Miss Otaku

Abandoned?

I opened my eyes and saw a ceiling familiar with me. I frowned. Why does it feel like I'm in my own room's ambience? I frowned again. The last thing I remember is flying to the air after touching the door knob of my classroom's door. 

I turned her head to look around in order to ascertain the place where I am in. To my surprise, I saw the curtains of my room. I attempted to sit down on my bed immediately after realizing that I'm home but I have no strength left in my body to do that. Besides, I feel so hot.

"You're awake."

I flinched. Hearing that familiar voice, I turned my head and saw Mr. Truman who stood up and walked near me the moment I attempted to sit down. With worried eyes, he looked at me and raised the back of his hand to feel the temperature of my forehead. 

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked as if knowing what I wanted to do. 

I nodded. 

"You have been sleeping for two days now," he said as he helped me sit with my back on the headboard. 

Two days? My eyes widened. 

"You had a high fever the day you went to school. The doctor in your school's clinic called me so I fetched you the same day."

He looked at me and studied my face while saying so. However, I am sure that he cannot see the expression on my eyes. 

"Are you being bullied at school?" he suddenly asked out of nowhere. 

I didn't reply. I just looked at one side and let out a heavy breath.

"M-Mr. Truman, where is my mom?" I asked instead, attempting to change the topic. Besides, I have never seen mom since the day I went to school.

"Oh..." the old man replied. "Your mom is not yet back. She went on a trip to one of our company's branches in the countryside."

That caught me in surprise. A trip to one of their company's branches? 

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Mr. Truman said after a while. "Eden was hired as one of my assistants in the company. She works for me. Since I am old now and can't travel far distances, she does it for me."

I am literally stunned. My mom? An assistant? How can that happen? All her work in the past have been confined into household chores - cleaning the house of rich people, washing their clothes and gardening. How come she became an assistant all of a sudden? I can't understand. What's more, how come she's not here when I am sick? This is not so her at all. I closed my eyes and laid my head on the headboard, tears streaming down my face. Even my mom is out of reach now. 

"Lily," Mr. Truman said and tapped my shoulder gently. His eyes are full of concern as he looked at me. "Your mom will come back later after finishing her work. Don't worry."

Silence. 

"By the way, what do you want to eat? I'll ask the cook to prepare food for you," Mr. Truman said when he noticed that I am not comfortable with him around. Perhaps, he senses my need to be alone. He stood up from the edge of the bed and took a step away. 

"N-nothing, sir," I replied. 

Mr. Truman did not respond. He kept silent but I can feel that he is staring at my head. He breathed deeply afterwards. 

"I'll ask them to prepare porridge for you. Eat it and drink your medicine later," he said softly and headed towards the door. 

Seeing the old man leave the room, I cannot help but wonder why he is treating me like this. He is so kind to me. Aside from my mom, no one has really been kind to me ever since. Everybody has been a bully, hurting my feelings and even my physical body. However, why would Mr. Truman do this to me? Why would he care for me as if I am someone special and important? He even personally picked me up from our school clinic. 

I breathed and closed my eyes again. Remembering what happened in the classroom, I cannot feel anything at all. It was just as if I went through nothing. What hurt right now is my mom's actions of just leaving me behind here in this place where strangers are. How could she do this? She's the only person I have relied on for fifteen years and she should know that. How come she left without saying goodbye? What's more, I woke up from sickness without her on my side. That hurt a lot. 

"Mom...why are you doing this to me?" I whispered, feeling pity for myself. "Have you abandoned me, too?" 

At this, her tears flowed like a dam. The tears that I have been holding back in front of Mr. Truman fell all of a sudden without stop. 

I have been abandoned by people, by everyone, by the whole world. My mother was my last pillar of strength, the one I completely relied on. I can stand all kinds of bullying from other people but my mom leaving like this is a big blow that I have not prepared myself to face yet. What if my mom decided to leave me here? What would I do?

Just then, my cellphone blinked accompanied by a ringtone. Startled, I looked at it and realized that it's my favorite character in the game that I was playing in my cellphone. I upgraded my character during the first time I came into this house and faced my own computer. 

Realizing that I haven't played for two days in a row, I pulled my cellphone near me and opened the game. My account is automatically logged in so the game just started. Soon, my character leveled up. However, I am not satisfied with my cellphone. I looked at her computer in the corner of my room. At this point, I wanted to stand up. 

Helping myself, I went down the bed and walked slowly towards my computer. I turned it on and logged in the game that I just started minutes ago. I stared at the open game. 

This is the world, my world where no one could ever control except myself.