Galaxia's POV

(Monday)

I took off my headphones and heard someone clear their throats as I walked towards the stairs. I groaned and muttered "Why'd I take off my headphones?". I looked back and saw Anna and Sophia standing with arms crossed over their chests.

"What is it?". I asked.

"Get over here". Anna said while jerking her head toward the couch. I groaned and walked into the living room, plopping down on the couch and they followed after, Anna glaring at me.

We sat down in silence, Anna still glaring at me and Sophia giving me the 'I'm so disappointed in you' look. I returned their looks with my own signature blank stare.

We continued like that for a while until I spoke up,

"Guys, if you have nothing to say, can I go to my room now? I just finished my daily workout and I'm all sweaty and sticky. You know how much I hate being gross, it irritates me".

Sophia looked at Anna while Anna still maintained her glare, making no move to talk at all. I looked between the both of them, waiting for someone to talk, but it seemed none was ready to say anything.

"Fine. Since you both have nothing to say, I need not waste my time here. I'm going to take a shower". I said and got up.

"Why?". Anna said, stopping me in my tracks.

I turned to her with a confused expression, "What?"

"Why did you dump that drink on him?" She elaborated.

My expression morphed back into my blank one.

"So is that the reason you stopped me from going upstairs? Because of that... that thing?"

"He's human, Laxy, just like you. Don't call him a thing". Sophia retorted.

"We know he hit your favourite car and we know how much you love that car, but he tried to fix it and you didn't let him". Anna said.

"He also tried to apologise, but you embarrassed him, why?" Sophia completed.

"Oh, so now you guys are defending him? Are you friends with him or me?"

"Laxy you have to calm down. We just want to know why you did that. You can't be cruel enough to just want to embarrass him without a solid reason. There has to be reason for your action". Anna answered.

I fisted my hands and gritted out,

"I don't have anything to say to you guys, so if you would please excuse me.”

"No!" Anna shouted and walked in front of me to block my path. I narrowed my eyes at her in annoyance.

"All through the weekend, you've been avoiding us. You refused to talk at all during our drive back to the house on Friday, you've always been locked up in your room, refusing to let us in. You also have been leaving the house very early in the morning for your daily workout and would lock yourself in your room only to come out, grab snacks and head back in. You've been refusing to talk to any of us, acting like we don't exist. We can't help but feel that there's more to it, not just about your car". She ranted and waited for me to reply.

I continued to stare at her without attempting to reply. She sighed and her angry expression softened as she said, "Laxy, please. We're just worried about you, that's all.”

"Anna's right, Laxy. We're worried". Sophia said while stepping beside Anna in front of me. I looked at the both of them. 

"There's nothing for you to be worried about. You guys should know that since I've been avoiding you, it means I didn't wanna talk about it. I'm not a kid that needs babysitting. I'm perfectly fine and can take care of myself, now please excuse me". I answered bluntly and side stepped them, heading to the stairs again.

'Please let me go, please let me go. Don't say anything'. I prayed silently while advancing towards the stairs. 

I was feeling overly irritated with my sweaty and sticky body and they were just making it worse. If I didn't leave now, I might do something I'd later regret, but looks like the heavens wanted me to explode with anger because Anna just had to say something.

"Galaxia Chrystal Arthur! You're not leaving here until you tell us what the hell is going on! I'm not gonna take shit from you. We're your friends, you can't treat us like we don't exist, like we're nothing!"

She said while stomping towards me. I clenched my fists and turned sharply to face her, taking her by surprise.

"What the hell Anna! I said I don't wanna talk about it! What don't you understand? I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!"

"Guys, calm dow—”

"No! She must tell us what it is! You can't keep it bottled in forever, it's unhealthy! And we're your best friends for God's sake, Galaxia! If you don't open up to us, who else would you tell?!". She cut off Sophia, who at this moment, was so scared due to the smackdown occurring between her two best friends.

"I was scared, ok?! You wanna know why I acted like that? It's because I was scared. I felt like he was going to cause trouble, ok?!" I shouted in anger.

Anna's angry face softened and her eyes widened, clearly not expecting that to be my response. I continued, the dam of anger had already been broken, I had to let it out.

