"Anna!

Give it back!" echoed Persephone's saccharine voice through the empty walls of the corridor.

It was meant to be sarcastic, but such a voice could make anyone's heart skip a beat.

"It's God's will! You won't get your phone back until you eat." Anna Christ, being the stubborn one, knew how to push her bestie's buttons.

"I can't-" huffed Persephone, tired from the not-so-cheerful banter. 

"You know that I need it...it's the only thing keeping me sane...letting me know-"

"-how Will is doing. I know, but you have to understand, Persephone. This break is for you to heal yourself...not get drowned in laments you seek to forget, and neither do you get to distract yourself with more pain. Like him." Anna was firm in her voice. 

She knew that a vulnerable Persephone was capable of ruining herself.  Anna couldn't afford it, especially because she-

Never mind. Some words are better left unsaid.

"Here, have this pancake Mr Rose cooked before leaving for work. It's already lost its warmth, don't let it get soggy. Bye now, gotta go study for the test." she waved Persephone a goodbye.

"Mhmm...and all the best!" said the freckled girl as she pretended to eat.

She was broken. Her dear mother had passed away in a car crash, and she never got to even express how much she loved her, one last time. Cherished her. Idolised her. 

"You embarass me, mum! Can't you be a bit more feminine? All mothers cook for their kids...you don't even care!"

Care.

Now she knew, who didn't care.

It was all over in a split second.

When she heard the news of the demise, she wished it was her in her mum's place. And now, all she wanted was to vanish into thin air. And she would, had not responsibilities shackled her to the cold ground.

Mrs Rose had been a reputed lawyer, the best in their humble town, and bore the burden of the daily bread. Adam rose, her father, was a gardner and after the death, was now working his limit to provide for their daughter.

Persephone had taken a year's leave from the school, and would study at home, only to give the end-of-the-term exams. The reason she did so was because of an unprecedented panic attack. Which she had on the very first day of freshman year of high school. A week after the unholy event.

Since that day, she had barely slept. Barely eaten. Barely lived. 

The question is: did she want to? Or, will she ever want to?