❝She was powerful, not because she wasn't scared.

But, because she went on so strongly, despite the fear ❞

Mascara ran down her cheeks. Those eyes were bloodshot, telling a story about Hurt, sharing its pain and quietly begging me to stay. She didn't say it, but her eyes... Those eyes were telling so much, speaking in it's own way.

"Why are you so quiet? Laugh! Laugh as much as you want" She growled at me hiding behind her façade, concealing her emotions behind rage.

That's what I always did. That's what everyone does, because anger is so much easier than confronting your weakness, your pain. Letting people know that you are hurt.

"You think, I am here to laugh at you?" I asked bewildered, that didn't make sense.

"Of course! Isn't it what everyone would do? Thinking that the bitchy Ericka is such a wimp" She said, but there was pain in her voice. Somewhere hidden deep inside, it was there. Peeking through cacophony of emotions.

"No! Not at all and I am not a bitch. Okay... Maybe I am, but I am not that cruel"

That cracked a small smile on her now dull face as she tried to hide it. I mentally patted my back. It was those little things in life that mattered, that made me feel good about myself.

"Come on now, wash your face and clean yourself up"

"I am absolutely fine" She now said in a defeated tone. Her dark hair was a mess and her cheeks tinted black. Her worn out look told me that it had been hard on her, the world felt like a cruel place for her.

"Yeah and I don't breathe" I muttered, rolling my eyes and grabbing her arms, I dragged her towards the mirror.

"See yourself and tell me, do you look fine?" I said to her strictly then softly added "It's okay, You know? I am here, you can talk to me"

"As if it's going to change anything" She chuckled bitterly as I gave her a bored look. After forcing her and getting into silly arguments, she finally gave in.

"So what happened?" I asked hesitantly just as she turned around, after fixing her hair.

"I don't know what to do" She whispered faintly. If only she knew, that somewhere inside I felt the same.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion laced my tone and put my hand on her arm.

She let out a sigh then spoke "I broke up with my boyfriend Brent"

Crying over a guy may seem like a foolish thing to some people. But, only those who went through that knew how it felt like to be betrayed by someone. To leave someone you were so attached to.

After a long pause she quietly mumbled again "And now he is blackmailing me"

"WHAT?" I let out incredulously, weird annoyance and anger was itching my senses.

A small lonely tear left her eye and she quickly, stubbornly wiped it with the back of her hand. I waited for her to say something and after what felt like eternity, she finally spoke.

"He has some inappropriate photos of me, while I was.... you know. I don't know how or when he clicked all those, but he did and now, he is blackmailing me"

Her voice cracked by the end and the mask fell on the ground crumbling into ashes. Her breath strangled as she tried her hardest to stay strong.

I stepped closer and gently rubbed her back, hugging closely from the side.

"H-He wants me to uh to get back to-together with him or else he will spread the photos all over the social media. I can't, I can't, I can't let t-that happ-" She didn't even complete the sentence as she burst into tears.

"Shh.. Everything is going to be fine. We'll find a way" I said, hugging her and it was true, my mind was running thousand miles per minute, searching for an idea and planning stuff.

"We?" She asked, pulling away and furrowed her eyebrows. It seemed like the dumbest question ever.

Rolling my eyes I said "Of course we! I'll help you"

Looking down, she smiled softly but there was a pinch of sadness in it "I don't know what to do though" She mumbled quietly and looked up at me with a forced smile. I felt so bad for her, but not just her. Sometimes I felt bad for myself too.

Just by looking at her, I was having this weird craving to punch that fucking dickhead twice, no wait twice wasn't enough. I wanted to beat the life out of him.

"But I do," I said just as a vicious plan came in my mind. Now I just hoped that it would work.

"You do?" She perked up.

"Yeah, but do you know where he hid those photos?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

If only I had someone with a plan for me too, then ,maybe I wouldn't have been a lost soul, lurking in the dark corners. Afraid of the dark yet stayed there, because it felt more familiar than the unknown light.

"Don't know. Probably his laptop or something" Ericka's voice brought me back into reality.

I shook my head slowly, instantly a frown made its way on my face "Okaaaay. Do you know where he lives?" I asked, ignoring the sudden change in my voice.

Confused she nodded her head slowly and spoke up "His apartment is not too far from here, but he wouldn't be there at this time"

I mentally threw a fist in the air in victory, then grabbing her hand, I said "Come on! Let's go" an rushed towards the door.

"Where?" She baffled.

Looking over my shoulder, I threw her a evil smirk and announced "We have a apartment to break in"

~~~

"Why didn't you tell me about the key?" I exclaimed in disappointment.

"I didn't? Well you know now. Besides, I already told you that he forgot to take it back. What a loser" Ericka spat angrily twisting the key. Poor key.

"Shame. I was in the mood for some lock picking, you know? Illegal shit" I sighed looking around, checking if someone was there or could see us.

"Breaking in someone's house in their absence to steal shit is illegal" Ericka snorted, then turned around grinning when the door unlocked. She was quite happy with my plan, actually she was happy with everything as long as she got those photos deleted.

"Let's go girl! Show that jerk who's the real boss here" I said walking inside the apartment. I heard her quite giggle from behind.

I instantly regretted walking in first just as I saw the horrific scene in front of me. My jaw hung open. There were lot's of empty beer bottles on the floor, dirty clothes everywhere and small packets of some kind of white powder. No way!

Wide eyed I turned around to look at Ericka who had a kinda ashamed look on her face. Balancing her weight on one feet to another, she looked down.

"Is tha-" I began to speak but she cut me off

"Yeah" She whispered faintly.

Gulping down, I nodded dismissing the topic, It was none of my business anyway. Who am I to judge? I titled my head to take another look at the messy apartment.

"Where should we start first?" Me and Ericka asked at the same time, facing each other. Well... Let the fun begin.

