BESTFRIEND

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Adrianna felt burned. She can almost hear her body sizzle. Uncomfortable with the heat, she opened her eyes.

My God! She covered her mouth as she was about to scream.

She was almost blinded by the light! Its like a laser beam piercing her skull!

She feels like her body is about to be roasted into flesh barbeque!

She quickly took a blanket and covered her entire body with it. With her heart running wild in her chest, she untied the ribbon that's holding the curtains together. She spread the curtains to completely cover the window.

As an added insurance, she also hung her blankets over the curtains. Then she took a deep sigh of relief.

She took her cellphone from under her pillows and looked at the time.

14:05

Adrianna remembered they had lunch at 11am. She practiced solving Math equations then took a nap.

She looked at the windows.

Why was it suddenly hot today?

She walked to her bedroom door and switched the lights on. Then she walked to her cabinet and opened one of the double doors. At the door, there is a half body mirror attached to it.

She scrutinized herself in the mirror.

Her eyes were bloodshot. Her skin pinkish. She tilted her head at the side. She glared at the Math book.

Math always makes her brain cells pop! No wonder her eyes are red. Math really is the bane of her existence.

Then she pushed the door cabinet close. She went to finish her studies. No more Math! Science this time.

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"Adiiii!"

Adrianna held her chest in alarm. She almost threw the Science book she was seriously reading.

Someday, her mom would do her in. Her mom's shout is always shrill, loud and urgent. And it never fail to scare her.

Someone who doesn't know her mom would think their house is on fire!

She stood immediately, opened her bedroom door and rushed out but stayed on top of the stairs.

"Ma?" She asked as she looked for her mom's shadow.

She did not see her mom but she can hear her talking with someone.

Is that Steffie?

She hurriedly went down and ran towards the kitchen.

"Steffie!" She called out.

Steffie looked at Adrianna and a huge smile split her face.

"Were you sleeping?" Steffie asked as she walked towards Adrianna.

Adrianna saw that her mother was busy slicing potatoes and carrots.

"Yes. What brought you here?"

Steffie held Adrianna's hands and swayed it side to side excitedly.

"My papa went to the mountains and got two huge jackfruits! I gave one to your mama. Come!" Steffie pulled Adrianna's hand and dragged her towards the dirty kitchen outside the house.

"Taste it! Its very sweet!" Steffie directly handed to her a clean fruit pod.

"Wow... The sweet smell lingers in the air. I can already taste it even before I ate one!" Adrianna inhaled deeply as she received the thick, yellow fruit pod.

She opened the flesh, took out the seed and ate the pod.

"Delicious!"

Adrianna's lips widen into a smile. She closed her eyes as she savored the sweet and fruity taste.

"I know, right! Let's mix other fruits with it! We have bananas and ripe mangoes. I saw you have apples and melons." Steffie was about to turn and get the fruits when she remembered something.

"Adi, your mama said you were sick for three days. Are you okay now?"

Adrianna snickered at Steffie while peeling the fruit pods.

"You just remembered now?"

"I'm sorry, Adi. I forgot. But are you feeling better?"

"Yep. I'm good." Adrianna answered as she ate another pod.

Steffie laughed awkwardly. Then she looked around. Seeing no one, she whispered to Adrianna's ear.

"Adi, Mark just came back from the City."

Adrianna stopped eating and stared at Steffie.

Mark is Steffie's crush. Who later became Steffie's boyfriend. But this scumbag just used Steffie as his plaything. When the scumbag was infected with HIV, Steffie repeatedly attempted suicide.

That's when she knew how deep Steffie's feelings were for Mark. She gave herself to that trash!

She can't count how many times she cried and rolled in the mud just to convince Steffie to have a medical check up.

We were only 17 then. What do we know about HIV? We were both afraid and we don't know what to do.

We thought HIV is like AIDS! They said people who were infected with AIDS all suffered and died! And that it is contagious and highly communicable.

If we go to the hospital for a check up, will Steffie be held like a hostage for quarantine?

Will the doctors call their parents since they were still minors?

Steffie is deeply afraid of her parents. If they find out, her mother will personally sharpen the knife and hand it to her father! Her parents would personally kill her a thousand times over! And her father is a butcher. How chilling is that?!

So we kept Steffie's secret from her family.

As she watched Steffie slowly die everyday, her heart is also dying with her. Her heart bleeds seeing her once vivacious and lovely best friend become like this.

Just because of trusting the wrong man, she suffered a huge blow. The mental torture was beyond agonizing.

But Steffie is also very stubborn! She doesn't want to go to the hospital for a check up!

Steffie almost made her a psychopath! She even had a hard time taking a crap as she would always conjure a plan on how to drag Steffie's unconscious body to the hospital. Even in her dreams she is still diligently making strategies!

At times she wants to wallop Steffie's head, put her inside a sack and drag her body to the hospital! At times she thinks about spiking her drinks. At times she thinks about kidnapping her.

But although she is mad at Steffie's stubbornness, she understands her reasons.

She is ashamed that people will talk about her. She doesn't want to live a life where people would point fingers at her and associate her name with HIV.

From Stephanie Claret, she would become Stephanie the HIV girl.

She is so afraid of this stigma. A stigma that would always be with her. A haunting past she wouldn't be able to escape from.

Steffie would always say death is better than living a long life of shame. Death is just quick and its over. When she lives, she has to suffer over and over! She will be forever scarred!

She spent almost three months convincing her before she relented.

She was at her wits end! All her hair almost turned white! As a last resort, she used the spoon Steffie used.

Seeing me use her spoon, Steffie burst into tears!

Steffie was crying and weeping like a banshee. She was shouting like a madman slapping her crazy until her head was like a swollen pig head.

She, of course, gave her a slap too! They rolled in the mud like monkeys. Dragging each others hairs! Slapping each other silly. Scratching each others faces.

At the end, with all the filth and tears and swollen faces, they hugged each other while they cried and screamed like lunatics.

She was afraid for Steffie.

Steffie loved her enough to overcome her fears.

So, with scratches on their faces and a limp, they dragged themselves to the hospital and both had a check up.

Result?

Nada. Steffie is HIV negative.

Then they both suffered high fever after they got the result. Accumulated stress, maybe?

That past was so painful and excruciating. She won't allow Steffie to suffer that nightmare again!

Hmpf! Adrianna snorted as an evil gleam passed her eyes.

That scumbag better be obedient and die alone!

Or else, she wouldn't mind doing him a favor and putting him out of commission forever!