THE EASY WAY OUT.

   ACAPELLA'S POV.

    And as I expected Cruella busted into laughter the moment Mum and Dad left. 

  “I see Austin did a very good job.” She said.

  “How is he in bed?” She asked with a dangerous smile on her face.

   I ignored her and continued weeping silently.

 “Aww, did mum and dad's words hurt you?” She mocked.

 “Sorry, I am sure they did not mean it, especially the part where you should have been exchanged with another baby at birth.” She mocked again and started laughing while more tears just rolled down my cheeks.

 “Why did you do this to me?” I asked her as I faced her completely. 

“I never did anything to you so why can’t you just leave me be!” I yelled at her startling her for I had never raised my voice at her before, I mean I never had the guts to but this time, she had gone overboard.

    All she did was push me away. 

  “Don’t you get it?.” She asked, hatred laced in her voice.

   “I hate your mere sight" She explained and rolled her eyes at me before continuing. 

"Just because you were going to be a Nun, you felt at the top of the world, now it has been snatched from you like a piece of paper, how do you feel?” she asked.

 “Down of the world? You know it would be better if you die, I am sure no one would miss you, you would not even last a second in their memories for you are not important to anyone and you have no friends,” she said and made to move out but suddenly stopped and turned.

   “But wait! Your books might miss you, nerd.” She added with a giggle.

    All I could do was stare at her and shed tears. I mean she was right, if I was dead, no one would remember me because they all hated me and wished I had never existed most especially my parents, so I guess that was an option. 

   Mum suddenly entered the room and when she saw Cruella, she gave her a pleasant smile but when she turned towards me, she gave a deep disgusted look like my mere presence irritated her, well I was sure it did. 

   “You would be out to announce your disgrace and embarrassment in five minutes.” She spat with Bale and I nodded. 

  Then she turned to Cruella with a warm caring smile and said “Let’s go, don’t let her influence you with her bad luck, she is filled with it.” She added as she took Cruella’s hand and left the room leaving me there in pain. 

    I slowly fell to the ground as I cried my heart out. "Why me?"

                             5 MINUTES LATER.

   I stood shaking deeply in the confession box while everyone stared at me with judgmental faces. Almost everyone from school including Austin was here to witness how I would disgrace and embarrass myself.

   “Miss Johnson, is it true about you being defiled?” The priest asked me. 

  “Ye-Yes.” I stammered as everyone gasped, while Cruella smiled widely. 

   “Would you mind sharing the details of how it happened?” The priest asked, throwing me looks filled with disappointment. Words could not describe my pain at the moment.

   The priest asked a question my parents never even bothered to ask me about. I turned to look at Austin and he was staring back at me with remorse.

  ' Oh don't be a fool again' I cautioned myself. ' He probably has another evil up his sleeves' I thought.

  I looked away from his face and looked at the priest.

 “Miss Johnson, would you mind giving us an answer?” The priest asked impatiently.

  I did not reply and only continued to look around when suddenly I felt hot all over my body with headache, stomach pain, and dizziness. 

   Looks like the poison was finally taking effect.

 Yes! I had a bottle of poison with me just in case something went wrong and since Cruella also suggested it, I decided to take it and wait for the effects. 

   I felt the priest's voice become distant and I collapsed on the floor, that was the last thing I remembered.

    " Beep-Beep-Beep" I heard the beeping noise of the machine and woke up only to find myself in an unfamiliar room, I looked towards my side and saw drips attached to my palm.

   ‘Please, no!’, I gasped at the realization. Don’t tell me I was not dead. 

  My question was answered when the door to the room opened and the doctor entered with a clipboard in his hand and a stethoscope around his neck. 

  “Miss Johnson right.” He called.

   “Please, just Acapella.” I struggled to say. 

  “Alright, Acapella it is,” He said as he gave me a warm smile. “It is said here you took a deadly poison.” He told me and I turned to look away. 

“I am still surprised that you are alive because the poison you took is toxic" He added as he looked into his clipboard. 

" Looks like you are not meant to die yet" The doctor commented further.

I scoffed inside me at the doctor’s remark, while wondering.

  ' Did the lord not want me as his bride?' I wondered.

   Maybe he did not. I smiled sadly at the thought of God not even wanting as his bride.' Am I that bad, Why did he create me then?' I chuckled sadly as I kept having countless thoughts.

   “Acapella” The doctor called and I turned to look at him curiously. 

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you try to take your own life?" He asked. 

I turned away and faced the other side. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to answer,” He said. “But just remember there are times when we feel so lonely, there are times when we feel so left out, when we feel like everyone has abandoned us but just remember we are going to be fine at the end, if we all struggle, survive and boldly face everything thrown to us. There is this saying ‘everything happens for a reason” He added.

   “Remember that.” The doctor said and left. 

  I admit that was a great speech but he somehow made no sense to me.

  ' I mean how would God abandon us and cause us pain just to prepare us for special things?' I wondered.

It does not sound right to me. Anyway, that’s his own opinion. 

   Suddenly the door opened and the person who walked in surprised me.

   “Hey!” He greeted.

   “If your girlfriend sent you here to come and check if I am still hurting, tell her I am and she should come here herself next time so I can rip her face with my sharp fingers,” I said to him in fury.

   " Whoa, easy tigress, nobody sent me and I did not come here to fight.” He replied.

   “What are you here for then?” I asked. “To mock me?” I asked again.

 “I am here to check how you are doing.” He said and I suddenly busted into laughter, but deep down, immense fury was building in me.

    He looked at me confused as to what was funny. 

  “Austin, you and your pitiable sense of humor!” I commented sarcastically.

  " Look, don’t bother pretending to care for me,” I said. “Just tell me what you are here for,” I added.

   “I just told you what I am here for 2 minutes ago " He reminded me. “To check your health if you are doing okay “He added.

   “Or to check if I am dead or hurting enough?” I asked giggling.

  " Well I am, the wound is still super fresh" I added but he just ignored me and continued.

   “But why would you want to kill yourself like, to take your own life?” He asked in wonder, which irritated me.

' I hated hypocrites like him'.

   “Go and ask the goggle machine, I am sure it would love to tell you why Acapella Williams tried to take her own life,” I replied sarcastically. 

   Austin looked at me like I had grown two heads. 

  “Acapella” He called in disbelief.

“Since when did you start talking or replying this way?.” He asked while I just snorted and ignored him. 

  “I guess I owe you an apology!” He began and I looked at his face he had somewhat of a guilty expression on his face but I just scoffed out loud, he was not going to fool me again. 

  " Save it and I think you should make use of the door," I said as I turned onto my right side. I sure did not want to see his sickening face any longer.

 “Wait! Are you trying to ask me out?” He asked with a gasp.

   “No" I replied and he breathed a sigh of relief.

   " I am not trying to ask you, I already did and now please do so and get out before I scream security!” I said annoyed with his presence. 

  “Acapella, it has not come to this ” He pleaded. “Please let’s sort all these out” He begged.

   I suddenly turned to face him startling him. “There is nothing to sort out, get out” I screamed. 

“Acapella, please!” He pleased once again but I just ignored him. His presence was bringing back bad, painful memories.

  “Out!” I screamed again with my entire lungs alerting the nice doctor and the security, because they both rushed into my ward.

  " What is going on here?". The nice doctor asked.

  “Please send him out!” I begged.

  “Acapella, it has not….” He tried to say but the nice doctor cut in

   “You heard her loud and clear, she asked you to leave!” He said while Austin looked at me one last time before finally leaving.