"What's wrong with me?" I wondered, picking at my dinner with my folk. I'd never been one to become angry and protective. Id only every followed the crowd. What changed? An echoing thud sounded from the hallway, causing to choke on my pizza.
"I'll get it." I moaned, disheartened.
My parents continued chewing awkwardly – somehow inert to my melancholy demeaner. The evenings always warped for us – the long hospital hour take their toll... Especially in the intensive care units.
"Meg." I gasped, unable to vail my surprize.
"Sunshine, what the hell?" She met me with her most shaming glare, which burned its way through my heart like acid. "I told you to be in the park at 6."
I whispered slowly; "I didn't think you'd want to speak to me, after... earlier..."
"I didn't." She retorted, uncertainly. "But I get it – you were stressed. Obviously, you didn't really mean to defend that snowflake – you were just – like – high? Or something..."
Understanding, I bit my lip.
This was it.
"No."
"What!?"
"I wasn't lying."
Meg gawped at me – utterly and completely speechless as I turned my eyes to her.
"You are spiteful and cruel. And I won't be a part of it anymore."
I held my head high, ebbing close to her height as I folded my arms; eyes narrowed.
Defiance.
"Fine." She huffed, like an angered, temperamental child, as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, storming down the twilight street; leaving the gentle hiss of menace in the icy air.
"You'll regret it."
I exhaled guiltily, as I quietly closed and locked the door; leaning into it – wishing I could sink through and escape the constant pressures of the world.
The scrapping of metal to plates softly, from across the hall, I slowly plodded into my bedroom – my footsteps heavy and dulled.
Regret aching.
Frustration.
Worry.
***
Some half an hour later, never-mind how long precisely; there was a gentle tap against my window. Probably, Meg back to throw wet toilet paper at me.
Another tap.
Groaning, I crawled off the bed and reached for the curtains.
"H-h-hi." Holly stammered, shivering in the bitter chill of the night air, hood pulled tightly over her head, protecting her thick bullets of rain as they plunged from the sky.
I pushed the window open further for her to clamber through.
"What happened?" I questioned, fearfully. I'd never seen Holly in such a weak and helpless state.
"I h-had a fight-t-t with my p-p-parents." She stuttered, unable to stop herself from trembling. "C-can I sleep-p on the f-f-floor here?"
"Of course." I answered, hurrying to pull the blanket from my bed and wrap it around her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, as I rushed from the room, fetching a toothbrush, some hot tea ane clean clothes from the kitchen. On my way back, I peeked through the door to my parents' room – already sound asleep. Quietly, I pulled it closed – they'd find out in the morning.
I returned to my room to find Holly curled up, sleeping, on the end of my bed.
I set the cup down on the table and pulled the blanket tighter around her small body, brushing the hair from her cheek.
She was always more of a child than she accepted.