nemiebaby

[nemiebaby]

Mi Patito Feo

Chapter 1

"My name is Amelia Alejandra Martinez, nice to meet you all", I say as I bow a little. Snickers erupt and I feet hot behind my mask and glasses. My palms get sweaty but thankfully the teacher tells me to take a seat.

The entire duration of the rest of the class, I interact actively with the teacher, despite the snickers and groans.

"Do better. Be better. Don't disappoint"

After the class ends, I quickly collect my books and bag and rush to the bathroom.

The cold water calms my throbbing face. How is it even possible. Do faces throb? 

I shake my head. Focus.

I wipe my face dry and apply some lip balm and light eye shadow to bring back color to my face. Okay. It will be okay.

I step out of the bathroom, putting on my mask and the next minute I'm slammed against the door with a person pressing my lips against theirs as they push me into the bathroom.

My eyes widen and I push the person away. A guy.

"Wh-wh-what- what was that for?!", I yell

The guy wipes his mouth with the back of his hand with a disgusted look on his face.

"Trust me Glasses, I didn't want that any more than you", He states.

My face reddens in embarrassment. 

"Then why did you-!!"

"This stays between us", He cuts off, "The reasons...you don't need to know"

I feel a rush of red, but just as I fill my lungs to yell harassment, he leaves. 

I stand alone in there. My lips red, slightly  swollen.

I open Google.

Is it normal for a person with BPD to fall in love in an instant

Yes, it can be considered "normal" for someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to fall in love quickly and intensely, often appearing to "fall in love instantly," due to their tendency to idealize partners and experience emotions very deeply, but this rapid infatuation can quickly shift to devaluation and instability in the relationship.

I sigh in relief. It wasn't me. Just my disorder playing up.

I collect myself and fix my appearance before heading out again. This time, more careful.

That Evening

"So..out of 15?"

I nod, my hands clammy as  thrust my nails into my waist.

"Where did the half mark go?"

"J-just..just o..on the in the..."

"On the, in the where?!"

I flinch

"A spelling error, Papa.."

"...This is your first strike this week, Lia"

I look down.

"On the first day too".

"I'll do better Papa.."

"You better. Or else.."

I scurry off to my room and lock the door. I look at the lock. The only thing keeping me safe in my sanctuary. Three strikes a week. And my phone is gone, along with my door.

I curl up with my plushie. My sole support system.

Maybe one day I'd be able to break free. Maybe.

I wake up hours later, panicked. Had I missed my alarm?

11 PM. Still had a good three hours left.

I get up, wear my mask and glasses and grab my phone before sneaking out via my window.

I look back to see if the light of Mama and Papa's room was out. Safe.

I put my hand into my hoodie pocket and take out my earbuds to wear, before I hear a groan. Definitely a groan. A Human groan.

I look sideways and spot a man in the alleyway. I couldn't see well in the dark, but I could make out the figure of a man.

It was common to encounter such...situations in my neighborhood.

I realized it was serious when I saw silhouette of the man pulling out something from him body, hissing in pain.

I turn on my flashlight and walk towards the man. Despite our neighborhood being tough, there was a strict rule in the street that no one touched  woman unless she landed the first hit or if she could land someone in prison.

"Are you okay-"

"What does it look like", the man groans before the flashlight hit his face.

"It's you"

"Damn yeah it's me", He groans again before looking up, "Its you, Glasses"

"Don't call me that"

He smirks. Despite his situation he is still acting like he's the one with the upper hand.

"What happened-"

"Like you don't know", He cut me off again.

"Fine. How did it happen and why"

"None of your damn business"

I sigh.

"Stop acting like Mother Teresa and give me your phone"

I hesitate.

"What? Not gonna give it cause I hurt your feelings?"

I frown.

"can u stop being so snarky?"

"Phone"

I hand him the phone.

"No password?", He raises his eyebrow as he taps on the numbers and dials, "So Miss Glasses isn't as smart as she seems huh"

I open my mouth to speak but then the line connects and a voice speaks from the other end. Sleepy.

"Hello?'

"Mi bebe esta dormido?"

"Andres? Que Quieres?"

"I got stabbed"

"Wow, why am I not surprised"

"Cariño..I need you"

"Where are you", The voice asks, sleepily.

"In the third alleyway in-"

"Too far".

And the line goes dead.

"Mierda"

I stare at him awkwardly. Not knowing what to do.

"Hey Glasses"

"Huh-?", I respond instinctively.

He chuckles. "See? you've learnt to respond to what u are"

I frown.

