2 Why It Hurts

Emma's P.O.V:

My eyes raised along with the camera and like a reflex, started clicking photos.

I stopped when I got a closer look at the couple.

The next thing I knew my phone was at my feet on the floor.

The sound caused them to jump, putting some distance in between themselves and I froze.

"Amy? Dan?" Were the only words that I could formulate at the moment.

"Emma… shit, darling, it's not what you think," I said nothing in response to him.

Not what I think? Well I think he just cheated on me with my best friend, am I wrong? My eyes dropped to the ground, trying to avoid tears of rage from spilling out.

Why would he do this?

How long-

That's when something clicked. This is what Amy has been ditching me for during lunch for the past week.

That is why she has been cancelling sleepovers with me.

Has she been spending nights with him?

Has she - Lord Jesus forgive me for thinking this - slept with him?

At this point he had already said a bunch of shit that I wasn't listening to.

"Baby I-"

"Have you two slept together?" I rudely cut in, not caring about anything else anymore.

Silence. Deafening silence. I bet I could hear a pin drop a mile away like this. I'd have rather been strangled by a spaghetto than being subjected to this silence.

The silence that gave me an answer I never wanted to hear. It broke me; left me in tatters.

"How long?" were the only other words that were able to form before my voice broke.

Silence once more.

My eyes raised to theirs, and I felt the rage course through me. I walked over to Amy this time.

"How long has he," I pointed an accusing finger at him, "been cheating on me with my so-called best friend?" I finished my question through clenched teeth, trying to keep my calm but at the same time injecting as much venom as I could into my voice.

"T...th-three months," she stuttered out and my hand flew to my mouth to keep in the cry that was trying to escape.

"Emma, you know I wouldn't-"

I shut her up with the one thing I knew could shut up a bitch like her - a tight, hot slap across her face. Just as I wanted, she fell dead silent.

"After all the things we've been through together. After all the things I've done for you. After knowing how damaged I am. After everything, you can't acknowledge the fact that I trusted you. This is your way of saying 'thank you' to me. You don't even deserve my breath," I said, not wanting to waste my saliva on her. She still had her head turned and I didn't even care if she hated me or not.

I felt completely shattered. Like a knife had just been driven into my chest... once more.

She got what was coming to her and I'm sure I didn't have to mention to Dan - Excuse me - Daniel, that we were over.

What the hell was going through Amy's mind when she decided to cheat on me too?

I didn't even want to discover what it was. I just walked and picked up my phone, then left without a second glance. Good thing I got that screen protector.

Even more reason to not go to the dance.

I walked straight home with an expressionless face. Hiding all my emotions until I got to my bedroom. I closed the door behind me and immediately fell to my knees.

As if, at my age, I hadn't already been through enough of emotional roller coasters.

Dan.... Daniel and I were going to celebrate our one-year anniversary on Saturday.

I had even saved up enough of my allowance to buy him the Play Station 5 he had always been talking about. (Yes, my allowance is that crazy)

Seems I had wasted that cash after all. I was left with fifty dollars in my savings after that. My birthday money was incorporated in the buying of the damned thing too so that I would get it in time for the anniversary.

I, having my overly complicated life, didn't have a shoulder to cry on.

After a few minutes of just thinking, I picked myself up and went to take a really cold shower. The cold water feeling perfectly numbing.

I immediately got dressed and went downstairs where my life began again.

"Sir? Ma'am?" I called out to my 'parents' after putting on my apron.

"Where are they? I need to know what they would like to have for dinner today," I mumbled to myself and went on a searching spree for them.

Knocked on their door, searched the back yard, looked in the library, checked the game room, nothing.

They have never stayed away from home.

I thought that maybe they were staying late today.

I went to the kitchen and started cleaning the already polished surfaces.

As I was disinfecting the walls... again, I noticed a note stuck to the fridge.

"Dear Miss Hunter," it read, "we just wanted to inform you about our visit to our new branch in India."

The damned place was literally on the other side of the world.

"We will be back in three days so be ready with a tuna tetrazzini dinner. My kitchen will still be disinfected twice a day and your one meal for the day still stands. We should not find that there were any sleepovers or parties in our house so the cabinets should only have one or two things missing by the time we get back. Regards, Mr. and Mrs. Green."

I hate living in foster care. I wish I was just living alone.

No one except Amy and Daniel knew about my life here. But now, I have no shoulder to cry on. Not a single one.

I wasn't even in the mood to have my daily meal so when I finished disinfecting the kitchen, I switched all the electronics in the house off and went up to my room to do my homework.

It's better if I just lock up my current feelings and forget anything ever happened.

Now that the masters aren't here, I wonder if they will deduct those three days from my weekly salary... I mean allowance.

I got through my essay and got some ointment to nurse the injuries I had on the back of my legs. I just wish the masters would put the whips away for good.

The last time they used it on me was yesterday and it was Sir's turn to 'correct my mistake'.

I blinked back tears as I put on my pjs and got in bed. I had the best dream that night, that I lived with my birth parents and that they loved me unconditionally.

I still believe they're out there somewhere, I just wish I could find them.