~~~

"Did you find it?" I yelled rummaging through the drawer. It had been almost an hour and we didn't find a single thing, I had this weird gut feeling that maybe, maybe he had those photos in his phone and not anywhere here. God no..

"NOPE!" I heard Ericka's muffled yell.

Cursing under my breath, I carefully walked towards what seemed like a bedroom. Trying not to step on the dirty clothes or bottled spilled on the floor.

The door was ajar as I walked in. From the corner of my eyes I saw a used condom. What the fucking hell? Gross!

You did not see it. Do not puke. You did not see anything I chanted in my head making a disgusting face.

Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself down as I walked towards the bedside table.

Opening the drawer, I searched through small pieces of paper, a bubblegum and some weird random stuff. Letting out a disappointed sigh, I slammed the drawer shut.

Frustrated, I gritted my teeth and made my way towards the wardrobe. That small wooden door was unlocked, clearly whoever that guy was, he was really careless and messy and a jackass and hell lot of things more.

I went through his clothes, ruining everything, then my eyes caught the most beautiful thing ever. Shining in it's all silver glory, it was laying there comfortably.

My eyes went wide with happiness as I grabbed the light weighted device in my hands. Who keeps their MacBook in the wardrobe? Someone who have something to hide.

"FOUND IT!"

"FOUND IT!"

I frowned as I wondered, why was my voice echoing, then I realized that it was Ericka who yelled at the same time as me.

I heard footsteps running closer and closer towards the room, without hesitating running towards its target.

"What did you find?' Her voice boomed as she burst into the room.

I raised my hand slightly, showing the silver Mac in it. But, then furrowed my eyebrows when I saw a flash drive in her hands.

"Wher-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the ringing of the doorbell echoed in the silent apartment. Both of our breaths stopped as we froze in our place.

We looked at each other with wide eyed, thousands of thoughts going in our head and millions of what ifs. Horrible consequences and scenes came in my mind.

The doorbell rang again breaking me out of my trance of thoughts. "You stay here, I'll go get the door" Ericka quietly spoke, handing me the flash drive.

"Bu-" I opened my mouth to argue. But, without paying any attention, she went out of the bedroom.

I looked down at the Mac and the flash drive in my hand and let out strings of curses. Calming myself down. I looked around the room and patiently, I waited for shouts, for cops. But, thankfully they didn't come.

A moment later, I heard the front door shut. Sighing in relief I walked out of the room, reminding myself to go to church.

"Everything is clear. We're good to go" Ericka said assuringly, then winked at me.

"Who was it?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

She motioned me to look towards the table, I tilted my head and saw a brown wrapped box. In that moment I felt relieved, relieved and some more relieved.

"We should get going" I said turning towards her as she nodded

Seconds later, we were out of that shitty apartment. Thankfully we got what we wanted, our work was done. Calm and content we walked towards Ericka's car standing little far from the building.

The sky was painted in light hues of orange and blue, Indicating the arrival of dusk. The wind caressed my face as I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. There was a strange sense of peace and laziness in the air and I loved it.

~~~

"What now?" I asked munching my sprinkled Donut. We were at Erica's place, don't know how we ended up there but, we did. Maria was spending the night at Sharon's so it wasn't a big deal.

I was sitting crossed legs on Ericka's king size bed, with a box of donuts and coffee. I was pretty sure that this is how heaven felt like.

"I don't know," She said, grabbing a donut and taking a big bite.

Turned out that jackass had a password on his Mac and Ericka being Erica, she entered lot's of incorrect passwords without even thinking twice and now it was permanently locked.

"I think we should just destroy the drive and that MacBook" I stated slurping my coffee.

"No. I want these safe and sound, who knows might come in handy someday?" She said smirking towards me with that cold and evil glint in her eyes. I smirked at her in return admiring her vicious mind.

"But for now, we need someone who can hack into it" She sighed disappointingly.

Instantly an idea clicked in my mind, more like a suggestion, which could be helpful. I remembered a distant conversation that had taken place not too long ago.

"I think I know who can do it," I said to myself.

"Really?' Ericka asked jumping excitedly, she gave me that puppy dog eyes and took my hands in hers showing her appreciation. Sitting there Awkwardly I just nodded with only one question on my mind.

'Will he do it?'

I am sorry for the mistakes and errors and also for the long wait.

It's just that I was supeeerrrr busy with my classes and stuff, so I hardly got time to read or write. Hope you understand.

Anyway hope you liked it and if you didn't, then do tell me why. Don't forget to vote and share your thoughts.

Bye, Take care all of you. Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful :)

Love, Zee...