"Stop it. I need your help"

"Why should I help you"

"Because you need to", He says, "And I'm not playing". He says, pulling out a switchblade.

A lump forms in my throat. I should run. I know I can. he's injured. I'm not. But I can't. Seeing the thing that can harm me freezes me. I can't. My body goes cold.

"Sabes conducir?"

I nod.

[nemiebaby]

Mi Patito Feo

I flinch.

"Why can't you just be good!?!"

I bite my lip as a slim cane lands on my body. Over the years, the pain had stopped affecting me as much, but their words still did.

"You know I only do this because I love you right? I need to put your place so you grow up to be a good and successful human being".

I cry, trying make him see reason, as my hands shudder in fear, which she takes for me shaking with anger.

"Look- Look at her! Shaking in anger!! Who're you showing your anger to?!", She shouts as he gets angrier and grabs me by my hair, slamming my head against the bedpost.

By the end of it all, I'm left shuddering. Scared. Alone.

I understood but still didn't understand. 

Why me.

[nemiebaby]

*Note

"The rest of the chapters of "Loving your everything" have been and will be updated in Wattpad. So, if you liked the story so far, go check it out!!

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 6

"And welcome", Pedri said lightly, rubbing his shoes before entering the room, "Like it?".

I copied his actions before entering.

"It's....nice", I replied, hiding my real broke ass reaction.

"You can make yourself at home, I need to go make some calls, be back in a minute".

I explored the room, after my host left.

It was gigantic to say the least. I walked around the room in awe.

There was a dining table right next to the window which oversaw the ocean, a king sized bed a few feet away from it with fluffed up pillows sitting on it. I walked to it, softly touching the material. Across the bed, on the right was a closet with robes and clothes, a few which were Pedri's. It seemed like he'd been staying in the hotel for quite a while. On the left was a ceiling to floor window, with giant curtains on either side, which made it look like a magical entrance to some enchanted land. I touched the window pane, it's cool surface soothing me. Everything seemed surreal. How was I in a hospital , looking after Will, and then in some 5 star hotel with one of the most sought after footballers of the century, in the matter of a few hours? Everything felt surreal. I closed my eyes, sighing deeply.

"You like it here?", Pedri asked. I turned around, as he took out a couple of plastic containers from the mini fridge. "Yeah, especially with the ocean waves moaning"

"Moaning?", He chuckled.

"You know what I meant", I replied, my face burning.

"Let's not talk about that before we eat", He said, a  sweet smile breaking on his face. 

I'd always been strict about where I stood with the idea of me dating someone shot-gun, but every time this man smiled, the ice around my heart melted a little, and his frequent sweet smiling wasn't helping.

"I miss my Mom while eating", Pedri stated, before snapping his head at me, as though to make sure he didn't want to trigger something within me. "She must be an amazing cook", I answered, smiling a little. "She'd always make a huge fuss about me not eating properly when I was young, it's become a sort of reason she blames for the thin body I had when I first began with football". I could see he loved his Mother a lot, and my heart hurt yearning for my own, for the first time in years. "Last Friday, when I was leaving, she actually cried a bit", He chuckled, "She's very emotional at times, my Mom, but that's because I'm still her baby, no matter how old I get, she never stops babying me. Sit on the bed". I obliged.

"She loves me to bits and hates it when I have to travel back to Barcelona alone", He explained, bringing the food in two paper plates. For once, I was genuinely interested in someone's family,someone's mother, and I knew Pedri could see that. "She prays for me non stop before every match, at least that's what my brother tells me", He said, sitting beside me on the bed. His carefree self and simply and childlike language was intriguing and for the first time in forever, I felt myself being strongly drawn to a guy.

"And did you know-"

The ringing of his phone interrupted him, much to his annoyance, as he grabbed it from the night stand before answering. A couple of yeses and a "I'll tell her", later, he faced me.

"I forgot to tell you but you may have to stay with me for a while, the groupies and journalists have surrounded your flat building, apparently", He explained biting into the food.

"What?"

"It's pretty common, especially when it comes to possible romantic partners of young players, you know, but this should die down in a few days".

"You seem to be very used to it"

"I am. Well...sort of, I've seen teammates get stalked by crazy people, they don't respect boundaries and within our close social circle, we don't consider them fans. They're simply obsessed psychopaths".

I nodded thoughtfully, chewing my food. Being a celebrity was hard, I'd realized that when I had to hide my face from the cameras and when I had to run from a seemingly safe place for my safety. Fan girls were harder to deal with, than Fan boys, and I shuddered thinking about the hate and backlash I'd receive for just being spotted with Pedri.

