Stars in my Sky

Star 1: Stay at Home When You're PMsing

"I was walking here! Didn't you see me walking here? Why didn't you move? Do you think it's funny that I bumped into you?!" I yelled at the brown-haired stranger I just ran into.

He blinked at me, shocked at my sudden outburst.

"I uh I'm sorry?" it sounded more like a question than an answer.

"I didn't ask for the worst apology in history!" I replied angrily.

His eyebrows rose in surprise and then he glared at me.

"Stay at home when you're PMSing!" he yelled. "No one should have to deal with your attitude!"

I gaped at him, not believing he just said that.

"You're a jerk!" I yelled angrily as he stormed past me.

"And I'm not PMSing!" I called out earning a few weird looks by some people that were walking the streets of Barcelona on a summer afternoon.

 I growled in frustration as I walked back home. That annoying jerk!  

Sitting on my bed a few minutes later, I thought about the argument I just had with my so called best friend, Claire. That bitch was flirting with Mark and she knew I've been crushing on him for years! My head replayed the argument we had in the coffee shop.

I went to Starbucks to get a tasty chocolate muffin and I found her there, talking to Mark. My first thought was that they ran into each other and she just went to say hi, but as I took a step closer to them, I could hear her voice as she flirted with him and giggled.

“You’re so funny, Mark,” she had said, giggling like a little girl and I immediately recognized her ‘flirting’ voice.

I stopped walking and just listened to their conversation. She had her back turned to me and Mark didn’t notice my presence yet.

I clenched my teeth when she ran her fingers up and down his arms, giving him a seductive smile.

He gave her a charming smile and took a step closer to her. Angry tears filled my eyes when I saw my best friend lean in and whisper something in his ear.

I’m not the kind of person that would run away from this situation and cry alone. No, I’m the kind of person that did exactly what I did next.

“You slut!” I yelled, attracting a few people’s attention, including my best friend and my crush.

If it weren’t for the situation I was in, I would’ve laughed at the way her eyes widened in shock.

“A-Alexia,” she stammered. “I-I didn’t see you there.”

She looked shocked but not guilty at all. Mark just looked confused about the whole thing.

“Damn right you didn’t!” I retorted. “Or else you wouldn’t have flirted shamelessly with the guy I’ve been crushing on for years!”

When I’m angry, I say things without thinking so of course I just had to embarrass myself even more in front of Mark by admitting that I had a crush on him.

She seemed at loss for words. Mark spoke though.

“Crush? Me?” He asked, surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me before? You have a hot body…” He said the last part more to himself but I heard him clearly as his eyes scanned my body.

“That is exactly why,” I said, now angry at him. He has changed so much over the years. Now, he’s the kind of guy who just uses girls and breaks their hearts. I had a crush on him three years ago when we were still in middle school because he was the sweetest guy ever but now he’s a pig. Yet, I can’t get over that crush because silly me thought that maybe the old Mark was still there somewhere.

“You were different in middle school. You were better,” I said. He looked shocked at what I was saying but I carried on. “Now, you’re just a pig who uses girls.”

“You liked who I was in middle school?” He snorted. “I was like a little girl.”

I shook my head at him, angry at the way guys nowadays think.

“You know what? I’m sick of it. All of it. This crush is officially gone,” I started then I turned to Claire and continued, “And our friendship is definitely over.”

“But Alexia—” she started but I cut her off.

“Don’t! That was the last straw!” I yelled. “Every time I forgive you again like an idiot but you don’t deserve it. I’m sick of people that use me.”

That was true. I haven’t had a good friend in around three years. Claire, for example, always puts me down and keeps on saying how she’s much prettier than me and how people love her more. This broke every bit of confidence I had left in me but I won’t let it show.

Not to mention how she’s selfish and whenever she gets a chance to hang out with other people she ditches me. It’s like I’m the extra person that’s always there when she wants something and I hate it.

I always thought that it was okay and that we all made mistakes but that was the last straw. She went too far with the Mark thing.

I don’t want to be her friend anymore.

She shut up and just looked away, knowing that I was completely right. Good.

With a final glare directed to both of them, I left the shop angrily, my muffin forgotten.

My thoughts then arrived to that brown-haired stranger I ran into. I couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped my lips when thought of what I had told him and what he had told me. He looked so baffled.

I must’ve scared the poor guy. I should’ve apologized. He had nothing to do with what happened and I let out my anger on him.

“Hey sis,” Adrian’s voice got me out of my thoughts.

“Why are you home?” I asked, confused. My brother was nineteen years old— a couple of years older than me—and he’s the party animal type of person so now during summer he stays with his college buddies most of the time. I barely see him a few times per week.

“Thanks for the warm greeting,” he said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him.

“So what’s up?” I asked.

“You know the usual,” he replied, shrugging. “Parties, girls, and alcohol.”

I nodded, wondering if he ever gets tired of this stuff.

“You? Anything interesting?” He asked.

“Nah not really,” I replied. “Just had a fight with Claire.”

