~Standing Up For Little Miss Nerdy~

The gray and cloudless atmospheric state of the sky matched the mood Dolores was in; moody and emotionless. Adelina had arrived at her place a few minutes after she had placed a call through to her to come pick her up. Since then up till now, she didn't say a word to her friend despite her questions.

Her headphones were over her ears and a soulful musical piece was infiltrating into her soul through the speakers. The lyrics matched all the emotions rioting inside her. Her head lolled to the side to rest on the window while she tried to stay physically and emotionally out of the reach of Adelina.

The black haired girl in the driver's seat tossed her best friend another worried look as she picked up a little speed along the street. Reading her body language, she decided that she wasn't ready to speak about what had happened at home. When she was ready, she would come out with it for sure. Although curiosity was badly gnawing her from her insides, she wanted to respect Dolores' unspoken wishes of being left alone.

The school gates was already into view when Adelina decided she couldn't bear one more minute of the silence in the car.
"What happened at home?"

Apparently, Dolores didn't hear her due to the headphones she had on. Adelina had to tap her thighs to get her attention. The question was repeated when she finally turned. At least, she didn't look as furious as she did when she first stepped into the car.

Dolores gave a heavy sigh. "It's my Dad. I--" She started to say but decided against saying more. "Can we not have this discussion today? Maybe some other time would be fine." She turned to open the car but Adelina wasn't having any of it. She already had all the doors pinned on central lock.

"You will not leave this car until you tell me what's going on with you, so don't test me. I hate being late to school but I don't think one day of being late would ruin my performance in class. Start talking." Her eyes were pinned on Dolores in a hard glare.

"Fine." She scoffed, falling unceremoniously into the car seat. She turned her face to the window. "My Dad wanted me to see a therapist. Can you imagine him calling my inability to forget about my Mom, a condition?"

Adelina titled her head a little bit to give her friend the look she deserved. "Is that all? I don't get it. Isn't that a good thing? I don't see where the anger lies."

That seemed to get the attention of the angry girl. She turned her head. "How is it a condition? I am only missing my mom, that's all. I don't see a reason to see a therapist for whatever reasons you guys think, okay? I'm perfectly fine."

"Dolory baby," Adelina started with a soft tone, "You're not. You're still scarred deeply and you are not letting it heal properly like it should. It's been five years yet you are showing no signs of letting go of the past. This is causing more hurt than good to yourself."

Dolores let out a deep sigh that seemed to resonate from the bottom of her weary soul. The whole nightmare drama going on, the bullying at school, nothing was working in her favor. Her one place that used to be her sanctuary now stood questioned by people she thought loved her. To her, there was no point asking her to erase memories of her mother when they were very much aware of the bottomless void that was left due to the tragic loss.

An alarming thought that they wanted to divide her from her late Mom tore through her mind and there was no denying that possibility since it was the only purpose they had been driving at before her dad decided to schedule a meeting with a therapist without her consent. He must have thought her to be the same thirteen year old she was years ago, the one who listened to everything he said.

"No." She snapped. "I won't see the therapist and that's on period."

"No, don't be like that, Dolory baby, please don't. You know your dad is trying everything within his power to help your sanity. We need you to be sane for us." Adelina begged as her eyes revealed more than the words she whispered in a desperate plea.

Dolores took one deep look into her eyes and felt her firm resolve give way like water bursting through a dam. Unpinning her seatbelt that now stood as a restraint for her, she rushed forward to wrap her hands around Adelina who was starting to weep silently. She finally saw reason to all they were saying. It first seemed as though they were threats but the fog of misunderstanding cleared and for the first time, she saw through their eyes; the ones who loved her the most.

"I don't want to go insane, help me."

Adelina pulled back to wipe her friend's eyes despite tears running freely down her own face. "You won't, I'll make sure of that. If you need me to go to therapy sessions with you, I'll be right there. I'm already insane as it is." That brought out a chuckle from Dolores.

After one final squeeze, they both let each other go. Dolores raised her hands to wipe the tears of her favorite person. It was as a result of her doggedness she was in this state. She might as well refer to herself as the dark cloud on Adelina's sunny day.