What about Gavi?  My conscience purred.

I shook my head hard. I didn't want to think about it.

"You're not from here,I assume?", Pedri questioned. I looked up at him. "Yeah, originally, but I've stayed here for about 10 years". "Your parents?".

I could see he just wanted to get to know me, but it was hurting me to think about them. "They left the country as soon as I turned 16".

"Who're you staying with right now then?"

"Mandy, well..Amanda, she became my legal guardian after I chose to stay behind"

"She's your relative?"

"Nah, we're just friends, I met her a when I was 14"

"Then, if she's your guardian she's a bit old to be called a friend, don't you think?"

"She just turned 21 this year, so not that old" 

Amanda.

I got up and immediately scrambled for my phone, digging into my jacket pocket.

17 missed calls from Mandy. 33 unread texts.

I could feel her anger radiating off of the phone.

I excused myself quickly before getting into the bathroom.

"What the FUCK, Evelyn?!! Where are you!!", She screamed, as soon as she picked up the phone. "Sorry...I had some things come up", I murmured. "Don't lie, Pinocchio, the pictures are ALL OVER THE INTERNET".

"What pictures?"

"Don't play dumb, how could you kiss Pablo Gavi and not tell ME?!!"

I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. "Look, everything happened really fast and I need to-"

A loud thud stopped me ,mid sentence, followed by angry shouts.

"Hello? Evie?", Mandy spoke from the other side. "I'll call you later, I'm fine. Take care of William", I whispered before cutting the call.

I slowly opened the bathroom door as the voices grew louder.

"How could you do that to me?!!"

My heart beat fast as I grabbed a vase which stood on the table beside the door. I peeked around the corner. Pedri was laying on the ground, rolled in carpet, as a guy kicked him continuously. I jumped out, holding the vase above my head, prepared to smash a head, as the guy turned around.

His fiery eyes locked into mine as he grabbed my wrist, snatching the vase with his other hand before throwing it on the bed.

"Gavi", I whispered, my voice trailing off.

Maybe it was the fear or the sudden adrenaline rush, but I could feel the sudden draining of blood from my head as I stood there, shivering.

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 5

"She slipped on water", Gavi said dismissively.

"You can't expect me to believe that, be serious", Pedri pushed, a certain edge in his voice. Gavi noticed it.

"Why're you so pressed about it?", He asked.

Pedri walked to the bed, standing in front of me. "Bro, 16 cameras just captured your kiss, aren't you concerned about your reputation? You know how they can literally tear you to pieces right?". He looked at me, "And you? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?". "Why should she have to say anything?", Gavi intervened, "We kissed, a few people saw it. And so what? I'm not a kid, Pedri, I have the right to have a personal life. Outside of football".

Pedri sighed in exasperation, a vein popping out on his forehead, displaying his irritation. "It really was accidental. See, the water's still there", I explained, pointing at the spilled water. "He'd fallen off the bed, and well, seeing as how I'd hit him before, it was my fault, I was just trying to help him". My words seemed to be taking some effect, because Pedri's vein soon disappeared. "It's not like I'd want to kiss her anyway", Gavi mumbled. My head snapped back to him. His arrogant expression made me want to choke him for a minute.

"Don't mind him", Pedri said, rubbing my back. I shrugged. These things usually didn't affect me anyway. "I should get going, I need to get some coffee".

"I can come with you", Pedri offered. He was literally the sweet guy I'd ever met.

"Why?", Gavi questioned, narrowing his eyes. "Do you guys have something going on? My God, is that why you were so mad about that kiss, isn't that right Pedri?".

"You need to shut up before I knock you into a coma, I swear to God, don't push my buttons", Pedri replied, irritation dripping from his tone. "I need to get some things too", He explained, turning to me. I nodded, walking to the door.

"Hello? I'm a patient?! Isn't it your job to ask me what I want?", Gavi yelled. Pedri rolled his eyes. "Yes, my dear sick patient, what would you like from the vending machine?".

"A coke with respect would be well appreciated"

"Yeah whatever", Pedri smiled, before shutting the door behind him.

I smiled internally. Their brotherhood wasn't just for the cameras on field. "You two seem close", I remarked. "Kind of..yeah...I mean, with the way he is, in the pitch, I mean, he needs someone to chaperone him", Pedri laughed, "But yes, we are close".

 I nodded

"So, tell me about yourself, we didn't have the time for that earlier", He said, pressing the elevator button down to the ground floor. "Well... there's not much to know about me", I replied, as the elevator began moving. "Family..?", He persisted.

