'Over Spilt Nescafè' One Shot Competition Winning Entry!!!

Heya guys!!!

For today's post I have the winning entry of the OSN one shot competition. This is a long overdue post and I finally posted it.

Congratulations Sadie (@Tealmemories) for winning this and Thanjooberrymush for Maryam (@dariaglazer) for judging the competition.

Oso Thanjooberrymush to all those who participated. It meant so much to me that you all took the time to write a little piece based on my characters'. And I hope you all enjoy this one shot.

Side Effects

Every illness has side effects, mental or physical, these are the effects that linger to haunt you, to remind you that you were ill. To remind you that at one point in life, you were not okay, and sometimes to show you that still, you're not okay, you're ill.

I was no exception to side effects and sometimes I think that the side effects are worse than the actually illness because the side effects are gradual, they hurt you slowly, so slowly that you do not even realize what's happening to you until you've gone and made a drastic decision that you regret so much. Being ill is more painful but the pain comes all at once and then it subsides but the side effects, well they're going to stay for a while, like mine did and still at odd moments, they're still there.

My name is Natalie Torres and it had been just 3 days after they let me out of the mad house. There was no point in sugar coating the fact that I was at an asylum, everyone knew that I was there and really the point here was that I knew I was there so who was I trying to kid, I was a sick girl and there was nothing wrong with that. Everyone gets sick, it's just that my sickness was  a long term one.

"Natalie..." said a soft voice, and I looked up, I had been reading a book that Ecaria had given me as a 'welcome back home' present.

Mama was standing in the doorway, holding a white cup bearing Dumbledore's quote, 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest times if only one remembers to turn on the light'. That cup usually kindled a smile but I found that my facial muscles just wouldn't allow me to smile.

"Yes mama?" I asked, placing the book on my bedside cabinet, my eyes unconsciously falling on a packet of gummy bears and I sucked in an involuntary breath.

Am a fan of gummy bears too....

His stupid voice echoed in my head and tears began to prickle in my eyes, I hated myself for caring, he wasn't part of my life anymore he had made his choice, he was better without me in his life so why couldn't I be better without him.

"Darling..." mama placed the mug on the table and sat beside me on the bed, pulling me into a hug. I couldn't bring myself to hug her and I stared at my hands, they were white and trembling.

"Mama?" I asked, managing to sound like I wasn't on the verge of a nervous breakdown, "I'm going to go wash my face." I said removing her arms from around me and running into the bathroom.

Tears fell down my cheeks at their own accord and I let them. My reflection was a horrible one, when I finally looked in the mirror, messy hair, tear stained cheeks and puffy red eyes. 

Why was I letting this happen to me? I could be all right too couldn't I? I was better now, I thought as I washed my face and brushed out my tangled hair, I was not going to let Alvin Moore be my side effect, not going to let him be the reason I never got better. No I was going to make him the reason that I did get better.No, I didn't hate him, I just missed him, and sometimes I wish I did hate him, it would make everything so much easier.

****

| A week later |

"Are you sure?" mama asked.

I nodded and slung my bag over my shoulder, I was finally going back to school and I was scared but I wanted to be strong, I wanted to be strong for my own sake, to prove to myself that I could be better, that I could be my own starry sky.

"Nutella!" I heard a high pitched voice say, and I turned around to see my friends looking at me like I had just climbed out of a space ship instead of mama's old car.

"Oreo!Donut!" I grinned and walked up to them.

"You massive-" Orla began.

"Buffalo!" Ecaria completed.

"Aren't buffaloes anyway massive?" I asked.

Ecaria and Orla gave me identical dagger looks.

"How dare you come to school without informing us?!" they asked looking as if I"d committed a horrendous crime.

"I wanted to surprise you.." I said, "or I can go back home..."

"No way!" Ecaria said as she and Orla hooked one of their arms in mine and half dragged me into the school. 

****

"Oi!" called a loud voice as I walked into my chemistry class, "Natalie!"

I looked around the class but I couldn't see who was calling me until I turned around.

"Ahh maava dhakka dhe?" {translation: Ahh did you see me?}  a boy that I had never talked to before said, talking in Sinhala. 

"What do you want?" I asked in English.

"Apo, sinhala katha karanna dhanaddhe?" { translation: Eh, don't you know how to speak sinhala?} he continued.

Okay, so he was intent on speaking in Sinhala so I decided to oblige.

"Mata katha karanna puluwan, mokaddhe oyata ohne? Mata wada thiyanewa." { translation: Yes I can speak Sinhala. What do you want? I have work to do.} I said.

He smiled, "I'm supposed to help you complete your work , the work that you missed when you were sick?" he said suddenly lapsing into English, weird. 

"Mage nama Dilhan, mathaka thiya ganna haridhe?" { translation: My name is Dilhan, remember that.} he said switching back to sinhala.

Before I could say anything he handed me a dark blue binder with the label "Chemistry notes" on it and his name, Dilhan Kariawickreme, and left, giving me a small smile. I opened it to see neatly written notes and worksheets. I stared after him, it was a small act of kindness but honestly, it helped.

Maybe Alvin wasn't going to be my side effect. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard.

****

"Hey, why do you have Dilhan's file with you?" Orla asked when I met her in the corridor on the way to lunch.

"Apparently he is supposed to be helping me with chemistry notes..." I replied, feeling suddenely tired, maybe mama was right, maybe I should have had some more rest before I decided that I could take on a school day.

"Can you hold this?" I asked Orla handing her the binder, "I just want to go the washroom."

Orla nodded and took the binder and I went into the washroom. Once I was there I washed my face and took in a deep breath, I could do this, I could make my choices and Alvin not being here didn't have to make a difference, but God, I missed him.

Missed his lame jokes, his attempts to make me smile, the way he could be so deep, the way he made everything stand out, gave everything significance, like he made everything special. 

My eyes glistened with tears but I wasn't going to cry, I wouldn't hate him, he had given me so much to remember and she would rather have it that he was positive memory than a poison that killed me slowly.

After tying my hair into a tight pony tail, she walked out of the washroom, right into someone, causing them to spill whatever was in the cup they were holding, she looked down as she smelled something familiar. Nescafe, spilt nescafe, a brown stain on the white tiles.

"I'm so sorry Natalie." the voice was familiar and I didn't have to look up to know who it was, Alvin Moore.

"It's fine." I said, surprising myself at how calm I sounded.

He looked tired, "Are you all right?"

"Perfect." I said, "and I'm sorry your nescafe had to spill...because of me."

"No, it's my fault," he said and crushed the now empty disposable nescafe cup.

"I'm glad you're okay." he said and walked away.

I stared after him, saw him toss the empty cup into a nearby bin and disappear around a corner. I smiled, he was a side effect, a side effect that made me a better person, I guess he made me understand that I didn't need to be in a duet to sound good, or to feel good for that matter.

Alvin Moore was my friend, boy friend and now a lesson, a positive side effect. Even if things didn't work out, I found out who I was, we may have lost 'us' but I think we both found ourselves and maybe later, things would work out for the better.

Alvin, I'm glad you're okay too. 

                                •~•

So how was it? Lemme know in the comments and don't forget to check out Sadie's other works on wattpad. And look out for a review of one her books coming soon.

Take care
Till next time
=)❤Sammy

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