Baby, You're Not In Hell Any More

The food Brian made was good. For a male, he was a decent cook. I ate slowly, not wanting to have my stomach upset for piling food into it. He made blue berry pancakes, for himself and me. He ate quickly, reading the paper that he got from the person who drove the bus. Once I finished, I took my plate and his into the kitchen.

I started to do the dishes, so he wouldn’t have too. He seemed pretty deep into an article in the morning paper, so I highly doubt he noticed me. I heard the turning of the page, before hearing him clear his throat. I ignored him, rolling my eyes along with it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He questioned, I could feel the heat coming from his body onto mine. He was standing behind me. I still said nothing, trying to pretend he wasn’t there. I heard him sigh and shift his weight. I smirked. As long as he couldn’t see my face, then there was no way of him knowing that all I wanted to do was burst into laughing. “Un hello, I am speaking to you.” His voice was slightly annoyed with my ignoring him. This just made me want to laugh harder, it was hard to reframe myself from doing so, but I managed.

“The dishes.” I said simply, like it was so obvious. I continued to wash, rinse and then out on the rack for them to dry. It wasn’t hard, I could do it. Ignoring the pain that shot though my body made it a little difficult, but once again I managed.

“Why?” He questioned. I could feel him raise his eye brows and cross his arms over his chest. What’s with all of the questions? “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Well, to be more exact, I should go to the hospital.” I said finishing up the dishes, and beginning to clean up the counters and out things, where I assumed, they went. “But then you would have to tell them that you whacked me one with your bus.” I said with a small laugh.

“You’re right.” He said shaking his head and sitting on the couch, me not too far behind. I sat down and let my eyes look at the patterns on the ceiling, for a long amount of time. “but then we would be in serious trouble.” He mumbled the last part, as if I wasn’t supposed to hear it, but I did. So, they didn’t want to get into trouble. Understandable.

“Who’s getting in trouble?” came a males voice by the kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee. I looked up and saw a half way dead Zack. He was in a white shirt and boxers. His hair was just as a mess as Brian’s was. He dug the golden crystals from his eyes yawning.

“Nobody.” I mumbled, picking at a lose string on the fabric of my shirt. I heard Brian lay backwards, getting comfortable. He still looked very tired. Why he didn’t go to bed, I will never know. Once I am awake, there is no going back to sleep until that night.

“Nah, Emily said something about us needing to take her to the hospital.” Brian admitted. He sounded tired even. Though, it was like something was weighing on his mind. I couldn’t tell what, but to be honest, I didn’t care. That much.

“Wouldn’t we get sued? Charged with attempted manslaughter or some shit like that?” Zack asked taking a seat beside me and sipping on his coffee. The steam could be seen coming from his cup. Just think about how hot that liquid was going into his mouth, burning his taste buds and doing down his throat. I cringed.

“Hell if I know.” I said quietly. I looked at Zack who just merely nodded, setting his coffee cup down and grabbing his pack of smokes.

I hadn’t had a smoke in a week. Was it killing me? Yes it was. I was addicted to nicotine. The stuff was more addictive then heroine. I hated that I was a smoker, but I didn’t feel like getting up to get my backpack.

“How old are you?” Zack asked, dragging on his cigarette for a while. He looked at me. His eyes were a bright green, but dull from him just having woken up. He gave me a small smile.

I gave him a small smile back. “I just turned fifteen.” I said quietly. I was young and I knew it. I had my whole life a head of me, but I seemed to want it to hurry up and get to the part where I have a career and could make my own decisions, not have anyone older then me to get into the way. I had only been fifteen a month, and already wanted to be sixteen.

“You’re young.” Brian laughed. I rolled my eyes. He chuckled a bit. He was telling stories about what he used to do when he was my age. Did he not realize that he was making him sound very old? I don’t think so. I was going to keep my mouth shut and let him reminisce.

“Hand me my backpack, would you please Zack?” I asked sweetly. I smiled at him. He got up, got my backpack and handed it to me, with a smile. I smiled back. “Thank you.” My voice was low; soft. I pulled out a pack of Marlboro menthols. I put one between my lips and lit up.

Brian and Zack’s eyes darted to me as I lit up. I set my backpack on the floor and drug hard on my own cigarette, pretending to not notice their stares. The nicotine went into my lungs, making me shiver. I blew out a thick grey/blue smoke from my mouth and nose. I looked at Brian and Zack. “What?”

“You smoke?” Zack asked, more irritated then shocked. I raised my eye brow and nodded slowly. He dragged hard on his cigarette, looking ahead of him, not giving me a second glance. “dumb ass move.”

“I beg your pardon?” I asked, my voice rose with my irritation. I flicked my ashes in the ask trey, eyeing Zack. He wasn’t my parent’s, he couldn’t tell me what I could and could not do. Hell, he hardly even knew me; at all.

“Nothing.” He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

“No, go ahead. Say it.” I said, egging him on. I wanted him to say it to my face, not to the wall in front of him. How ridiculous could that be to other people? I was irritated. I didn’t have nor need guidance from my parents and I sure as hell didn’t need it from some snot nosed twenty year old man in a band. Hell no, not happening.