Meanwhile, she thought.

One afternoon, Gabriel decided to stop procrastinating and finally get out of bed after a fortnight which felt like a year to her. Her positive unicorn spirit was upping her pessimistic stay in bed soul.

She decided to have lunch all by herself and embrace her solitude for once than dig deep into the reasons why she felt so alone. She had read about this pretty place called Fables and decided to visit keeping her social anxiety at bay. She put on her pop culture referencing T-shirt, her comfortable trousers, a beanie and thought, “That’ll keep people at bay.”

When she got out of her house, she decided to get a cab instead of a bus, as she’d have to face only the cabbie and not the random strangers who’d stare at her for strangeness. Gabriel was bald, wide eyed, pouty lipped, but still managed to look beautiful. She knew she was beautiful yet strange for the society to accept her.

She reached Fables in her over-priced cab and talked to the receptionist, “table for 1, please?” The receptionist gave her the pity look she was trained to give and which Gabriel had experienced all her life. Gabriel couldn’t digest the fact that table for  1 came with two chairs. She decided to let it pass and readied herself to put down her emotional baggage on the second chair.

                          She looked at the elegant menu and decided to order a salad because that is the only thing she could pronounce from the fancy menu with dishes like, Coquilles saint-Jacques; Blanquette de veau. She looked at the next table where a girl around her age was writing in a book which looked like a journal she kept. She wore a suede jacket, jeans and shoes. She was beautiful to look at. Gabriel imagined her in a club with loads of friends, partying, drinking and now she is here trying to get sober after her hangover.              Well, she knew the other girl was having a hangover as she continuously rubbed her head and had ordered a coffee as the waiter approached her a few minutes ago and said, “miss Delilah, was it a cappuccino or an espresso?” Gabriel thought of approaching her but let her introverted behaviour dominate her and decided to have her salad all alone.

 

                                                    

 Delilah’s journal:

Dear diary, I am sorry to have overdosed last night. I am just frustrated and want this to get over. I feel guilty to have cut myself so many times but pain makes me feel alive. I want to let you know I am trying my best to get over anxiety and keep depression at bay so I am at this place called fables. It is overpriced so I can only afford coffee. Also, there is this pretty girl staring at me.  Maybe she can see my scars. I am so scared. I want to talk to someone and get over this loneliness. Having a conversation with the waiter wasn’t supposed to be the highlight of my day. Maybe the other girl is alone, too. Can she talk to me? I need someone. Maybe I should approach her. But she is so beautiful, she might think I am weird. Oh, the coffee’s here. The conversation, maybe some other afternoon.