"I don't like to talk about them", I answered, my tone telling him to shut up.

"Sorry"

The rest of the elevator ride grew awkward after that, with him talking about random things at time to try and diffuse the situation. It seemed like an eternity before the doors finally opened and we stepped out, walking to the cafeteria. Quickly buying the things we needed, we began to walk out.

"Pedri?! Is that Pedri?!! Those people really didn't lie!!"

Pedri froze. I looked ahead. A group of girls were squealing and pointing at a random guy who had his back turned on them. "We need to run".

And so we ran.

I followed him like Mary's lamb, not seeing where we were heading, as the surroundings blurred, with me trying to follow him right. I couldn't keep up with my footballer companion and that was the day I realized how unfit I was. By the time we stopped, I was wheezing. When my head finally stopped spinning, I looked around. We were in a parking lot. "I think we should get going, this place isn't safe for tonight", He said taking out his phone. "Wh-ere?", I gasped. "You'll see".

An Uber arrived a few minutes later. "Hotel?", The driver asked, obviously knowing Pedri. "What? We can't just-"

'But we can, and we need to. After those pictures go viral, I assure you, you will get attacked by groupies, so unless you're planning to get your face scratched by a group of angry obsessive girs, I suggest you come with me". "But Gavi...?". Pedri's face fell. "And I've got my friend too, William will wonder about my whereabouts", I added. "Text your friend, I'll explain the situation to Gavi, he'll understand. In fact, you know what? Sit inside, I'll call him, okay?".

I agreed, getting into the car.

"It's not easy dating a famous lad, is it?", The driver chuckled.

 "What?"

" Don't be shy, I understand it all", He continued, "But he's a good guy, never seen him with a girl before".

"I think you've misunderstood", I replied.

"Don't think I'm dumb, girl, I've been driving people since taxis were introduced, I've seen all types of people and I know what they're doing and feeling, even if they try to hide it, I do".

"Well, you've got it wrong about me"

"About you, not him"

Before I could ask him what he meant by that, Pedri returned. "Let's get going", He said, putting on a mask.

"Is everything okay", I asked.

He was breathing heavy, like he was angry and his mask made it harder for me to make out what he was thinking of. "Pedri, you're sweating, are you okay?".

He nodded.

I could see the driver eyeing us in the rear view mirror

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 4

"So, while I was knocked out on drugs, you were having the time of your life with some footballer?!"

I could sense the hostility in his tone and I couldn't exactly blame him.

"Look, it was Pedri Gonzalez, okay? I couldn't help myself!! Plus, it was he, who asked for my number", I replied, holding my head.

Will's never ending questions and sarcastic remarks hadn't stopped since I'd told him about my interaction with Pedri. His shoulders stiffened the moment I stepped into his room, smiling and all that, and I could see it was getting to his nerves.

"So what now? You're like, into him or something?", Will asked bluntly.

My eyebrows scrunched in irritation as I stared at him. He seemed unfazed. "So? What is it?", He kept prodding. "It's not like that, Will. You're making it out to be way bigger than it is and you know it", I huffed, "Why can't you just be happy for me? I just met someone I really admire and you need to ruin it for me with all....this".

"Admire? Evelyn, you-"

"I'm going to get some coffee", I said abruptly, getting up. I couldn't handle Will's bullshit anymore. It was unlike him. "Yeah, run from the situation, why don't you", He called after me, as I closed the door behind me. "What's got into him?", I thought.

"Fuck".

I stopped my tracks. It sounded like someone was in pain.

I looked around. Not a soul was in sight. "Is anyone there?", I called out, holding my phone close to my chest. "C-can you get in here", someone said, his voice raspy, as though he was struggling to breathe. My feet followed the voice as I stepped into Room 408.

"Gavi", I whispered.

He was on the floor, wheezing from exhaustion. He must've been trying to get up by himself for some time. "You?", He whispered, his breath laboring. "I-i heard you calling so I-um came in to check". Droplets of sweat were covering his face, which was distorted in agony. I quickly placed my phone in my jacket pocket, before stepping near him.

 I looked at him before touching him, I'd flung a phone at him the first time we met, which wasn't exactly the best way to meet and greet new people.  I could see a bit of hesitation in his eyes, before he finally let me prop him up against the nightstand. His breathing was still shallow and he was sweating yet shivering, most likely due to having laid on the floor for so long. "Do you want water?", I asked, reaching for the bottle of water on the nightstand. He nodded, his eyes cast down, his body still not moving much except for moving up and down from breathing.  "Say Aahh", I instructed, opening the bottle cap. "What?", He asked, looking at me, confused. "Aahh", I replied, demonstration how to open the mouth wide. He continued to look at me weirdly, and then I remembered he wasn't a kid I was babysitting, making me duck my head in embarrassment.

