I could barely put on my jeans but strived anyways. Pain or no pain, I would have to put on my clothes eventually.
I limped to the mirror to brush my hair, but the chime from my phone interrupted me.
I glanced at the caller ID and sighed, refusing to pick up the call. It was Helen; she was definitely calling to scold me for getting drunk and ruining her plans.
My phone continued ringing incessantly, getting on my nerves. I reluctantly answered, getting straight to my warning.
"Don't you dare scold me, Helen; I'm not in the..." I trailed off when I heard her sobbing on the phone. "Helen, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" My exasperated tone turned to one of concern as I pondered.
Helen had hardly cried since high school; she always had the notion of a perfect life with no problems. She had no care in the world, always doing as she pleased with all joy.
I was quite taken aback when I heard her voice breaking with sobs. "Sarah... can you please... come over?"
"Of course, I'll be on my way," I responded, tucking the strands of my hair and rumpling tying it into a bun.
Grabbing my car keys and shoving my phone into my purse, I limped out of my room, ignoring the throbbing pain in my knee.
I accidentally bumped into Mr. Clinton while climbing down the stairs.
He flinched out of the way before asking, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
I didn't bother replying; 'why did he care?' I sneered inwardly while scampering to the garage.
I started the engine and took off at full speed.
I got to Helen's apartment in less than thirty minutes; it wasn't that far from campus.
I rang the doorbell, and it took her forever to open the door.
Only with her appearance was it obvious she had cried throughout the night.
Her hair was disheveled, many strands dangling in her face, her face pale as dark circles shimmered under her eyes.
"Helen," I called, my voice soft and gentle as I wrapped my arms around her. "What happened?"
She muffled under my embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
With empathy, I patted her back, whispering comfort in her ear.
"It's alright now; stop crying."
She pulled away, wiping the tears off her face. "Come in," she managed to say, gesturing towards her room.
"Did someone die?" I settled on the couch beside her, my gaze flashing with concern.
She shook her head, still cleaning her tears.
What could possibly be another reason to weep to this extent? I was certain she hadn't eaten this morning, not to mention her appearance.
Curious, I shifted closer to her, my hand on her shoulder. "Then what happened?"
I lifted her face, sniveling, and she broke down in tears again. "Vincent dumped me."
I slowly blinked, utterly speechless.
"I caught him cheating when I went over to his apartment," she continued explaining in between sobs. "After showering me with love, can you believe he told me to my face that he didn't love me?"
"I believe..." The words left my mouth after fully comprehending the situation here.
Vincent dumped her, and she was heartbroken.
It wasn't so surprising to me, but initially, I thought she would be the one to take the initiative; I guess a pervert is a pervert, even with a mask on.
"What did you say that?" She asked, poking my arm. "Did you know he would break up soon?"
I nodded without saying a word, unwilling to hurt her feelings.
I had been wanting to warn her about Vincent but couldn't bring myself to. This was actually the first time I saw my best friend so serious in a relationship.
She must really love Vincent.
"Hey, just stop crying; he doesn't deserve you. With time, you will find someone better," I said to comfort her, and she wiped away the tears from her face and composed herself.
"I'll surely get back at him for doing this to me," she said, bumping her fist.
"Don't, or you'll hurt yourself. I know this will sound mean, but I'll say it. You have also put other guys in situations like this, so you deserve it..." I bit my lip, averting my eyes away. "Sorry..."
Yeah, the truth hurts.
I flinched, thinking she wanted to slap my arm, but she didn't; instead, she walked towards her kitchen.
I stayed at her place until the time struck seven in the evening.
She offered to give me a ride home, but I declined, pointing to my car parked aside.
"Sarah, you still haven't told me how you got this car..." She paused, her brow quirking mischievously. "Ohh... perhaps you got yourself a sugar daddy?"
I rolled my eyes. "I wish..."
If only it were true.
"Tell me about it," she poked my arm repeatedly as she escorted me to the parking lot.
"So how do you plan on getting back at Vincent? I can help; I have always hated that guy," I said, changing the subject.
She immediately fell for it, her expression turning serious. "I haven't thought about it yet, but I will get my revenge soon..." She pursed her lips, nodding her head slowly. "In the most gruesome way possible."
I chuckled, swooping the door open. "If you plan on killing him, count me out."
"Why are you limping?" She asked, finally noticing my predicament.
I smiled awkwardly. "I tripped in the bathroom... but it's fine."
We waved our goodbyes as I departed the premises. Just a short distance away, my car squeaked at the side of the road, coming to an abrupt halt.
"What the hell..." I growled, frustration evident in my voice as I pushed the door open.
I succeeded in climbing down after barely being able to lift my leg.
When I saw the sorry state of my tires, I sighed helplessly, leaning against the car; they were completely flat.
I looked in all directions, hoping to find a cab, which I did, but then I remembered I forgot to take some cash along with me.
After contemplating the best course of action to get back home before my set curfew, I decided to call in a favor.
Who else would I call apart from Mr. Clinton? I only hope he doesn't ignore me this time.
Answering the call took him five minutes, and I was certain he did that on purpose.
"It's almost time for your curfew; where are you?" His cold, deep voice echoed, making me roll my eyes.
"I got a flat tire; do you mind giving me a ride?"
There was silence in the background. After what seemed like forever, he finally responded.
"Send me the location."
A satisfied smile spread across my face as I leaned on the car, waiting patiently.
Unaware to me, that particular night would be the beginning of mishaps...