Hi! So, this is a short story I wrote and I just want to ask what you think about it. I would really appreciate constructive criticisms. Without further ado :D

Price to Pay

It has been roughly three years since I had last seen Minah yet the strong strawberry scent still lingered in her room. A small smile crept on my lips as I saw that everything remained how it used to be after all these years. Everything was so organized, so Jessie-like. Even her bed was tucked neatly with the life-sized Hello Kitty plushie over it.

Then, my eyes landed on her cork board which was plastered on her wall. It was full of photographs of her with her family but one picture caught my eyes, it was me and her just before I left for New York. We were smiling at the camera with our arms around each other; we actually looked like twins because of the same hair style and shirt we sported that day. I smiled and took the picture but two sheets of folded whitepapers came off as well as I took the image.

Sitting on Minah’s bed, I unfolded the first note and was greeted by the delicate handwritten letter from my best friend. The white paper actually had yellow stains on its sides already, a sign that it had been around here for long.

August 5, 2012

Ever walked up to people and realize they were talking about you? Yesterday, everything started. I don’t know what exactly was happening but I felt like people slowly drifted away from me. It was bearable the past three days but today was just different. Suddenly, every step felt harder to take especially since I could feel the piercing glare of people through me. Even when I had my head held low, everyone had their eyes glued on me as they watched every step I take until I was finally out of their sight. I feel suffocated.

I creased my forehead as I read the first few lines of the letter. Everything written was not in Minah’s personality. She would never feel this way. Minah is my best friend; she is beautiful, popular and talented. Everyone loved her. So what happened? Curiosity ate me as I continued with the letter.

I entered the locker room to change for our gym class but I was stunned when I saw my locker. Written there was ‘Addict!’ using a red spray paint which stopped me on my tracks and pictures of ‘me’ were posted on it. Tears slowly welled my eyes as I looked at it? I definitely am not an addict. The girl in the pictures doing drugs is not me. Then from the distance, I heard voices probably from the shower room.

“Hey! Have you heard, she took drugs multiple of times that night!”

“Really? They said she even drank too much that she caused big trouble.”

“She’s really insane. She even deals drugs just for money!”

Tears fell like water falls from my eyes as I ran out of the gym. People were feasting at the bare me but I had nothing to think about right now but to disappear from their sigh; to disappear from their judgmental minds. I was out of the vicinity of the school but as I crossed the streets, bright light filled my eyes and in an instant, everything went black.

White ceilings welcomed me as I opened my eyes; it almost felt like heaven. I was hospitalized for a week; they said I was hit by a car but it didn’t bother me at all. I just hope that when I go back to school, everything’s back to normal. I went back to school the next day with hopes of clearing the misunderstandings that occurred.

I looked at the mirror and smiled to myself. Earlier, people were throwing their concerns about me. I guess everything’s back to normal and I more than happy about this. I checked myself on the mirror another time before walking out of but as I was about to walk about, I overheard the conversation of a couple of girls just meters away from the restroom.

“Have you heard? She’s back?”

“They told me she was hospitalized for drug overdose!”

“That’s what I heard too. Even her parents couldn’t control her!”

The smile on my lips slowly turned upside down and tears fell freely from my eyes again. I felt like all the air in me was being out and my knees slowly weakened, and my body just fell on the floor helplessly. With gritted teeth and fists clenched, I suppressed letting out any sound for they might hear me. My heart felt stuffy; it felt like hundreds, no, thousands of daggers were staked on it. I didn’t know how long I stayed there just crying my heart out. The next hours, I just found myself walking home, broken beyond repair.

I wiped my tears as I read the first entry of Minah.  I didn’t know, I didn’t know. How could have she felt as people ostracized her without someone to support her? I should’ve been there for her. If not for me, she won’t be experiencing this. Bravely, I opened the last note which was just the same as the first one only that evident tear stains were marked on it.

August 5, 2014

Two years went by fast but rumors just got worse and worse that I even doubted if I still knew myself. People would talk about me like I was some sort of inextinguishable topic they couldn’t get rid of.  And every day, I would wake up praying that everything would go back to normal but every day, I was slapped with the reality that nothing would go back to normal anymore. I tried explaining myself to them numerous times but they were all ears and eyes closed on me.

Every time I felt really out of my mind from all the senseless rumors and accusations they tell me, I message my best friend, Minhee. She had known me the longest and I know she would understand how I feel. She told me she’ll stay in contact so I called her many times but she won’t answer any of my calls or even messages. She was my last hope; a single call from her could ease all these pain I’m feeling. I miss her.

I sobbed harder as I read the last lines of her letter. I’m sorry Minah, I should have known.

I feel alone and empty. I want my old life back. I just want to rest and to have peace.

It ended like that and I yelped in pain as I felt my heart clenched. I’m sorry Minah, I’m really really sorry. I didn’t know. If only I had gotten out of rehab a year earlier…

Soooo, what do you think about it? :D If you reach this point, I'm very thankful :D