“Good. I never liked her anyway.”

“Me neither.”

“I’m gonna go shower then go out. You need anything?”

“Nope, have fun.”

“Thanks,” he said and hugged me before leaving the room.

That was me and my bro. We had a weird relationship but I know he’s there when I need him. He’ll be by my side in an instant whether he was partying, drinking, or with some girl. To him, I always come first and he knows that to me, he comes first as well.

Of course, we fight too. Not the verbal fight, oh no, the full on attacking each other. It’s fun when we don’t end up with bleeding and bruising faces.

My parents don’t bother saying anything anymore. They got used to it; they actually find it amusing sometimes and start betting and taking sides.

I think I had an okay relationship with my parents. They got me everything I needed and we talked everyday when they came from work at night but we fought a lot because of our different opinions and personalities.

I’m okay with the way my family was, though. Perfect families don’t exist and my family was much better than other families in this world. I mean at least I knew who my parents are and they were in good health and they provided me with all I need.

The family part in my life was good but the friendship part, not so much.

I don’t know if it was because the people these days were all selfish and use others or if it were me that no one could really love.

Either way, I didn’t have real friends. It used to bother me a lot at first and it still does but now I just got used to it.

I went up to my room and took a cold shower because the heat was unbearable. I put on some cotton shorts and a tank top, knowing that I will not be going out today.

Standing in front of my bookshelf, I tilted my head to the right, trying to pick a book. I finally picked one of the books I had as summer reading. I wanted to read something and everyone said that the book was good so why not?

I took out the white book with the title ‘Alive’ on top of it in red and read the description even though I kind of knew what it talks about.

I sat comfortably on my bed and when I was turning the first page of the book, my iPhone lit up and vibrated.

I glanced at it and saw the name ‘Amanda’ with the few words of her message.

I unlocked my phone and read her message.

Amanda: Alexiaaa! What’s upppp? Long time no talk xx

I rolled my eyes at her text, knowing what was coming up next.

Alexia: Heyy! Nothing much, you? Xx

A few seconds later, her reply came.

Amanda: Same, just enjoying summer vacation. Oh and did I tell you that Chris and I made up?

I actually knew because news travelled fast here.

Alexia: That’s great! You two were really good friends so I’m glad you’re not fighting anymore :)

I kind of knew they were going to make up because that kind of friendship doesn’t go away too fast.

Amanda: Yeah :) And speaking of friends, can I ask you a favor?

And here it comes, I thought as I read her text. That was how people were these days. They didn’t talk to you except if they wanted something from you.

Alexia: Sure, what is it?

Amanda: Can you talk to Carmen and see if she’s still talking to Chris?

I sighed as I thought of Carmen, the girl that didn’t get along with Amanda very well. Carmen had a crush on Chris and she tried to separate him from Amanda because she was jealous of their friendship. She was the reason behind the fight and eventually Chris stopped talking to her so that he can save his friendship with Amanda.

Alexia: Didn’t he say that he’s not talking to her anymore?

Amanda: Yeah, but I brought her up a while ago and he started being awkward. I just want to make sure.

Isn’t there anymore trust between friends?

Alexia: I don’t think I can talk to her now because I haven’t talked to her in a while and she will suspect something. Besides, I don’t think she’s talking to him because last time I spoke to her she was totally over that crush.

Amanda: Okay, thanks anyway. I have to go now, talk to you later! :)

Alexia: Bye! :)

I rolled my eyes at the typical conversation. If you look through all the conversations with my ‘friends’, you’ll see that they are all similar.

Oh well, at least I was doing my part of the friendship.

I didn’t dwell on the thought; instead, I opened the book again and continued reading.

Okay so I was officially the most lifeless person in the world. I finished the whole book that afternoon. What kind of a normal teenager spends a whole summer day just reading a book?

I guess I was not normal, then, I thought to myself.

Before I could finish my internal speech, I heard the front door unlock and my parents calling me. Well, they assumed I was home. Glad to know that my parents think I’m lifeless too.

“Hey mom, hey dad,” I said when I met them in the kitchen.

“How was your day?” Mom asked and I shrugged.

“Same old same old,” I said.

“Nothing interesting?” Dad asked.

“Well, I had a fight with Claire,” I said casually.

“Why?” Mom asked but I knew she was relieved because let’s face it, my whole family didn’t like her.

“She was being a…” Saying bitch in front of my parents isn’t something I wanted to do. I didn’t feel like hearing their speech about ‘bad words’. “She was being her usual annoying self.” I said instead.

“You can have better friends if you try,” Dad said and I rolled my eyes.

I decided to ignore his comment and just helped my mom with dinner.

I could already imagine my summer, I thought as I put the plates on the table. I’ll be spending it all at home watching T.V or reading a book and at night my parents would come home, we’d have dinner, chat for a bit then I’d go to bed and the next day the same thing will happen all over again.

What I didn’t know that moment is that the run-in with a certain brown-haired boy was not a one-time thing. And I definitely didn’t know that during this summer I would be experiencing some things I never thought I would.