Broken

Chapter 5

Makenna laid front side down in her bed in a pair of black nightwear, unlike Hee who'd slept in her clothes from the night before. Her raven hair had escaped the confinement of the black satin scrunchie she'd used to put her hair up in a messy bun the night before and was sprawled on her pillow like a wavy mass of silk.

The noise from the hallway filtered into their room slightly muffled and unable to rouse them from their slumber. It wasn't until her phone rang that Hee flinched and began to grow conscious of her surrounding as the soft iPhone ringtone hammered at her head like it was hard rock music.

Hee grunted with a frown as the phone kept ringing,
"Mac." She mumbled quieter than she'd wanted, "Mac!"

Makenna opened her eyes a peep and it took her a moment before she realized it was her phone that was ringing. She quickly pushed off her bed and grabbed her phone from where she'd left it plugged in the night before.

"Hello." She sat back in bed, eyes falling shut,

"Kenna, honey, how are you?"

Makenna frowned and fell back into bed at the sound of her mum's chirpy voice,
"Mum?"

"Yes, honey, it's me."

"I know."

"Oh, did I wake?"

"Hmm," Makenna's eyes stayed shut as she tried to stay awake and partake in the conversation but it was a task.

"I'm sorry, go back to sleep, we'll talk later."

"No," She stopped her mum from hanging up, "I'm awake."

And she was, at that moment, but two things could happen. One, the conversation could go on and she would eventually fall back to sleep or two, her mum would hang up and she could try to go back to sleep but she knew sleep wouldn't come.

"We'll talk later, honey."

"Kenna, sweetheart."

"She's still sleeping, darling."

"Oh," Makenna smiled when her dad's voice dropped to a whisper, "Bye, sweetheart, we'll talk later."

Her parents hung up so fast, Makenna hadn't even been able to decide if she wanted them to hang up or keep talking. She loosened her grip on her phone and let it slide down to her bed as she tried to slip back into sleep. But after two whole minutes of trying harder than she should have, she gave up with a groan of frustration and sat up in bed, her back to the bedroom wall. She grabbed her phone, yawning as she dialled the first number in her call logs.

"Honey," Her mum picked it before the second ring, "Sorry, we woke you."

Makenna sniffled as she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes,
"No, it's ok."

"Your mum couldn't wait till later today to talk to you."

Makenna smiled to herself still unable to get over her parents' cuteness. She loved the fact that no matter which one of them called, they were both on the phone together except when one of them stepped out then she would call back later when both of them were together again.

"Mum, I'm barely an hour away from home and you saw me a few days ago."

"Yea, I know, I just wanted to know how your first day back in college went."

"Same as all the other first days back."

"Any gist?"

Makenna's eyes creased at the corners as she shut her eyes tightly, pained and at the same time found it humorous every time her dad used that exact phrase to ask for updates. She could picture her brother facepalming himself as soon as those words left her father's mouth.

"No, dad."

And once again, her dad's sigh tugged at a string in her heart. It had been a long time since her reply to her dad's favourite phrase had been anything other than 'no'. But there was nothing new to tell him, she told herself as she tried to convince herself that was truly the reason.

"Have you seen Killian?"

"No, mum, not yet."

"I still don't know what was so important he had to leave a week early."

Makenna knew exactly why and she figured her brother would tell them eventually but till then,
"He might like a girl."

"What?" Her parents' voice rang out together, sounding excited at the news,

"You didn't hear it from me."

"Our lips are sealed," Her dad said, "Tell us more."

Makenna almost laughed knowing very well that Killian was going to come looking for her sooner rather than later because her parents honestly couldn't keep a secret.

She spent a few more minutes on the phone with them before she got out of bed and went to get ready for the day. She went to the shared kitchen everyone on her floor used and prepared a concoction for Hee and headed back to the room.

"Hee," Makenna walked to her bed and shook her gently trying to wake her, "Hee, wake up."

"No."

"C'mon, you have to get up, you've got classes today."

Once those words left Makenna's mouth, she instantly felt her gut tighten. She shut her eyes and clenched her jaw feeling the war begin to stir up within.

What was a business with Hee's life? She didn't care if Hee attended her classes or not.
She let out a slow inaudible sigh.

"I can skip."

"Yea, whatever." Makenna turned away from her bed and placed the glass on her desk in front of the window.

She stood there for a moment, looking out of the window and took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. She didn't want to admit it but it was always a struggle for her every morning to put on her mask when there was a part of her that wanted to go without. She let herself believe she was truly the girl she tried so hard to be.

Makenna glanced at Hee on her bed still sleeping peacefully. Hee had done the same thing the previous semester, pushing off attending classes until towards the end of the semester when she had to get her attendance up.

Makenna glanced at the desk and woke her laptop. She plugged in the speaker before she searched for a song she knew all too well. She had an evil smile on her face before she played it then grabbed her bag. The rock music came through the speakers just as Makenna walked out of the room and shut the door with a bang behind her.

Makenna heard Hee curse out loud as she walked down the hallway and towards the stairs and she knew it was going to be a good day.