[ wp ] Your former high school bully that drove you to attempted suicide years ago turns out to be your soulmate later in life .


 
 She was never one of those girls whose laugh sounded like the ringing bells of heaven, whose friends followed them around like ducklings, whose hair could go through a tornado and a landslide and still manage to fall perfectly on her shoulders. 
 
 But for some reason, I was always mesmerized by her, completely in love. 
 
 Those soft brown tresses and captivating sapphire eyes reeled me in time after time again, and while I wish I could say that she saw me in the same light, she did n't. 
 
 And that's why I absolutely despised her. 
 
 Day after day, I made her life a living hell, and I relished those moments of superiority that only she could give me. Her existence enthralled yet infuriated me, and instead of simply coming out with her to how I felt, I found other... ways, to show my affections. People say that girls are the nastier of the two genders, capable of sending ANOTHER into the depths of hell, driving each other up the spire of insanity. I could n't agree more. 
 
 Being an attractive male in a high school full of attention thirsty girls, it was n't exactly difficult to spread lies and rumors about `` the girl that professed her love to me, yet had sex with the weird kid in art class the next day'' and things like that. It was n't hard to convince the others at school that she was a lesbian, that she enjoyed the screams of children, that she had recently had an abortion because she was pregnant with Andy's child. 
 
 Throughout the years of high school, the effect all of this had on her was blatantly obvious. She no longer curled her hair, no longer kept it groomed like it once was. She ditched the contacts, instead opting for the thick glasses that she had had since elementary, thinking nobody would care since everybody hated her anyways. She stopped wearing all of the cute, expensive clothes, quit all of her clubs and sports, instead finding solace within the other wallflowers in the school. Even then, she was an outcast among them, forced out among the edge of the circle. Still, deep down the allure of her kept dragging me back, no matter how hard I tried to stay away. 
 
 In the end, she tried to take her life. 
 
 It was the day before graduation; I still remember it as clear as day. `` Jason, dude, Mia might be like, dead.'' Everything around me seemed to melt as I listened to those words escape from the phone pressed up against my ear. 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` Mia Buttreeks?'' My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, my breath faltered. 
 
 `` What do you mean?'' I questioned, trying to hide my panic. I had always loathed and loved the girl at the same time; even I was still unsure of what my feelings towards her were. 
 
 `` She's like, dead. I heard she swallowed a bunch of Aspirin and bam, her parents heard a bang in her bedroom and ran upstairs and she fell onto the kitchen sink, and they rushed her to the hospital where my sister works, and I guess she's in pretty bad shape and they do n't think she's gon na like, make it out alive. I guess we did it, huh?'' The voice on the other end of the phone started off the story with a slight chuckle in his voice and a sense of glee, but gradually faded into something that almost resembled... guilt. The world started to cave in on me. 
 
 `` Really? Yea... I guess we did. I'll see you later, buddy,'' I responded in a dull tone, brain not fully comprehending what I had just found out. Gray shouted something about graduation before I slammed my phone shut, throwing it against the kitchen floor of the party I was at. What had I done? 
 
 
 
 
 After high school, I had attended a large university on a football scholarship. I'd rather not say for both safety and privacy reasons. I talked to many, many psychiatrist and psychologists about everything that had happened, in fear that I was possibly a sociopath or something even worse. While I had nothing wrong in that sort of category, I did receive counseling over what I had done. It was the best decision I ever could've made. I never did find out what came of Mia; instead, I just used her as a martyr to better myself every day. Ten years after graduating from grad school, after many apprenticeships and side jobs to pay off my debts, I opened up my own clinic and became an official psychiatrist. Since then, I've helped a multitude of people. Some of them are teens that remind me of myself, some remind me of Mia. The latter only fuel me to help them as best as I can so no other teen will have to endure the mental pain I have from knowing what I had done. 
 
 
 
 The cold beer felt good on my throat, aching from the tears I had held back. One of my closest, most dearest patients had passed, leaving me in deep despair. I could only rejoice that her passing was peaceful, and not that of a suicide. As expected, the crowd was thin at the bar, considering Thursday's are n't exactly a prime time for going out with the lads. Still, most of the seats in the bar portion of the small pub were filled by various kinds of people. 
 
 Sipping on the cold brew and reflecting on the past few weeks, I barely noticed a presence next to me. Not that I cared, really, until the girl brought herself to my attention. `` Do you mind if I sit here?'' Her soft vocals asked, soft yet friendly. I froze for a few moments, then slowly lowered my glass to the mahogany in front of me. That voice was so familiar, so familiar that I almost thought I was having another nightmare. The lack of an answer must've agitated her, because she picked up her wallet once more, preparing to move. `` I'm sorry- it's just...'' she skipped a beat, obviously looking elsewhere. ``... that guy over there is eyeing me up, and it's really making me uncomfortable. I can le-'' 
 
 `` No. Stay.'' I knew it as soon as I saw her. It was Mia. Her hair had grown long and silky once more, spilling over her shoulders like the most beautiful of waterfalls. All of the weight she lost through the torment had been found again, cheekbones less obvious yet still carving through the porcelain skin. Speaking of which, was no longer the pasty paleness I had remembered. The most significant change of all was her eyes. The glasses must've been discarded somewhere and replaced with contacts once more. Those piercing sapphires were back, more warm and comforting than I had ever since. No longer were her demons swimming in her own tears, eyelids barely staying up because she had n't slept in days. It was the Mia I had fallen in love with, and the Mia I had always wanted. I braced myself for the worse, knowing that the moment she laid eyes upon my face she would either smack me across the face or flee the bar in terror. Instead, she did neither; she only batted those luscious eyelashes innocently, wondering why I had changed my mind so quickly. 
 
 `` My names Jason,'' I greeted. Most of my life, I would've considered myself a pretty smooth guy. But now, for some reason, all sense had been stolen from me. 
 
 `` I'm Mia,'' she reciprocated, corners of her pink lips curving into a gentle smile. I almost wanted to respond with'I know', but I bit my tongue before it could escape my lips. 
 
 
 Two and a half drinks later, Mia and I were laughing with each other like old friends. I suppose that's half true. After telling yet another hilarious anecdote, her smile and eyes fell, mood becoming more somber. Uh oh. This is what I'd been fearing the whole time. `` What's wrong?'' I questioned, lowering my voice so that others around would n't hear. 
 
 `` It's just... I do n't know if I should tell you. It'll probably sound like I'm a stupid cry baby.'' I simply shook my head at this because I knew what was about to come. Instead of spilling everything out to me, like I expected, what came next was far more shocking... and likely to my benefit. `` I was bullied in high school to the point of attempted suicide my senior year. I never walked across the stage, I...'' a single tear fell from her eye, and I gently wiped it away with my thumb. `` I do n't remember any of it, I ca n't, because when... when I tried to kill myself, I fell onto the sink and hit my head. Sometimes I'm not sure if I would rather remember or not, but...'' her voice faltered. I placed my hand on her chin and delicately lifted her face so her eyes looked into mine. Staring into those eyes I had always longed for, things were said that were never said out loud. 
 
 `` Mia... tomorrow night? I'll pick you up at eight.'' 
 
 She smiled, nodding her head. The water pooling in her eyes seemed to disappear instantaneously. 
 
 `` I think I'd like that.''
