Losing Love

Mandy stirred awakening to the bright beem of light that was shining through the slight opening in her curtains. She stretched feeling every muscle in her body extend. She looked at her clock it was seven thirty on a Saturday morning, everyone else was still sleeping. She had gone to bed early the night before so she was just glad that she had got a few hours sleep, she hoped she would not feel as tired today. She sat up leaning on her elbows and drank in the sights of her new room. Her parents were really doing everything they could to keep her mind off of things.

She pulled back the covers and shivered as the coldness of the morning met her skin. She dragged her legs over the side of the bed and walked to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth she decided to take a shower. She turned up the temperature to as much as she could handle and let the hot water relax every bone in her body. Today was Nick's birthday and even though she had to face the day without him, a day he should have been here to celebrate, she refused to pull herself around the house like a lifeless body again today, if not for herself for her family. Besides, Nick would have hated to see her the way she was acting lately.

She reached over for the shampoo and her eye's narrowed when she realized the cherry one she usually used was no longer there. She tried to remember if she had got rid of it but she didn't. She smiled coming to the conclusion that her mother was taking the 'fresh start' a little bit too far. She didn't mind though, she had wanted to get rid of it. The new shampoo smelt of coconut as she massaged it into her caramel hair.

She thought of the fact that she would have to return to school soon. Maybe she could teach herself how to block out the stares but she knew that would be impossible. She would have to get through it and just start to appreciate that people just want to support her.

She stayed a little bit longer than usual in the shower, she needed to pass away the time, she had a long and painful day ahead of her. She patted her wet hair with a towel and wrapped another one around her shivering body. As she stood in front of her wardrobe she had decided to wear something that wasn't black for a change. She pulled out her blue sweater and tight legged jeans. She brushed her hair and left it. She did not want to wake anyone with the noise of the hair dryer. She dressed her bed and pulled back her curtains. A thin tansluent sheet of frost had formed on the window. The sun reflected off of it like tiny crystals.

She crept down the stairs trying to avoid the noisy steps. She dropped her washing in the basket, it was now nine o' clock. She had planned to meet her friends at Nick's house at five. She placed the silver oval shaped locket in her palm and gripped it tightly as she felt the nervous knot form in her stomach. She shook her head trying to get rid of the thoughts of what she would have to face tonight. Instead, she turned on the t.v. in the living room and crawled across the couch. Her wet hair was dangling off of the end. She flicked through the channels and decided on some romantic-comedy. She didn't even take note of the name. She hated romantic-comedies, everything was so cliche. It was the type of romance that you knew could only happen in a Hollywood movie, the type that made you want to stick your fingers back your throat and gag.

She heard someone gasp behind her. She jumped up onto her knees in fright only to see her brother's wide eyes stare back at her. She rolled her eye's waiting for her breathing to return to its normal pace. "Christ Matt. What are you trying to do?"

"Sorry, I am just surprised to see you up." He stammered.

"Like wise." She said holding her hand to her chest placing herself back down onto her back.

"I am always up this early, Mandy." He told her. "Move your legs." She pulled her legs up and laid them back down on him when he had sat down. "You must have been up early?" He questioned.

"Yeah, seven thirty." His eye's widened in shock.

"What?" She demanded feeling uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.

"Nothing," He said nodding his head. "So do you like your room?" He continued. He was going to ask her about tonight but he soon realized that bringing up Nick might be bad idea. His sister looked a lot better to him than she had been lately, he did not want to ruin it. Besides, he knew she was probably killing herself trying to forget about opening that box tonight.

"Yeah I love it." She smiled and for the first time in months he saw the famous sparkle back in his sisters eye. The one that made her the envy of every girl that saw her. He had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in his throat. "You had breakfast?" She asked.

"Ah, no, why?"

"Come on then, I will make some. How about scrambled egg and toast?" She beamed.

"My favorite." He said as he jumped up from the couch.

She cracked four eggs into the saucepan and she added milk, "Stir this. I will put on the toast. If you let that stick to the pot, I swear you will be wearing egg today." He laughed and began stirring just as he was told.

After their breakfast Matt cleared away the plates into the dish washer as Mandy went upstairs to do her hair. Her parents were already up claiming that they had woken them laughing whilst they were preparing breakfast. She dried the wet ends of her hair, applied some make-up to her smooth sallow skin and some gold eyeshadow. The brown eyeliner and the gold eyeshadow made her green eye's pop. Her eyelashes feathered just below her brow as she applied a light amount of mascara. She never needed much, her lashes were already long enough. She had been going around like a zombie for the past couple of weeks she had forgot she even had make-up.

She opened up her drawer and took out the key Nick had given to her. She held it tightly in her hand. She had no idea why she was so nervous, he wasn't going to do anything stupid - well at least she hoped he wouldn't. She should have been happy that he had given her a surprise even when it was his birthday. She looked down at the key and smiled. Today is going to be a good day, she thought but the knot in her stomach needed more convincing. Her thought couldn't be that wrong - could they?