"I felt like he was going to see right through me! He kept looking at me with a blank expression! Like he was looking right into my soul, trying to find out everything I've kept hidden! You know no one is brave enough to look me in the eyes, but he did! He stared at me even with my cold, hard, warning glare! I felt uneasy, exposed! You guys always say I should let people in, I shouldn't be a loner, I'm old school, I'm boring!"

I scoffed angrily and continued,

"You wanna know why I'm like this! Well you guys wanna know why, right?! It's because I see Danny in everyone except you guys and my family! When he kept looking at me, I couldn't help but think about the incident! I don't trust anyone else other than you guys! You know very well about my intense trust issues, yet you keep forcing me to do what I clearly am not interested in doing! Why?! You guys are supposed to understand me, be there for me and not support someone you know nothing about! I mean we've been friends since like forever, yet you choose to support someone you just met over me. I don't know why you'll do that!"

I shouted in anger, frustration, stress and irritation. I turned around and stomped my way up the stairs and into my room, slamming my door shut. I was tired of being angry at them, I was frustrated and stressed out about my constant nightmares and lack of sleep and I was so irritated about my sweaty and sticky body, yet I felt so betrayed by my own friends choosing to support some punk over their childhood friend. I mean we were basically sisters.

I heard a quiet knock on my door.

"Laxy?" Anna called softly but I ignored her.

"Laxy, we're very sorry. I'm very sorry. Please Laxy, open the door". She said and knocked softly again.

"Laxy please we didn't mean to annoy you. We were just worried. Please Laxy". Sophia said this time. I looked at the door before heading into the bathroom, blocking out their pleas and knocks.

I needed some time alone. I needed to cool off and just not think or speak for a while. I had had a lot to say today and it was still so early in the morning. 

I prepared my bath water in the tub. Having a warm bath helped me to cool down a bit. I added my vanilla scented bath soap and stripped before stepping into the tub.

The warm water immediately refreshed my body and all forms of stickiness washed away. I breathed a sigh of relief and sunk deeper into the water.

I stayed in the tub for about thirty minutes before coming out. I wore my bathrobe, drained the water out of the tub and walked into my enormous closet(I had a few reconstructions made to the house to suit my taste and comfort). I chose my work outfit and a pair of shoes before heading out into my room.

I walked in and saw Anna and Sophia seated on my bed looking commiserative and nervous. I turned around, about to go back into the closet but I was stopped by Anna.

"Laxy please wait". She said and held my arm in a light grip. I looked at her blankly and she continued,

"Please sit down. We'd like to have a word with you. Please".

I walked past them and sat on my bed, watching and waiting for them to speak. They both sat beside me and each held my hand.

"Galaxia, we're very sorry. We shouldn't have pressurised you into telling us what happened". Anna started.

"Yeah Laxy, we're really sorry. We were worried about you and we wanted to know what was wrong and how we could help. You know a problem shared is half solved". Sophia continued.

"As your best friends, we have every right to help you but we don't have the right to know what you don't want us to know. I took it too far and was basically prying into your life. I...I never should have done that. I'm very sorry, Laxy". Anna said.

"We're very sorry. Do you think you can find it in your heart to forgive us? Please?". Sophia asked.

I continued to ignore them and just stared blankly at the wall across the room. I knew I was being childish but I really was angry at them and I didn't wish to speak to them yet, they deserved it.

"Please Laxy?". They begged.

"If you guys are really my friends, you should have understood that I didn't want to talk about it. You shouldn't have forced me into telling you. You brought this upon yourselves". I said, still staring at the wall.

They both sighed simultaneously and Anna said,

"We know, it was a terrible mistake on our part and we're very sorry about that, Laxy, but we hate seeing you like that. You know, all by yourself, trying to take charge of the situation".

"You don't know how much we dreaded seeing you like that after the incident ten years ago, it was insufferable. You shut everyone out, even us. We felt helpless". Sophia continued.

"You have no idea how painful it is having to watch your best friend suffer and all you could do is watch and not do anything to help". Anna said.

"We felt useless, Laxy, helpless. Please try to understand where we're coming from, hmmmm?". Sophia finished while squeezing my hands softly.

I turned to look at Sophia then at Anna, noting the sad and regretful looks etched on their faces. I sighed and pulled them both into a huge, tight hug which they gladly returned.

I always in one way or the other hurt people around me, the ones I cared and did not care about. My family, friends and others I didn't give a damn about. My family and friends had been there for me all through my good and bad times, yet I repaid them by only worrying them.

