Mia lay on her bed, looking at the ceiling as the clock approached 10:36 PM. Sleep was a faraway concept. The convo with the doctor played over and over in her head, and the red notice on her door seared into her memory. Everything was too much. She had to do something, and there was only one person she could think of at the moment, Axel.
"Maybe he can help," she said to herself, her doubts persisting. She sat up, grabbed her phone, and summoned a taxi. She couldn't ride her bike in this condition.
Twenty minutes later, she was in the back of a cab, twisting her fingers together in her lap while the city lights slid past the window.
Axel lived on Redbrook Street, one of the nicer areas in the lower district. The roads were cleaner there. The apartment buildings had fresh paint. Even the streetlights looked brighter.
By the time Mia climbed out of the cab, her stomach was already in knots.
She climbed the stairs to his flat, feeling each step heavier than the last. She stopped when she approached his door. From within, there was loud and carefree laughter. Her heart plummeted. Axel's friends were over again.
Before she could knock, a voice cut through the laughter.
"Bruh , I'm damn serious," one of his friends said. "You've been with her for almost a year."
"Ten months," Axel replied.
"Exactly. Ten months and she still hasn't agreed to mate with you. That girl is playing you."
Another voice chimed in. "Yeah, she's hot and all, but what a freakin' tease. Axel's more of feeding a whore but ain't getting her laid, only shit guys keep saints like hers. You sucks bro", the teasing increased.
Mia's breath caught in her throat. She didn't want to listen, but her feet wouldn't move.
Axel's voice came next, and what he said hit harder than the rest. "Man, I dunno. She's such a pain sometimes. Always talking bout her problems, always asking for help. It's like, damn, I'm not her freakin' bank. And she doesn't even let me touch her, like, what's the point?"
"Exactly," a third voice joined in. "Why are you even with her then? If she doesn't put out, find someone who does."
"She does have great tits though", Axel laughed.
"That she does bro!", the second voice agreed.
"Bet they'd feel amazing wrapped around my cock".
The room erupted in drunken laughter. Mia's heart shattered. She bit her lip so hard she thought she might draw blood. Tears threatened, but she pushed them back, straightened her spine, and knocked on the door.
A few seconds later, Axel opened the door.
"Mia?" His surprise lasted less than a second before he smiled. "What are you doing here?"
His friends were already gathering their things.
One of them grinned at Axel as he walked past. "Good luck, bro."
Another slapped him on the shoulder. "Maybe tonight's the night."
Mia kept her eyes on the floor until the door closed behind them.
Axel looked back at her. "Ignore those idiots. They're drunk."
She nodded, though her chest still felt tight.
"Yeah, everything is fine as you can see, just here to check up on you", she lied, biting down her lips not to spew out the bucket of pain she's going through. But then she couldn't hold it long before the tears finally escaped through and her voice let out, sobbing.
"Babe you're good?. Tell me, what's all these sad moods all about?". He asked surprisingly, he'd never seen her shed tears, not the mighty Mia, who acts all big as if she's capable of doing everything on her own.
"It's mom… I…" her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. "She's really sick, and the hospital needs more money for her treatment."
Axel raised an eyebrow, barely reacting. "Yeah, so?"
Mia swallowed hard. "I was hoping maybe you could help. And… I got admissions to Norvayne-High." She managed a weak smile. "But I need to pay the acceptance fee in 72 hours."
The mention of university seemed to trigger something in Axel. His face twisted in irritation, and he let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, so that's your plan? You've been keeping me on a leash, not letting me get what I want because you're planning to bail on me for some school, huh?"
Mia a blinked, taken aback. "What? No, that's not…."
"You think I'm dumb or something'?" He cut her off, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing. "You've been stringing me along for months, not even letting me lay a finger on you. And now you're running off to college? Ain't that convenient."
Mia backed up a step, shaking her head. "Axel, that's not true. I just… I've had so much on my mind, and my mom ….."
"Always an excuse. Your mom here and there. Ever thought about us? ," Axel yelled. His frustration boiled over. "You know what? I think you've been playing me this whole time."
Before Mia could react, he grabbed her wrist and pushed her onto the bed. Her heart raced as panic surged through her. "Axel, stop," she pleaded, but his grip tightened as he leaned over her, his breath reeking of alcohol.
"You owe me, Mia," he growled. "After all this time, you owe me….."
Mia struggled beneath him, her mind racing. He sneaked his fingers into her underwear, and she froze.
"No, not like this, please", She screamed, trying so hard to push him away, but he was stronger. Her vision blurred with tears.
The breaking shards of champagne bottle on his head brought a big disappointment to his almighty standing muscle, the one beneath his trousers. He fell from the bed, his head bleeding.
"Get off me!" she screamed, tears burning in her eyes as she scrambled to her feet.
Axel stumbled back, cursing under his breath. "You're such a witch, Mia. You're not worth the trouble."
She left before hearing anything else. She fled for the door, slamming it behind her as she dashed down the stairs, her pulse thumping.
Outside, the chilly night air slapped her hard. Tears obscured her eyesight, but she continued going. Her head was racing, her body trembling. She had nowhere to go and no money to take another taxi. Her phone had switched off and she was far from home. The only alternative she had was to trek back home.
She trudged down the darkened streets, her legs heavy and her heart broken. She had nothing left, not the money, not the support she thought she had in Axel.
Just as her legs were ready to give out, a black sedan came to a stop near her. Her breath caught when the window slid down.
"Mia?" A familiar voice beckoned from the inside. It was Lyra.