"Sorry", I murmured, holding out the bottle to him. He gave me another weird look. "Look, I don't know how to do this thing, Okay? I've never had to help a grown person drink water", I stated. "Just...put it in my mouth", he said at last, sounding as though he was growing tired of me, and I couldn't exactly blame him for it. 

"Slow down, you're choking me", he spluttered, water spraying out of his mouth. Spraying everywhere on me. I opened my eyes and stared at him, once the water finally stopped. There was an uncomfortable silence and I could tell it was as awkward for him as it was for me. In a way, it felt comical, almost.

"I'm sorry", I said finally, "Let's get you on the bed, you're shivering". My brain wasn't working properly and it didn't cross my mind that I should be angry at the guy for literally spraying me with his mouth water.

I closed the distance between us and held my hands around his waist, carefully lifting him up. He refused to hold me so it made it harder for me to lift his body, because well, he's a footballer. A well built one at that.

After the fourth time of me trying to lift him up and not being able to move him, after he used his hands LITERAL anchors, I gave up. Huffing in exhaustion, I sat beside him. He was still shivering, and as much as I wanted to leave his ass freezing on the marble floor, I decided to pull the blanket, which was half on the bed still and cover him with it, making sure to get it under his calves and thighs as well. He had closed his eyes, his breathing finally a bit stable.

I decided to try and lift him up one more time.

"Listen, I need you to put your hands around my neck, okay? I know we didn't have the best introduction and I'm sorry for hitting you, but look, I'm trying to help".

He eyed me suspiciously. 'Why?".

"What?"

"Why're you helping me?Like, you've got some secret agenda or something? Are you a journalist?"

'What- No! I felt bad seeing you on the floor, okay? Like any normal human, I wanted to help. You were wheezing I mean-". I stopped, noticing his face grow darker. I understood then, he was one of those people who didn't like being or feeling indebted to other people. 'I meant to say, you got injured because of me in the first place, so...I felt responsible". This lightened him a little.

I stood up, stretched a little before bending down. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I whispered, "Now, put your hands around my neck and I'll lift you, okay?". Taking in a sharp breath, I jerked him up, and surprisingly managed to get his butt on the bed. He seemed to finally be relaxed as well, because the moment he got seated on the bed, he crashed his torso on it. Carefully lifting his legs up as well, and positioning his body to be laid comfortably, I finally took a breath of relief.

Picking up the blanket, I shook it for dust before carefully spreading it over Gavi's figure. He was still sweating and shivering. "You want anything?", I asked, awkwardly stepping back slowly,  suddenly being all too aware of how there was nothing else to be done or said . "Tuck me in", He whispered, I could see it was as awkward for him as it was for me. I nodded before retracing my steps towards him,  only to slip on the water that he'd spouted out of his mouth earlier.

His lips felt hot, fuzzy and electrifying. I could feel his heart beating like a drum, and I was pretty sure he was feeling the mine the same. His dark eyes searched mine like I did his, neither of us understanding what was going on.

Until

"I tried to stop them but they just barged in as soon as they spotted me, I'm sorry, I-"

Gavi and me, both turned to look at Pedri standing at the door, with reporters and journalists  behind him. Camera flashes grew more aggressive as I froze like a deer in headlights. Gavi pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arm around my head, hiding it. His chest felt hot and was barely moving from the shallow breathing, and possibly the kiss.

Kiss. I'd just kissed Pablo Gavi.

 I buried my face in his chest in embarrassment. "Get..get them out", He said weakly. I understood it was to Pedri, after I heard him calling for the security and helping them get the unwanted group of people, out of the room.

Gavi finally let go of me. I sat up, my hair disheveled.

"What in the Limbo Land was happening in here?"

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 3

"Can you LEAVE?!!", The guy in the bed stated, asserting his need for me to leave, a little too harshly.

"I thought you were here for your friend? What are you doing, getting into other people's room, miss?", The nurse questioned. I felt the cold sweat dripping down my forehead. What WAS I doing there?

"You said Will was in room 403 so..", My voice trailed off, nervousness and anxiety rushing through me, as I felt all the eyes on me.

"This is 408, and you need to LEAVE, unless you want me to press charges for Assault and BATTERY", The Bed Guy shouted, his eyes closing, as he winced in pain, each time the nurse unwound the bandage on his wound.

