The Perfect Pill for the Perfect Girl-Part 2

Please read Part 1: https://medium.com/p/c272d2df78e7

In silence

the pain intensifies,

Waiting for the perfect moment to explode.

Shady was perfect in the alternate universe; she was not exceptional in academics, 60% was her top score, yet she felt content. She mainly participated in athletics. She was seen more with boys than with girls. She used to paint, her paintings are simply splatters of colors. Most of the time, she slept on the back bench in class. Teachers complained, and gradually she disappeared from class. She spent much of her time in art rooms, not classrooms. She always smelled like cigars. I wasn’t bothered when I had to talk to her. Now I can’t believe she’s gone!

The horror in Neha’s eyes kept her awake. Nothing could move her. The morning sun and air caused her eyes to widen slightly. Tears welled in her throat. The pale, dry eyes longed for answers and confidence. Unsettling ideas repeated themselves. Just like a broken record. She is dying: please save her. do not push her. This voice will not go silent.

Despite the chaos, Neha clung to a sliver of hope, desperately wishing for this to be an alternate reality, where Shady still lived. She was tormented by several different voices. One voice offered a glimmer of optimism.Another voice blamed her for all of the actions.

At the stroke of nine, Neha rushed towards the bus, her pulse racing and breaths shallow. Hastily, she boarded in between the troop of departing passengers. A knot of stress tightened in her stomach, her eyes darting nervously. Each passing minute weighed heavily on her, as unsettling memories flooded her mind, covering her anxious trip with a shadow.

When the clock struck one at midnight, Neha was still in her alternate universe. There was a hint of booze on her breath. She was looking for Shady at the club. Today, she wanted to confess and end the madness of this parallel existence. She’s exhausted not because her performance and grade changes are obvious, but because she’s sick of trying to fit everything in every day.

Neha’s journey into this alternate world had begun innocently, but soon morphed into a struggle for acceptance. Shady became her guide, introducing her to a world of smoke and lifestyle changes, where fitting in meant sacrificing one’s identity.

The rules or lifestyle of the alternate world prove to be so stressful that she is unable to cope. In the other world, she was alone and had no friends. She was by herself. Neha often overheard hushed whispers saying, “She is not perfect.” She doesn’t appear to belong here.

That night, after the confession, Shady went a bit too far by commenting on topics she shouldn’t. She mocked her as an egghead person. In the heat of the moment, Neha pushed her a little, and all she knew was that Shady was on the floor, blood splattered all over. All eyes were suddenly fixed on her.

Back in the present, All of a sudden, someone shook her and said it was her stop. With a sinking feeling in her chest, Neha rushed to the exam hall, her mind racing with questions about Shady’s whereabouts. Shady wasn’t there. She asked the teacher, who was waiting to start the exam, “Where is Shady?” The teacher gave a weird look thinking “Who is shady”? She’s gone. Neha’s heart skipped a beat. The world seemed to spin around her head.

As time goes on,

It can mend troubles,

Sometimes, you may forget,

But nothing is fully healed forever

It always lingers within you.

Self-acceptance is tough,

But until you embrace yourself,

How can you truly accept others?