ch-3 : ghosts of highschool

 chapter 3

ghosts of highschool

Mindy's POV

I wake up the next morning with my earphones still plugged and my neck sore. I hadn’t realized I slept off on the couch while… thinking. I get up, wash my face and make myself some much-needed coffee. Stirring, I go out to my verandah and inhale the fresh morning air. I set my coffee down for it to cool and rub my sore neck.

*ting*

It’s a new text. I hurry to check my phone, hoping its Riadne. Much to my familiar disappointment, it is not. It’s an unknown number.

Who is this?

Fuck.

Its Mark. I mean, it's M for Mistake.

 Regrettably enough I DO remember you. You are basically what I call regret in its worst sense. 

That is exactly what I don't want to remember, Mark William.

I see him typing... and quickly flip my screen off.  Mark was the last thing I would want to deal with right now. I check the text thread one last time out of pure impulse and immediately regret it.

I roll my eyes. How typical. I get ready to go out for a walk. I slide into my yoga pants and tie my hair up high in a ponytail. I set my playlist to I'm Sorry and silently thank god for the existence of The Neighbourhood and plug in my earphones.

you fooled me from the start,

when you let me start to love you

i saw it from afar,

but my eyes have always fooled me

After about an hour of alternating between running and panicking, I reach my front gate and see a car parked up. The car seems oddly familiar. Where had I seen it? I walk up to my front porch and standing by the door with her hands crossed is the woman I am unwantedly familiar with.

Nessa Brown.

Had she not already caught my sight, I would most likely have just turned around and walked away to nowhere. We have a very odd history from high school. We were the cliché high school best friends, until John came into the picture. I am not sure what she saw in the mentally unstable twenty three year old but before I could realize, I had become her punching bag. She would only spend time with me when she needed me, like convincing her parents who treated me like their own daughter; or when that man-child would hurt her and she had no one to fake her tears in front of. Our friendship faded to acquaintance and we barely talked until one day John decided to, surprise surprise, leave her. By then we were nothing less than strangers. I made new friends who loathed her more than I did. Soon after, Nessa tries spreading inane rumors about me breaking them up out of jealousy. Her oh so famous mannerisms were well known and naturally nobody believed her and she ended up changing schools. Nine years later, there she is. In front of my house. With her arms crossed, glaring at me.

Before I could even move she walks right up to me, "Hello old friend. We meet again” and smirks an evil smirk. So Nessa.

“What do you want?”

“What do I want?” she shouts,” What the fuck Mindy? Are you fucking crazy? Were you not done with your revenge jealousy bullshit already?”

 What.

“Oh don’t you dare try and act all innocent you fucking wannabe. I know you way too well. They didn’t believe me then but here you are repeating all of it over again!" She says, louder.

“Hang on can you...can you just be clearer? What the hell are you talking about? Jeez I have no fucking CLUE about what it is that you're trying to say?" , I say with a subtle hint of annoyance.

She glares at me for the next few seconds and moves closer,” Why are you fucking my boyfriend?”

Fucking? Boyfriend???

“Huh?” I reply with crooked eyebrows.

“Mark William, Mindy. He’s my boyfriend.  And thanks to some few remaining friends I have, they told me you were with him on Stephanie's birthday. You quite well knew that didn’t you? The same old jealousy. And people call me insane? You know what Mindy, I am not even surprised. You have remained the selfish jealous bitch I always knew. You are….”

Mark is Nessa Brown’s boyfriend. Yes God, that’s exactly what I needed right now.

“Stop speaking.” I cut her off. "First of all. I did NOT know that Mark was your boyfriend. And second of all, we are not fucking, Nessa Brown. I was wasted and we somehow...”. I cringe at the thought of it. ”That is IT! In fact, Mark, a-k-a your boyfriend. He’s been texting me and I have been trying to ignore him. For god’s sake Nessa, you really haven’t gone past your obsession with ridiculous accusations.”

She stares at me in confusion, "You are lying. Mark would never do that.”  

Yeah, sure.

I take out my phone and show her the texts. Nessa scrolls down in what I suspect is utter disbelief. She stops scrolling stares at the screen as I pluck it away from her. She looks at the ground and rubs her hands against each other. I wait for her to reply.

“This is unbelievable”. 

I roll my eyes and point at the gate. “You may please leave unless there’s more illogical crap you have got against me.”

She glares at me with confusion and hatred and leaves without another word.

What a start to the day. Look what you are making me do, Riadne. Just. Fucking. Look.

I spend the rest of the day doing my dishes and laundry, cleaning up my living room and taking out the trash. By the time I was done it was nearly 7 in the evening. I slope down to my couch with my earphones plugged drowning into NBHD lyrics.

Just then, a notification flashed. It was Alexis, Riadne's super-sweet friend.

Correction: she was the sweetest girl.

Party? Oh my God no I would rather be at home bingeing 'Breaking Bad' thanks. I begin typing out *thanks for calling but …* and brainstorming excuses appropriate enough. Would ‘cry about Riadne’ work? It better.

 Riadne.

Riadne might be there. I might get to meet her. Should I ask her? No that would be too obvious. Well, there’s nothing to lose really. So, instead, this happens :

Look what you are making me do, Riadne. Just. Fucking. Look.

I close my eyes and let myself drown in Matt Maltese' lyrics.

Now the morning sweeps you up
You take your evening outfit off
You run your bath and lean back your head
I love when you wash your hair.

.

/

coming up next: Our apparent protagonists have not talked in two days. Will Riadne text back? Of course she will, but Mindy would much rather she would not. Introducing Noah, Riadne's new love interest. Yes, you read that right .AND to top it off, Alexis's best friend.