I pursed my  lips in humiliation, picked up my bag and walked out of the room, mentally cursing my mind for wandering enough, to not even see which room I was getting into . "Hey, wait!", I heard, as I was walking down the corridor. I didn't want to create any more hassle so instead of turning around like a normal person, I kept on walking. The guy came up to me and held out my phone. "You forgot this", He said. My face grew a deep shade of red in embarrassment, as I took the phone, apologizing profusely. "Don't apologize, it happens sometimes", he said, somehow comforting me , "I'm Pedri".

"I'm so sorry for not holding the elevator earlier, I did press the hold button but it just moved you know, I'm so sorry, and that thing with the room, I was just thinking a lot of things  and was in a haze so....you know...I'm sorry"

"It's fine, we're good on that, everyone has those days and anyway the elevator does malfunction sometimes, I understand", He laughed.

"Your friend didn't think it was fine", I mumbled, remembering his angry face.

"Nah, he was just in a bad mood, he's a good person, it's just that his injury has got him out of the field for so long, that he's gone a little loose with his head and has a hard time socializing"

"Field..?", I asked

"You don't know us?", He asked, looking surprised.

I blinked. My brain was ticking. Pedri..Pedri...Pedri..Pedri...and it hit me. The football player. I flushed in embarrassment yet again, when my brain finally processed everything, I'd just met Gavi and was standing in front of Pedri. I'd been a huge Barca fan, and the fact that I'd totally ignored someone like Pedri, felt like an insult to my Blaugrana soul.

However, I had all the blood I'd witnessed that day, a friend's blood, to blame for my scrambled brain.

"I'm so sorry", I gushed, my cheeks feeling hot, not from humiliation  but the adrenaline rush I was suddenly experiencing. " I'm such a HUGE Culer, I simply don't know how I missed you..., but well, I've been really busy today so that may be one reason but oh my God, I love you all so much, I can't explain how I'm feeling".

Pedri seemed to be enjoying the attention because he was smiling ear to ear and I could feel his eyes grow brighter as they looked into mine.

"It's fine, it happens sometimes", He laughed,"So, should we exchange numbers?".

 I blushed, wanting to die.... wanting to do a whole victory dance. Pedri Gonzalez wanted MY number. My Number. I could feel my heart beating fast, as I unlocked my phone and handed it to him. The pure euphoria of those 15 seconds that I spent, standing next to Pedri, were the moments I never wanted to have to end. He quickly typed in his number before typing mine into his. "I didn't get your name", He said, looking up from his phone, his thumb hovering over the keypad. "Evelyn, Evie, keep it Evie", I mumble, feeling feverish. It all seemed like a dream and suddenly, an awkward nightmare too.

I was standing so close to a celebrity, covered in blood, smelling like sweat and blood, looking like a mess with my dirty clothes and disgustingly tangled hair. I was kicking myself for not being more careful with my appearance.

"I'll see you around, Evie", Pedri said, giving me a quick smile before walking off, leaving me, with my heart feeling like it'd just run a marathon.

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 2

"Bitch, stop touching it!!", William groaned, wincing in pain as I tried to wipe his bloody nose. "Either you let us help you or we're gone too", Amanda said, taking out a salad from the fridge. "Don't touch that, Lily will go ballistic", William complained. "When doesn't she go ballistic?", Mandy replied, chomping down on her greens.

The apartment was a mess, glass shattered, dirty dishes across the house in various positions, most likely after being thrown by the girlfriend, three window panes mercilessly broken, and our dear friend left with a bloody nose and a bite, which somehow managed to tear off some of the skin.

"Is she an animal or something? Who does this??", Mandy asked, inspecting the bite, the bleeding had stopped after being iced, but it still looked disgusting to look at. "When will this stop, Will?", She asked,  holding and positioning his head so he looked straight into her eyes. William gave out a nervous laugh before pushing her hands away. "Chill Mandy, it's just a lover's fight, nothing serious". This blew Mandy off her rocker.

"Nothing serious? NOTHING SERIOUS?!! Will, SHE ATE A PART OF YOU, IN THE MOST LITERAL WAY!! WHEN DOES THIS STOP?", She was speaking through tears. "I love you so much, Will, I can't see you go through this kind of bullshit, it's unnecessary. You'll find someone so much better than her, I promise, and she'll love you like you deserve".

There was pin drop silence after that. I hated speaking at times like these. It hurt me to see my only two friends be at odds. I loved them so much, I couldn't just take one person's side. But more than often, it was Mandy who was in the right. "We need to get you to the hospital", I said, finally breaking the killing silence.

