[25]

                                    

                                          
Today is Monday and the start of my third week alone. As usual, I make my way to school, only today I bring my packed lunch with me. 
                          
Due to the oval being shut for a sporting event, the only place to sit is the cafeteria. I make my way in and look around for a table, it's then I see Dom, Riccardo and Bex all sitting at the table together. Riccardo has his arm around Bex and she kisses his cheek sweetly. I guess she forgave him. 
                          
Dom's eyes catch mine and I smile softly. I make my way over to a table with only one seat and sit down. I pull my lunch from my bag and begin to eat my sandwich which has gone gross from being in a hot bag all day. 
                          
After a few bites a worker makes her way over. "Hi honey, are you eating something from the cafe?"
                          
"Oh, no, I packed my food." I tell her thinking they thought I'd not paid for the sandwich 
                          
"I'm sorry, if you're not a paying customer you'll have to leave, this is for customers only." She turns and walks away. 
                          
I hear a group of girls snickering at the table next to me "Times must be hard now she doesn't have Dom to pay for her lunch every day." One says and they all laugh loudly  
                          
I feel my heart in the pit of my stomach. I can't do this anymore. I stand up and throw my sandwich in the bin before exiting the cafe as quickly as I can, tears streaming down my face. I'm sure that Dom and the others would have seen me, but I'm way too embarrassed to even look back. 
                          
I find a quiet spot near the large fountain in the middle of the school and make my way over sitting down. I wipe my tears once again and take a few deep breaths, I just want to go home. 
                          
"Hi" a familiar voice speaks as a body sits next to me 
                          
I turn to come face to face with Fia, a friend I'd made months ago, but haven't seen at school lately "hi." I smile softly
                          
"Are you okay? Why are you crying and why are you alone?"
                          
I explain that Bex and I had a fight and I explain to Dom and I broke up, then I tell her about my living in a motel and being kicked out of the cafe. 
                          
"Hey, it's okay." She smiles softly "I'll speak to the office about having you stay in my room with me and my roommate, we'll work something out and no more tears over Domiano stupid Ricci, if he can't see how amazing you are, forget him." 
                          
I giggle softly at her words, before breaking down again "you're the only person who's spoken to me in three weeks" 
                          
"Oh Alena." She pulls me into a tight embrace. 
                          
I hug her back, crying softly, before pulling back and drying my eyes once more. "I needed that so much," I admit 
                          
"Plenty more where that came from." She smiles
                          
Driiiiiiiiiing 
                          
"I'll see you later, I'll talk to the office." She waves and stands up walking away.
                          
I pull my timetable and check what I have next when suddenly a sandwich is placed in its way. I look up to see Bex holding it out to me 
                          
"You must be hungry, you didn't get you to finish your sandwich at lunch." 
                          
"Oh, thank-you." I take it and sit it down next to me 
                          
"How are you?" She asks sadly 
                          
"I'm okay." I shrug "but I'm thinking about going home," I tell her truthfully
                          
"No, please don't do that just because I was a shitty friend." She sits down next to me
                          
"It's not you Bex and you weren't a shitty friend, it's just a mix of everything and I just I don't want to be here anymore." 
                          
"I here you and Dom broke up?"
                          
"He dumped me when I went to ask if I could stay with him." 
                          
"Wait, so where are you staying?" 
                          
"In a motel down the road" I shrug 
                          
"I feel horrible." She sighs "I knew you broke up but I thought you were still staying there, his family love you." 
                          
"They've offered so many times, but it's Dom's house and I don't want to make him uncomfortable." 
                          
"Alena I'm really sorry about everything, why don't you just move back into the dorm with me and we'll forget it ever happened. Riccardo and I are moving on from it, so why shouldn't you and I?" 
                          
"I appreciate the offer Bex, but really I think it's best I go home, a lot has happened in the last three weeks at home and I'm miserable here, it's for the best." 
                          
"Miss Raven, Miss Jones don't you have class?" A teacher asks 
                          
"Yes, sorry sir" we say in unison. 
                          
I stand up and place my sandwich in my bag. "Thanks again for the sandwich"
                          
"You're not going to eat it? You didn't have lunch." 
                          
"No, I'll save it for dinner time." I wave and make my way to class. 
                          
After classes are finished I make my way into the office. "Hello." I smile to the office lady 
                          
"Hello honey, what can I do for you?" She smiles back 
                          
"I need to terminate my student exchange, I was wondering how I go about that?"
                          
"Oh no, you've come so far it would be a shame to see you leave." She stands up and hands me some papers "this is the form, fill it out and bring it back, but think about it before you do, really think" she smiles 
                          
"Thanks I will." 
                          
"You're leaving?" I hear from behind me 
                          
I turn and nod my head softly at Riccardo "Yeah, once I fill these forms in anyway." 
                          
"Alena I'm really sorry I've been a dick of a friend, whatever was happening with you and Bex and you and Dom that shouldn't have stopped me from being your friend."
                          
"It's okay" I shrug 
                          
"No, it isn't I let you eat alone everyday, I let you stay in some shitty motel, I let the lady kick you out of the cafe, no good friend would do that"
                          
"It's okay Riccardo really I don't hold it against you. Sure it's been really hard being alone and living alone, but I'm fine. I'm glad to see you and Bex have fixed things, be good to her." I turn and walk away. 
                          
I make my way back to my motel room and pay reception for two more nights, later I'll call Dad and ask him to book my flights back, one way. 
                          
I make my way to my room and open the door. I place my bag down on the bed and pull out my sandwich from earlier in the day and eat it, it's on the warm side, but it's still fine. 
                          
After I'm done eating I sit down on the bed and look around the room. I'm really glad to Bex and Ricci are back on track they deserve to be happy, I'm also glad Bex spoke to me today so I could tell her I was leaving.
                          
In the morning I'll have to go and say goodbye to Luda and Franco, Dom too if he's there. But for now, I need to shower, sign these forms and sleep.