Sequel: You Could Be Happy ›
Wilted and Faded
it better be worth it, so much to die for
Tilting my head to the side I sighed as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in Johnny’s hall. I had gone to the doctor’s office yesterday where I had had my stitches removed. Brushing back my bangs I ran my fingertips over the slightly raised, pink line. The doctor said that the scar would fade in time but I didn’t mind it. It was a little reminder of the accident, ten days ago, that changed my life.
Moving my bang back over I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at myself in the mirror.
“You know making faces in the mirror is the second sign of madness?” asked Frank as he appeared behind me.
“Oh really? What’s the first?” I asked as I turned to face him.
“Talking to yourself,” he informed me, sticking his hands in the pockets of his tight black jeans.
I laughed, “Then I went mad a long time ago.”
Just then Johnny came in the tall, glass front door, half a dozen bags in his hands.
“Hey, need a hand?” I asked.
“Uh, sure,” he handed three of his bags to Frank who grimaced as he struggled through to the kitchen, “This is for you,” he handed me a glossy black shopping bag.
I followed Johnny through to the kitchen where the rest of the guys were and sat next to Bob at the kitchen table.
“What’s that?” he asked.
I shrugged as I tipped the bag’s contents onto the table. A couple of magazines and a small mound of fabric slid out.
“You bought me clothes?” I asked Johnny as Bob stole one of the magazines.
Johnny turned away from the food he was putting away, “Yeah. I figured you’d be bored with wearing band tees and jeans all the time. Plus it means you don’t have to inflict your shitty taste in music on the rest of us,” he grinned.
“Hey!” I cried, looking down at my red The Get Up Kids shirt, “But thank you,” I grinned up at him.
I jumped up and kissed his cheek before plopping back down in my seat and looking over my lush new clothes.
There was a pale pink hoodie with little pandas printed all over it, a navy shirt with red foil hearts, a denim trapeze dress with a wooden elephant buckle on the neckline, a lightweight lemon coloured cotton dress with lace around the hem, a loose multicoloured gingham tank top, leopard print leggings and a couple of different coloured tunic tops.
“Johnny, did the girl in the shop help you pick all this out by any chance?” I asked with a small smile.
“She might’ve.”
“Was she hot?” my smile was now a fully-fledged grin.
“Kind of,” my big brother actually blushed. He blushed!
“I knew there was no way you could have picked these out.”
“In my defence I picked out most of it!” Johnny retorted.
“Hey Ruby,” Bob poked my arm until I looked over at him, “There’s a piece about you in this magazine.”
Moving my bang back over I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at myself in the mirror.
“You know making faces in the mirror is the second sign of madness?” asked Frank as he appeared behind me.
“Oh really? What’s the first?” I asked as I turned to face him.
“Talking to yourself,” he informed me, sticking his hands in the pockets of his tight black jeans.
I laughed, “Then I went mad a long time ago.”
Just then Johnny came in the tall, glass front door, half a dozen bags in his hands.
“Hey, need a hand?” I asked.
“Uh, sure,” he handed three of his bags to Frank who grimaced as he struggled through to the kitchen, “This is for you,” he handed me a glossy black shopping bag.
I followed Johnny through to the kitchen where the rest of the guys were and sat next to Bob at the kitchen table.
“What’s that?” he asked.
I shrugged as I tipped the bag’s contents onto the table. A couple of magazines and a small mound of fabric slid out.
“You bought me clothes?” I asked Johnny as Bob stole one of the magazines.
Johnny turned away from the food he was putting away, “Yeah. I figured you’d be bored with wearing band tees and jeans all the time. Plus it means you don’t have to inflict your shitty taste in music on the rest of us,” he grinned.
“Hey!” I cried, looking down at my red The Get Up Kids shirt, “But thank you,” I grinned up at him.
I jumped up and kissed his cheek before plopping back down in my seat and looking over my lush new clothes.
There was a pale pink hoodie with little pandas printed all over it, a navy shirt with red foil hearts, a denim trapeze dress with a wooden elephant buckle on the neckline, a lightweight lemon coloured cotton dress with lace around the hem, a loose multicoloured gingham tank top, leopard print leggings and a couple of different coloured tunic tops.
“Johnny, did the girl in the shop help you pick all this out by any chance?” I asked with a small smile.
“She might’ve.”
“Was she hot?” my smile was now a fully-fledged grin.
“Kind of,” my big brother actually blushed. He blushed!
“I knew there was no way you could have picked these out.”
“In my defence I picked out most of it!” Johnny retorted.
“Hey Ruby,” Bob poked my arm until I looked over at him, “There’s a piece about you in this magazine.”