Will could barely move and that's when I noticed a huge gash across his waist . I looked at Mandy, she'd seen it too. Will knew he had been cut, but he refused to acknowledge it. He was having difficulty in even getting into the car. "Let's get going", He said, trying to be cheerful, but it looked bad. His cheerful face looked bad for once. I could see it was killing Mandy, but she swallowed her anger and hurt and quietly got into the drivers seat and I sat back, holding William, as he tried to hide the pain by incessantly talking away, like we were going someplace really rice to celebrate. But he knew, and I could see it in his eyes. Fear and anxiety were killing him from within. He knew he would have to file a report this time. He couldn't escape it this time, or he would be left alone with an abuser forever.

Mandy got a stretcher as soon as we reached the hospital. William tightly held on to my hand as he was getting wheeled into the ER. "Can we please not do it?", He whispered, begging. I shook my head and gazed over at Mandy who was at the hospital entrance making a call. We both knew it had to be done.

"I'm sorry", I mouthed, as William disappeared into the room.  I regretted listening to him. I regretted for never calling the cops on his psycho girlfriend. For all I knew, I could've found him dead in the apartment one of these days, if I'd have kept listening to him. I knew Amanda was thinking the same. Her worry lines were scarily visible, making her look like a whole different person, as she approached me.

"I've told them everything, they'll just need to get his statement", She explained. I nodded.

"I'll stay here, you get home, change and get some rest, okay?", I said. This was a regular drill. Mandy nodded, sighing as she walked off. This all was putting a strain on her, and I hated it. Especially just before her wedding.

It was time Will began to act like an adult. 

I fell asleep in the waiting room, cursing William.

"Excuse me? You're here for William Garza?", A nurse asked, waking me up.

"Y-Yes", I answered, sitting up.

"Well, you can meet him now. Room 403, third floor", She said before walking off.

I looked around, the waiting room was completely empty, and it was raining outside the window. I opened my phone to check the time.

5:41 pm.

Mandy  hadn't shown up yet, but hadn't sent any messages either, which meant she must have passed out once she reached home.

I got up from my seat, sighing and slowly made my way to the elevator.

"Hold the elevator please", someone shouted just as I pressed the button to the third floor. I tried pressing for hold, but the elevator closed anyway, and proceeded to move. I could hear him groan as I went up. I chose to ignore it and checked my messages yet again. No one. Sighing, I put it in my pocket.

I got off the elevator, walking quietly toward Will's room. I was nervous. I didn't want to see him. I was pretty sure the cops had taken his statement by now, and after "betraying" him, in his language, I didn't want to face him. I still felt guilty for some reason. I knew what me and Mandy had done was only the right thing, and any sane friend would've done that a long time ago, and us not doing that when we first got to know about it, was the first mistake we made because it fed to Will's thinking, that what was happening was right.

"Will?", I asked quietly, entering his room. It was pitch black. "Will? I know you're angry, but listen, we had to do it, and I won't apologize for it", I stated, adamant to not let my feelings get in the way. "She just isn't right for you, people who love you don't do that to you", I continued, feeling around for the switchboard. "I just want you to know, we love you, and we're sorry we didn't do it a long time ago, and that it somehow got to you and what she was doing was fine, when it's not, Will, it's not and never will be".

I took in a sharp breath when I felt the switchboard, and pressed on the switch, filling the light with light.

"Turn it off!!", Someone complained.

It sounded wrong. It wasn't Will. I quickly grabbed my phone and threw it where the voice had come from.

 "What the-!!!"

I blinked and took a good look at the person,now groaning. He gripped his head in pain and shouted, "What the hell is wrong with you?!!".

I felt blood drain from my body as I saw his bandaged head bleeding.

I rushed towards him and quickly pressed the call button, before quickly plumping the pillows and gently placing his head on them. I began to look around the room in a panic and on seeing a mini fridge, quickly opened it and grabbed a can of cold soda. "Here", I whispered, for some reason, and opened it for him. "Drink", I was being bizarre and I didn't know why.

The guy sighed in frustration and grabbed the can before positioning it on his head so as to not let it spill. That's when my brain finally began to function a little. I took out another can and placed it on his head, taking the opened can and placing it on the table beside his bed, while spilling a little in the process.

I stood there, beside the sofa, before collapsing on it in sheer fatigue. The day had been messy enough, I couldn't understand why it was going messier when it felt things couldn't get worse.

