(Disclaimer; Emotional scenes added)

•SALOME ALAN•

I always knew something was wrong, my inner self has always tried to paint a picture which I neglected, till now. It's vivid in my face, melting the mask of excuses I had once tried to cover because of fear. Fear of been left behind, fear of losing my loved ones.

"S-Salome?" Maria's voice break down as she steps on the rumbled papers, standing in front of me.

Frozen in my stance, I can only lift my head to meet her sparkling eyes contained with tears. The papers were filled with people that had been trafficked from one country to another, my dad's signature stamped on each end.

I feel Maria's hands on my shoulders, as she pulls my stiff body in a hug. "I'm so sorry," She whispers, the paper slipping off my hand. "You really do not deserve any of this, I'm so sorry, Salome."

My chest tightens the more she palms her hands on my back, my hands beginning to fidget continually. "Your dad isn't who you think he is, Salome, I promise you."

I find myself releasing from her hold, and she gladly drop her hands. Maria shake her head with remorse. "He really isn't."

"He isn't." I finally find my voice, mirroring her words. She isn't lying, all of this must be some sort of misunderstanding or something. "M-my dad is innocent, right?" I search her face for a positive reply. I mean, she just said my dad isn't who I think he is.

Blaring sirens rings from a distant, the sound of the rain hitting harder. Maria stomps to the window, abruptly pulling the thick brown curtains apart as she peeps outside. "We need to leave, Salome." She holds my hand before I can say a word and pulls the door open.

We ran back to her home under the rain, Maria holding me like her life depends on it. She pushes the door open, and take me in, both of us completely drenched.

Did I just run from my own home?

My heart slams against my ribcage with the same force Maria use to close the door. I turn to the closed brown door in utter confusion.

Maria exhale sharply, diverting my attention to her. "Salome, I know this is all strange and unusual but please, you have to listen to me right now."

My brows furrow as my damp shoes walk around to settle on her grey couch, my feet making weird sounds. "But you said my dad is innocent."

She drags in a breath, combing her fingers through her hair. "I... I didn't say that."

I blink at her like a toodler that just suddenly became an orphan. Lost and thrown into confusion and is been taught the dangers of life.

She comes to squat right in front of me, eyes heavy with confession. "It really wasn't supposed to be this way, but the thing is," She pause, carefully watching my face dripping with water from the rain. "Your dad, my fiancee, is into some illegal work but wait, he had it all planed out from the beginning and-"

"Illegal business?" I ask to be sure, my hands all of a sudden becoming itchy.

She nods slowly, making sure to pick her words properly. "And now, things blow up out of plans so he's currently been investigated at the station."

My dad? In prison?

"He is not going into prison, Salome, I can vogue for that." Maria is fast to salience my thoughts. "Its just... just for the main time."

My head keep swelling the more she talk, something telling me I am completely left alone. My fear has found its way to me.

"A-aunt Jenny?" My voice spills out in a whisper.

Maria holds my hands tighter, shaking her head. "You can't see her now, she's into hiding and has to remain still or be jailed. I'm so sorry."

My chest drops, and I vividly begin to pant. "A-and me?"

"Your dad made sure no one would come after you, you're save here." She assures, but it doesn't quench the blazing hurt burning through my veins. If any, it only agitated it more.

"I'm alone." I utter in my mind, but it slipped out of my lips. Me and Maria maintain eye contact, but hers still remain pleading and apologetic. "Right?"

"No no you're not, I am here with you, okay?" She tilt her head a bit to see my dropped face. "All of this will end soon and it will all be settled."

Tears gather in my eyes, mixed with the mild drops of water from my hair. The second I lift my head to hers, one drop, and another, and another. "I need to wake up from this terrible dream."

Maria gets up and hug me while seated. "I am here for you, Salome, I promise you."

•••

Maria welcomed me to her second bedroom, after continually asking if I would like to eat anything. Food? My insides are churning and rumbling like I ate something bad. Something like what she told me about my Dad.

Sleep.

That does it. I would wake up in my bedroom, open my eyes to my ceiling, and forbid such bad dreams.

"Salome, please eat something, you have to take your medications." Maria presses, while I settle on the clean bed with pink sheets. She gently places my knapsack beside me, eyes boring holes on my head as I see her from my side-eye.

