she sure did look dressed for a funeral.
I shook my head lightly. My eyelids felt heavier than ever, yet I managed to say, "I lost track of time... Er, what's with the get-up?"
"I'm sneaking out to a party, and you're coming with!"
I must have fallen asleep in the bathtub because I refuse to believe any of this is real. "I'm sorry? Did you say sneaking out?"
"Yup!" She answered, popping the 'p' as she walked towards my little suitcase and unzipped it. Her dark lips formed a bit of a pout as she scavenged through my clothes.
To be honest, I am not even sure what I brought with me. Everything just happened so fast.
"But why?" I know that was a dumb question, but can you really blame me? I was kicked out of my home, walked for hours on the street, and was terribly sleep deprived, and now I am being asked to sneak out to a party?
Chaya's hazel orbs moved in a circular motion as she answered, "Because it's midnight, my parents are asleep, and you look like you could use the fun."
I don't know what she sees, but to me, I look like someone that needs a hell of a long nap.
"Well, count me out, Chaya, because I really don't want to get on your parents' bad side. Not to mention I'm exhausted," I explained, clenching the soft towel tighter as I prayed for her to leave. For some reason, the thought of getting changed in front of her frightened me.
She looked like someone who was ready to pounce on me.
"Oh, don't be such a wet blanket. I get it; you've had a rough day. Which is precisely why you need to go out and have some fun. Trust me, my friends can make you forget any problem life throws at you," Chaya said with a smile that made me think her words had a double meaning.
"Can't we do this some other time? I might just fall asleep on our way, and I probably won't even wake up."
"No, you can sleep when we get back. School starts tomorrow, and I bet you the boys would get grounded, or get detention, or possibly go to jail-"
Wait, what?
"The point is, you need to seize the moment while you can. It's like they say, "Don't wait till tomorrow for what can be done today, because tomorrow isn't guaranteed."
I have known Chaya since birth, and I can swear on what I hold dearest that she has never said anything wiser for the past seventeen years of our existence.
But when she added, "Plus, I need to show off my sexy cousin, it will only boost my popularity!" She shrieked and I scowled.
"Are you even considering what would happen to me if your parents found out?" I asked, not bothering to hide the disbelief in my tone.
She rolled her eyes once again before saying, "They won't find out, trust me. I have done this a million times!" A grimace formed on her face as she was done going through my clothes. "None of this will do; wait here."
I didn't get the chance to get a word out before she was strutting out the door. Last time I remember, Chaya's room was at least five rooms down, so the fact that she got back before I could lie down on the bed really freaked me out.
"Aha! Perfect!" She said with a glint in her eyes, displaying the blood-red strapless dress I was certain wouldn't cover half of my butt.
"I am not wearing that," I deadpanned, but her creepy smile only grew.
"You are."
"No."
Five minutes later, I was wearing one of the tightest dresses my body had ever been entrapped in. I dared not bend over or it might just come right off, or even worse, it would rip.
"How the hell do you even have a dress like this? You are way bigger than me," I stated, and her hands froze as she tried fixing my midnight black hair into a ponytail.
She glared at me through the dressing mirror as she asked, "Did you just call me fat?"
My eyes were as wide as saucers as I attempted to shake my head negatively but couldn't due to the death grip she had on my hair. "What? No, of course not. I-"
I froze in mid-sentence as Chaya threw back her head and cackled, "You should see your face; you looked like you were about to piss on yourself."
Oh, Lord, please help me.
Chaya continued as she worked on my hair, "I know what you meant. The dress is actually my friend's, but she left it here a few months ago. I am not sure she even remembers it."
I couldn't help but frown at her words, who would leave behind such a gorgeous dress?
Rich people.
"Done. Now, let's go," Chaya said before taking a step back and grabbing her diamond-encrusted purse from the bed.
I took the time to admire the work she had done on me. I wasn't exactly the best make-up artist, but Chaya truly was; she used every item with the right amount, and it all blended perfectly.
As we stepped out of my room, I couldn't help but notice how much bigger the halls appeared at night. I had to do my best to avoid the life-sized pictures that hung on the prestigious walls, particularly the ones of my aunt.
Even though it was just a picture, I could see the disappointment in her eyes as we snuck out.
Chaya and I were out the front door and exposed to the darkness and dangers of the night. I looked around the wealthy yet empty neighborhood before asking Chaya, "Um, what now?"
The universe decided to answer my question by sending a bright red Lamborghini Aventador. The car stopped right in front of us before the tinted windows were rolled down.
"Girl, get in! We are late!" The female driver said, and Chaya jumped into the passenger seat right away. I didn't know how long I stood there before Chaya looked up at me through the open window.
"What are you waiting for? Get in before someone sees us!" The ringing in my ears was sure enough to make me deaf as I attempted to reconsider my choices; the sudden moistness in my palms did not help the situation either. The anger and impatience in Chaya's eyes, however, did make me want to cry, "Nyx!" Chaya snapped, and that was all I needed to open the door to the back seat and hop in.
The sport car raced down the street, and I had to fight the urge to look back.
Chaya twisted her torso so she'd face me. She had a sweet smile on her face as she said, "Don't worry, we are going to have a lot of fun tonight."
But that did nothing to wash away the anxiety I felt.
I just hope I wasn't making yet another mistake.