"Oh, don't mind me. Something got into my eyes, so just ignore the tears." Adelina said with a laugh.

"Obviously." Dolores replied with a roll of her eyes.

Together they alighted, taking confident strides from the parking lot to the steps of the school with them drawing attention from some students. Others were stunned at how effortlessly flawless Adelina always looked while the rest were shocked at how much prettier Dolores was in the blue number she had chosen to wear that morning.

Dolores felt lingering stares still pinned on her back as they stood at their lockers to take out their notes and textbooks. Her fingers started to tremble but fortunately for her, Adelina caught sight and grabbed them. There was a gentle smile on her face.

"Don't be anxious." She whispered in a voice only Dolores could hear. "Pick your books as confidently as you can and if they drop, no worries. I'll pick them up for you."

Dolores nodded before resuming to pick what she needed from within her locker. She heard footsteps approaching where she stood but ignored it until someone's breath was tickling her nape. She turned to see that it was Nicolas. Before she could register his intriguing eyes, there was a harsh tug on his collar and he was yanked away from her.

It was Adelina standing up to Nicolas head on. "I don't know why you keep being intent on ruining her every morning but no more. Stay away from my friend."

As he opened his mouth in reply, someone else cut him short.

"Nico boy, what are you doing with those dreadful pair? Come on over." It was Carlos and as usual, his lap dogs were right behind him looking like they were waiting for one instruction to turn into rabid dogs.

Nicolas stopped and turned around when he heard him. "Carlos, it's you. How are you and your lackeys?"

His reply had the girls stumped for words. Dolores eyes were almost falling out of her face while Adelina's jaw fell slightly open. The flurry of activities that was going on before suddenly seemed to slow down to a halt. Everybody wanted to know what had gotten into Nicolas to speak in that manner to Carlos. The outcome of his bravery was not left out.

"Is that supposed to be a question? Fall in line, I have something for you and you better not waste my time before all hell breaks loose." His dark eyes then rested upon Dolores and his lips lifted up in a sneer. "Look at you staring like an ugly duckling you would always be."

Adelina was set to give him a sharp tongue lashing when Nicolas beat her to it to her utmost surprise. "Get some respect, Carlos and never speak to her or anyone else in that manner. Most importantly, do not tell me what to do, man. Go bark elsewhere."

Carlos and the guys surrounding him stood with dumbstruck expressions on their faces. All of a sudden, there was a startling cheer that rang out from the silent audience. It was deafening. The students seemed to be in support of Nicolas standing against Carlos.

If there was an image Dolores would give anything to see for the rest of her life, it was the look of anger and defeat on Carlos. After they had stormed away in anger, Nicolas turned back to talk to her but Adelina, who was still skeptical about what just happened, stepped in his way.

Nicolas raised a hand in defense with a lopsided grin and his eyes still pinned on Dolores. He stretched forth a purple coloured pen to her view. "She dropped this and I thought to give it to her before someone else takes it."

She squinted her eyes once more as if to give one final warning before moving out of his way.

If there was anything Dolores was grateful for, it was for the gift of her fearless best friend. Sometimes, she wondered what would have become of her if she had ignored her like most people did the very first time she came to the school looking clueless and out of place.

A one dimpled smile stood in the line of her vision thereby putting to an intrusive end, her thoughts. Nicolas was smiling at her like they had gone to bed the previous night exchanging pleasantries. She fought the overwhelming urge to smack the silly grin off his face.

'We are mortal enemies. Emphasis on the word enemies.'

"Here is your pen." She took it out of his hand with her features still frozen in suspicion. Shock too.

He continued all the same. "I'm sorry for being an overall pain in the ass since third grade. I know you don't believe me but I hope you'll understand that I mean this in weeks to come. I'll see you later."

She watched his retreating back in shock.
"What the hell just happened?" 

~~~{•}~~~

For real, what the heck just happened?
I was writing this and wondering what in the world was wrong with me.
This wasn't even the initial plan
*Shrugs*
Anyway, there you have the second update.

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~~Tequila~~