I blink up at her, forcing out a smile. "I-I need to take a nap."

Her brows furrow, her chest visibly heaving up and down. "A nap?"

I hum, peeling off shoes from my legs, also my damp socks. "That's what I need, for now."

Maria bends to assist me, but I am already done. She lifts my shoes with her hands, while I draw up to lay down. My head is clouded, and processing simple words fails me.

"Okay, I'll dry these up for you," She says. I nod, resting my back against the sheets which smell like lavender, totally different from mine. She helps pull the matching duvet up my chest. "Please tell me if you need anything, I'm one door away."

I nod again, turning to the other side to lay on my side, my eyes fluttering slowly.

Maria gazes at me for what seems like forever before leaving the bedroom.

I turn to face the white ceiling, not knowing what to do. Pull out my hair? Scream? Cry? Panic? Run away? All of it?

Yet I remain there, staring at the ceiling, faintly hearing my phone ringing in my bag. My veins are suddenly crippled, my body so heavy to even left an arm. Strength forsake me, energy sly me, even my voice sinks.

And so, unhurriedly and slowly, my body gives away to sleep, and like always, painless and thoughtless.

•••

"Hmm... She's asleep now. No, I didn't, I don't know how to yet, it's pretty much weighing her down already. Okay, I will try my best to do so."

I pause on the stairs, my right hand on the rim of the trail while I watch Maria pace around with her phone plastered to he ear, receiving a call. It's obvious she's talking about me, I can tell from the topic.

I woke up few minutes ago to still find myself on her bed, not mine. The same lavender fragrance was pleasing, but not until my eyes snapped opened.

"Oh Salome, you're awake." Maria rushes to me like a sick patient who's just recovering from coma. Bet I look like one at the moment.

"Hmm yes," I reach down the stairs, watching her stare at me intently. "I-I should get some clothes to change into."

"Oh I already prepared some for you."

My eyes widen at her sudden reaction. The fact that she has almost everything prepared tells she has been waiting for a day like this. I nod tiredly, one hand resting on the rim of the stair rails, watching Maria rummage through her home and comes back holding a long black bag.

"Here you go," She hands it to me, heaving a deep breath. "I honestly need you to believe that all will be fine, Salome."

"Hmm," I hum, staring at her. "Who were you speaking with earlier?"

Her brows snitches in confusion.

"On the phone?"

"Oh, it was your teacher, Al- I mean, Mr. Alex." She says, just as some sort of electricity zaps through my veins. Cold engulfs me tightly, the thought of the man I adore knowing about my family life sending me into another dimension of shame. "He was worried about you, and had been trying to reach."

I hold unto the strap of the bag even tighter, not knowing if I'm yet ready to see him. I bailed on him on seeing me because of how much I've lost weight, but now...

"He will arrive tomorrow." Maria forces out a smile like she knows how much I mean to him.

"W-what?" My voice spills out in a hushed yell, my hand spilling around the bag strap, the bag hitting the ground in a thud. He will get see me this way? With all this mess going on with me?

"Hey, are you okay?" She rushes to hold my arm.

"Yes I am, I'm okay... I'll go change now." I respectively take my arm from hers, reaching down to take the bag and turn around to go upstairs.

"O-okay, call me if you need me, okay?"

I swiftly turn around to nod at her. "Hmm sure."

And that was it. Tears blur my vision as I walk up the stairs in my rumpled uniform. The electrical feeling haven't died down. The more I become aware that this is my new reality, couple with the school knowing, couple with Mr. Alex...

I shut the door of the lavender scented room, resting my back against the brown door, hot tears slipping down my cheeks. I miss yesterday, the day before yesterday, the weeks before today, the times when everything was just... Normal.

My phone buzzes, promoting me to blink the tears away, slowly reaching to where the sound is coming from. I turn it to see the caller ID.

Aunt Jenny.

My heart leaps and I snap a palm over my mouth in shock, my shaky fingers lifting my phone to swipe answer. I need her, I want her to be by my side as always, I can't live on with memories, I can't...

______________________________________

(Covers my face in shame)😭
It's been so long lovelies, a thousand excuses won't
justify anything. Thank you so much for your patience,
I am so sorry it took this long🥺
I will try my best to be consistent, and give more chapters❣️
Thanks for your support, and love, muah💕
See you in the next chapter, hopefully soon🤍

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