I pulled away and said,

"I'm very sorry for venting my anger on you guys. I was just trying to figure some things out and I needed some space to think. Clearly you guys kept bugging me and I just lashed out at you guys. I'm sorry".

They smiled and hugged me again.

"It's alright Laxy. We just wanted you to voice out and not bottle up your emotions. It's not healthy and even though we ended up pissing you off in the process, we did succeed in making you talk". Anna said and slightly smirked at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really, so you'd rather have me pissed off at you guys just so you can find out what I was hiding? Because consequentially, it did occur due to your actions". I stated.

Sophia sighed and again pulled me into a hug, Anna joining in.

"Thank you very much for being the best friend in the whole universe, Laxy. Yeah, you can be quite...wait no,...very unbearable most times but we love you very much, hmmm?". 

Sophia said into my shoulder, pulled away and looked me straight in the eyes before finishing. "Never doubt that, ok?".

I looked at both my friends and smiled at them. I really didn't deserve the best people in this world as my family and friends but I was glad I had them. They were the reasons I was strong today and not still being my pessimistic, self pitiful self.

"I love you guys very much as well. But...". I said while raising my index finger, stopping them from pulling me into yet another hug.

"...You guys need not worry about me being lonely. I have you guys plus my family and I don't need anyone else". I clarified.

"But Laxy--". Anna started.

"No buts. I'm not going to let anyone into my life and nothing you guys say is going to change that. So, if you have any plans to advise/force me or set me up with someone, I'm warning you now that it's gonna end up in a disaster. And oh, there will be blood".

I said seriously, staring at them with arms crossed. They started laughing, thinking I was joking and would join them and just laugh it off but they stopped when they saw I was dead serious about this.

"You're serious?". Anna asked.

"Dead serious. Now this discussion is over. I need to get dressed and head to work now". I said and got up, preparing to go into my closet.

"Ugh you're so mulish, so obdurate. We'll leave you FOR NOW but have it in mind that this discussion will continue later. Sophia and I will go get ready, ok? I'll be done in say...30 minutes? What about you, Soph?"

"I'll be done in t—"

"Wait wait wait, hold up. Get ready to go where? You guys aren't following me to work". I said, interrupting Sophia.

"Hey what do you mean by that? We have always followed you to work since we got here, why is today any different?". Anna protested.

"See? You said so yourself, you've been going with me to work ever since you arrived and as a result, I've not been able to get any work done. I'm sorry to say but you guys are a bad influence on me regarding work matters."

I said while shaking my head. Anna glared at me in reply and Sophia gave me a disapproving look. I walked into the closet and proceeded with getting dressed.

"So because we try to be very good friends and accompany you to work in order to help reduce your boredom and brighten up your already arid, jejune and stodgy life, the best way you thought of rewarding us was to insult us? And yes, I know I used a whole lot of tautology there, but that's just how extremely boring your life is, a word isn't enough to describe it."

Anna said from my room, "That's not a very good reward, Laxy. Infact you're being ungrateful for our kindness". Sophia said afterwards.

I rolled my eyes at their words and ignored them. Leave it to Sophia to preach to you about morals and whatnot. Putting on my outfit, a pair of shoes and hanging my headphones around my neck, I grabbed my sunglasses and walked out of my closet.

My outfit was a knee length, dirty white coloured gown. I was pairing it up with a white suit jacket, which I held in hand and a gold purse with a pair of black stiletto heels. My headphones were placed comfortably around my neck.

I moved closer to them and said mockingly,

"Tsk tsk tsk Anna, I'm so disappointed in you. I've always thought you were the one with the brains, but turns out Soph is the intelligent one amidst you both".

I patted her head and cooed, smiling teasingly before saying,

"Don't worry, auntie's gonna get you some treats on her way back, ok?". I turned to Sophia and said,

"Take good care of our baby, would you?". I kissed both their cheeks while Anna was still gaping at me and walked out of my room, hurrying down the stairs before Anna snapped out of her trance.

I made it to the front door safely before hearing Anna's angry voice and footsteps coming downstairs.

"Galaxia Chrystal Arthur! If I get a hold of you!—". I walked out and slammed the door, not waiting to hear her full sentence.

My driver opened the back seat door while muttering his usual greetings. Sitting in the car, I put on my headphones and started listening to my songs, making my way to my company.