"And may I ask, who are you?", The guy asked, I could feel the irritation and anger lacing his voice. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know how I got here, I just-", before I could finish, the door flew open.

"Is everything alright?", The same nurse from before asked, quickly going to the guy's side, checking his head, followed by the guy who wanted me to stop the elevator.

"God,please..... not now"

[nemiebaby]

Loving Your Everything

Chapter 1

"One can only look past someone's flaws for so long, and trust me on this, you'll soon grow tired of him too", I said, looking straight into my soon-to-be-married best friend's eyes.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Not again with this this bullshit", I could see this was starting to get to her nerves. "You're my best friend, Mandy, and the last thing I want for you is to be trapped in a marriage where you WILL eventually lose interest and be miserably stuck in", I insisted. "Look, Kaden isn't like other guys, he's different", Amanda said, her eyes sparkling with love as she spoke about him. "You said the same for Wes, Bjorn, Norman, Sander and who else? Basically all your exes", I said, trying to make her see sense. It wasn't like I disliked Kaden, it was just thart i couldn't imagine Amanda being married to a guy she'd met, 8 months ago.

"Just stop looking at him like my fiance and look at him as your friend for a second. He's kind, loving, and is okay with every single one of my flaws. He's the one, I know it,so please trust me on this one, okay?"

I sighed. "You better not come to me after your fights though, I don't want to hear no stories about your 3 hour fights and what he said about your mother". "I won't", Amanda said, smiling ear to ear.

I so wanted to be happy for her. I knew what I was saying was hurting her, but I simply couldn't help it, and I cursed myself for it. Just because two messed up people in my life couldn't make their marriage function normally, didn't necessarily mean every other couple in the world was destined for the same. And with the wedding date drawing closer, the sooner I'd get it into my thick head, the better. 

"Hey! Watch it!!", Amanda shouted, pulling me out of my thoughts . I looked looked up from my smoothie to see a guy being chased down the street by a mob of girls. "Some Pop Star?", I asked, taking a sip. "Seems like it, look they ruined my outfit", Amanda groaned, showing me the coffee stained skirt. "I'll go to the washroom, wait for me and don't leave without me", She said, quickly getting up and rushing inside the cafe. "You're driving, so I haven't got much choice", I mumbled, pulling out my phone. There were 6 messages from my parents asking when I'd come home. I huffed. There was no way, I'd ever return to that hellhole.

I deleted them, just as another message popped up. "William", I groaned, opening the text to see a screenshot of a section of yet another fight he'd had with his girlfriend.

*you never learn, and this is on you, I'm not helping you anymore*

I angrily typed and hit send.

William was the first person I'd met in Spain, who wanted to be my friend from the get go, but it may have had something to do with me finding him knocked out by his girlfriend after a fight, behind the dumpster of the cafe where we worked.

*Babe, don't do this to me, not right now* He wrote back

*I don't care, I've told you to get over with that abusive psycho for weeks now"

*Fine, we'll see about it later, but can you please come over? My nose is bleeding like it's on a period, bring some tampons for it*

I groaned heavily. "What's up?", Amanda asked, wiping her skirt with a tissue, the stain almost invisible. If there's something special about that girl, it's the fact that she cleans up better than any professional cleaner in the world. "William", I stated, picking up the shopping bags. "Not again", She replied, throwing her head back in exasperation. "That's William for you",I sighed, paying the bill. "Chop chop, let's get moving".

William's relationship with Lily had been a topic for eye rolling and constant groaning for the longest time. She was wild, he was calm and it seemed as like, though they both knew they weren't good for each other, they kept getting back for more. The toxicity of their relationship could be smelt from miles away. Lily wasn't necessarily a bad person, but she had this victim mentality which she'd use to abuse people around her and then make them feel bad for somehow "crossing" her, in the first place.

"Stay here, I'll get them", Mandy said, parking the car in front of a pharmacy and getting out.

At this point, everyone around Will and Lily knew about them and their hardcore toxic love. This only made things worse because it seemed like they enjoyed the attention and worried calls they'd receive. They were equally destructive for each other yet refused to separate.

"Okay, band aids, bandages, antiseptic cream, cold pack, antiseptic wipes, anything else I'm missing anything?"

"His mom's number on speed dial in case it's more serious than he's leading on"

"I mean, how do the first aid items get over so fast? it's like he's fighting a bull every day or something"

"Isn't he?", I said, a smile threatening to break out.

"Ridiculous, but we're his only surviving friends so", Amanda stated, looking into my eyes dead serious, before we both broke out in peals of uncontrollable laughter.