Saturday.
I opened my eyes after a good night's rest.
A roof that I know, hehe…
Finally, after two weeks, I felt at home.
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
In front of the mirror I began to take off my clothes.
First the pants, then the socks and lastly the long-sleeved shirt.
Already naked I saw myself in the mirror and my mouth twisted.
Hopefully this improves soon.
My arms had a slight but visible purple mark on them, said mark ran down both arms and intertwined like a snake.
They were the marks of my bondage.
I saw the marks for more than a minute remembering last week.
Well... it's over... yes...
Despite telling me that my body shuddered to remember those moments.
Ha…
I walked to the shower and took a well deserved bath.
xxx
After bathing I put on pink pajamas and went downstairs.
"Good morning"
"Hello Ariel"
"Good morning Ariel"
Having breakfast in the living room were the three police officers and mom.
I greeted them and went to my seat to eat.
"Ariel, I want to talk to you about something"
My mom said when she finished eating.
"Yeah?"
"I talked to your dad and he agrees that we change you to another school"
… That?
I raised my head and saw my mother with surprise.
"A normal school is not safe for you, who knows what might happen if you continue in it…"
"B-But…"
"There is a prestigious academy a few hours from here, it has a residence, security and other things, it is the ideal place for you to study"
Not…
"I already spoke with the director of the academy and he is willing to accept you despite being in the middle of the year..."
"No!"
I have never raised my voice to my mother, but this time I did.
"A-Ariel"
Without listening to her I got up and ran up the stairs to my room.
I locked the door and jumped into bed.
"Ariel!"
My mom knocked on the door and called me, but I just wasn't willing to accept.
"It's for your own good..."
After a while my mother stopped calling me.
My head at this point was in chaos.
Why did I yell, am I crazy!?
I have already changed schools many times, why would this time be different?
I'm used to being alone...
Yes I am…
Scenes of me being apart from others flooded my mind.
A scene in which there is group work and I work alone.
Another scene where the others eat with friends while I eat in the living room.
Another one in which I meet a group of friends while I go alone...
That time when they left me out...
That time when there was a dinner among all the students but I wasn't invited...
And that other...
And this…
I've always been alone, I should be used to it so why now I feel like I might lose something?
I thought of something different.
Ha… friends…
Yes... it's the first time I have a friend.
I thought of Olivia and Sara and Mia.
And especially Noah...
Eat together, talk, laugh, cry, go home, study together, go out for the weekend...
These are things that I had never done with friends.
It may be normal for such sociable people but... for me it was something special...
At some point the tears started to come out.
No… I want to lose that…
xxx
Ha… it seems I fell asleep.
I raised my head and saw the wet pillow.
I am pathetic…
It's all I could think of.
I have to apologize to mom.
I pushed myself up with my hands and got out of bed, then walked to the door and opened it.
"...And that's why I want you to convince her of her"
"Well... oh, she already left"
In front of my door was mom and Noah… Noah!?
"Hello Ariel"
"H-Hello Noah"
At that moment I remembered that I was crying so I tried to hide my face with my hands.
"W-What are you doing here?"
"Your mother called me, so you're rebellious huh"
I want a hole to hide in!
My face turned red to such an extent that it burned.
"Come on, let's talk"
Noah took my hand and pulled me into the room.
I looked back and mom closed the door with a smile.
ooh…
Noah sat on the bed and pulled me next to her.
"Then why don't you want to change schools?"
How do I tell her it's because of her?
Let's see…
"I-It would be very cowardly to run away just because of a small incident."
What am I saying!?
"Ha..."
Noah looked me in the eye.
A silent but strong pressure forced me to move my eyes elsewhere.
"Well, let's say I believe you, but is that okay with you…?"
"Wh-what?"
"Worrying your parents like that"
"..."
"Even I was very worried, I can't even imagine the pain your parents felt when they kidnapped you"
He's right... when I woke up in the hospital I saw the blanket I was wrapped in was wet, more than that, my mother's eyes were red...
"Think of them"
But…
"Besides, it's not so bad to change schools, you'll be safe in that place"
You do not understand…
"More than that, you can make many friends"
You know nothing….
"I have heard from the academy you will go to, they say that the government puts its best efforts so that this academy creates the future leaders of the country, there is no better place to study"
I do not care about that…
"There are so many classes that are not taught normally, you might even find out…"
"Is for you!"
She couldn't shut me up anymore.
"You were my first friend…"
I have learned to shut up since I was a child, but now I am letting go of everything.
"I've always been alone, with no one to turn to when I didn't understand something, no one to talk to, no one to play with..."
It's so sad.
"Group work, outings, I have done everything alone…"
It was always like this.
"If only you hadn't stood up for me back then… I was still alone and I wouldn't have to feel this!!"
I'm an idiot.
"Haha…"
Noah looked at me with a complicated expression.
Ha... after what I said, he sure hates me...
Without wanting to see her, I lowered my gaze from her and closed my eyes, waiting for her to leave her.
One second… two seconds… three seconds.
To my complete surprise I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and my head was placed on something soft.
"I didn't know you had been alone for so long…"
Noah started to talk as he stroked my back.
"You are a good girl, the others who took you away lost a treasure, honestly I was a bit surprised that she was your first friend, I thought that with your beauty, charisma and, above all, personality, the others wanted to be with you, I see that the world is full of idiots... you may not want to hear this but I think it's good that it was like that, because that's the only way I could meet you..."
With such a selfish phrase, Noah raised my head and made me look into her eyes.
"If I could repeat it I would help you over and over again, so don't say you don't want to be my friend"
"..."
Tears began to fall from my eyes.
I hugged Noah tight and cried.
I didn't know it at the time, but a feeling of something more than friendship began to blossom inside me...