CHEROPHOBIA

"I know about your talk with Martha. About that dinner party, you wanna visit." Hannah said with nearly no expressions in her voice.

Neither anger nor complaint. Just sheer coldness.

My head jerked up in her direction to see her blank face staring at me. I gulped, glancing at her face. Sweat wetting my fidgeting arms.

Why am I suddenly so nervous?

"It's--it's not what you think it is. It is just---" I stuttered, unable to find the appropriate words to explain to Hannah the situation I was in.

It has never been difficult for me to talk my heart out in front of Hannah or Grace. But why was today any different?

Hannah raised a brow towards me. Not to mention Tania's continuous glares. Just when I was about to speak, a nurse barged in with an angry expression decorated on her face.

"I need someone to get the patient's medications from the office right now! And I won't come back to say that again." She huffed and turned around before any of us could reply to her.

Tania left behind her in order to catch where she was going.

The appearance of the nurse in the middle of this tense moment made me relax a bit. I took some deep breaths and normalized my freaking out senses.

As soon as Tania and the nurse left, Hannah's attention turned towards me once again. And felt the atmosphere tighten back. Restlessly, I kept locking and unlocking the handbag that I carried.

After a few moments, I thought of making another attempt.

"Hannah, actually..." I hesitated.

And when I was about to say something, Hannah burst out into laughter. She was laughing like a maniac until tears welled up from her eyes.

"Oh, my poor innocent girl!" She said, taking deep breaths to control her laughter.

I kept staring at her in disbelief. My mind was processing the change in the environment while Hannah guffawed at my confusion.

It took me a few seconds before I could understand the reason for her amusement. However, I was too late to react.

"I was just joking," Hannah said, laying down her arms. "I intended on keeping the drama up for a bit more time. But, never mind. This was fun too." She chuckled again.

My expressions turned from nervousness to annoyance. I blew a slight punch on Hannah's head, and she whined in turn.

"Ouch! You should not be seen beating up a patient who is recovering from her fractures." She complained and giggled again for the millionth time.

I rolled my eyes. Huffing, I sat on the nearby chair with anger dripping from all over my face.

"Come on! It was nothing more than a slight leg-pull. Don't get so huffy puffy!" Hannah protested, suppressing her giggles.

"You know what! I might have had a heart attack. You shouldn't have behaved like this." I grumbled only to watch a wide sheepish grin arouse on her face.

My discontent was lending her pleasure, which was the most irritating part.

"How do you even know what we talked about?" I suddenly asked suspiciously as a thought passed my mind.

"Oh, sorry! Actually, Tania was leaving the room when she overheard your talk with Martha. I know she shouldn't have done it, but it was fun playing a prank on you." She apologized.

My mouth rounded in an expression of 'Oh' as the mystery was finally resolved.

"By the way, it wasn't funny at all." I groaned, annoyed expressions encompassing my face.

"Girl, why are you always so worried about things? I mean, it's not at all a big deal. You have your life. Go and enjoy. I'll be fine. I have Tania. And Grace will be there at my dorm," Hannah explained.

I felt Hannah was right. But I couldn't let friends go off like that. It wasn't a part of my personality. The people I cared for meant the world to me.

I would never disappoint a person whom I love for my own desires.

"Hey, also, tell me if you meet someone special. I'll be waiting for the details." She joked, and I let out a chuckle.

As if that's ever going to happen.

"When are you leaving then?" Hannah asked after a few moments of unnecessary talks.

"I don't know. It's 5 o'clock right now. Martha might arrive to pick me up around 6:30 or 7:00 from my dorm room." I shrugged, casually sharing the news with Hannah.

"What?!" Hannah roared. "She will be picking you up in an hour, and you're still sitting here, you Dumbo!"

If Hannah was in a state to get down and strike me, she wouldn't have hesitated to do so. She had mixed expressions of anger and surprise.

"So what?" I asked, puzzled.

"You are going to a dinner party. A formal dinner party!" Hannah exclaimed, emphasizing each word she said. "So you must get ready for it likewise. Leave right now, or I'll kick you out of here." She growled, and I stood up, hearing her pitched-up voice.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving. I see how eager you are to make me leave." I pouted and picked up my handbag from the table.

Collecting my belongings, I was prepared to leave. However, before finally, leaving I turned towards Hannah and smiled at her dearly.

"Take care of yourself and please," I paused to watch Hannah's clueless expressions. She raised a questioning brow towards me.

"Please be sane with that plaster. Stop acting like a silly monkey tossing and turning on a bed." I teased her sarcastically and left without waiting to hear her blurted reply.

I rode back to the dorm on the local bus that had a stop near my institute. The journey passed, mostly pondering upon the events that have been going on in the past few days.

The first-ever thing was the party, The Murder Party. The next being the murder at the party. And then there was Hannah's accident associated with the weird message she received. Not to forget the uncanny death of my roommate in the locker room.

The bus stopped, and I noticed it was my stop. Getting down, I walked towards my dorm with heavy steps. I hope this party brings something good. I was a bit nervous, though. Outings, parties, meeting new people has always been a source of restlessness for me.

I reached the new room that was appointed to me after Zendaya's death. It was compact and temporary, consisting of just one bed and a locker with limited washroom facilities. Like all other rooms, there was a tiny post box outside this room too.

I opened the box only to find a brown colour paper-wrapped package resting inside it. The name of the sender was written in the middle in bold. MARTHA.

Holding the package, I entered my room and went to the bathroom to change. Refreshed, I came out in a silk gown touching the floor. It was turquoise-coloured with long sleeves extending below my wrist.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, which was pasted on the locker-type wardrobe. My chestnut-coloured, straight, lush hair, falling at my back up to my waist and below. I tied the hair up in a rapunzel braid decorating it with a few flower pins.

The gown was shimmered in the dim light of my room as a result of the sparkly thread entangled in between the silk fabric, rendering the dress with a potentially graceful look.

My cool skin tone sure did a remarkable duo with the dress colour. A tender pink flower was tucked delicately at one side of the bateau neck, near my right shoulder.

I turned around in a complete circle, swaying my dress in the air. I have to say Martha sure has a taste for fashion.

To top it, I wrapped up an intricately designed golden-blue headscarf around my head, adding a brooch to pin it on its place. You know my theory of not showing off myself too much.

I fancied keeping myself wrapped up. It made me feel comfortable and protected. Just like a diamond in its safe!

I smiled at my reflection. It was better than I had ever seen myself. All in all, the dress could be described as simple yet elegant.

Which meant perfect to me!

But the reflection of my deep blue eyes narrated a different tale. Inside those tiny blue balls was a fear, a hesitation, a sense of melancholy.

The fear of being happy...

Cherophobia...

*******
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