Something That Makes Me Whole
Dix-Huit
As the children all came out at the end of the play, I saw Brian lift his hand and give a small wave to Amber who was dressed up in the dress I made her with a pair of black wings on her back. I, leaning towards Brian so she could see me better since the guy sat in front of me had a huge ass afro, raised my own hand and waved.
For a little while she looked confused, which, I guess was the fault of my hair colour, before lifting her smile to a grin and waving back a little more enthusiastically. I gave a gentle laugh as Brian kissed the side of my head, laughing himself. The children walked off the stage then, the lights coming back up and lighting the hall. "I think it's safe to say you're gonna be mobbed." Brian grinned as I stood and stretched.
Briefly I saw his eyes wander down my body, taking longer to look away from my hip bones. I stopped and pulled the top down feeling conscious of myself and pulled my jacket on. His eyes met mine, looking...disappointed? Sad? Angry? I'm not surprised. After all he had told me to look after myself and I'd failed by becoming depressed and home sick.
Once my bag was in place I followed Brent out of the aisle, one of Brian's hands resting gently on my waist as if to guide me. Then once he was able to stand beside me he took my hand again and headed back outside. It wasn't entirely dark, the setting sun still casting a glow over the city but the breeze had picked up a little causing Goosebumps to form on my bare legs and whipping bits of hair around my face.
I saw Felix waiting in the car for me, but stopped the engine and climbed out when I beckoned to him. He wandered over to us, smiling, I'm guessing at the knot that was me and Brian's hands. Well it had taken long enough, so wouldn't you smile too?
"Brian we're gonna head home." His parents then said, before saying their proper farewells.
"It was lovely to meet you Orchid." His mom smiled as they began walking away.
"You too." I replied.
"I'm just going to fetch Amber, I'll be back in literally a minute." Brian then said to me, planting a kiss upon my cheek and walking back into the building.
As I watched him disappear through the glass doors, I felt a nudge in my side. I turned to Felix and smiled weakly, finally letting on that I was tired and weary. Brian had noticed how thin I was again, even though he hadn't said anything but I was trying to put on a front so he thought I was okay. "He better not be too long-" Felix stopped and watched me as I began to sway a little on my legs, having to grasp his shoulder just so I didn't fall over. "Orchid what's wrong?"
"Iunno, I just got really dizzy and faint." I said, my eyes meeting his.
"Again?"
I nodded. "Again." My voice was barely above a whisper and I felt like crying because I could feel myself becoming dizzy again. This wasn't the first time it had happened in the last week. It had happened loads of times.
"Okay, really if he's not back in five-" I didn't hear Felix finish though because the dizziness got worse, the sick in my stomach increased tenfold and I felt my legs disappearing beneath me. I felt the cold hard floor underneath me as I reached it but that was the last thing since I blacked out.
Felix POV
Instantly I dropped to my knees beside her. Oh God, I knew it was getting bad again. People were gasping and talking, hurrying round as I tried to wake her. Someone then stepped up, crouching beside us. I looked up through the tears in my eyes as they checked for a pulse.
I didn't have a clue what was going on and I was scared for my friend. One minute she was all loved up and happy, the next complaining of dizziness and now I didn't even know. I thought about what might have happened had I not cancelled everything and we'd stayed in New York.
"Erm, err, I'm- I'm just, just going to c- call 911." I stumbled with my words as I climbed to my feet, pulling my phone from my pocket. "Don't, don't l- leave her."
I walked away, sliding up the phone and trying desperately to make my fingers dial the three numbers I needed, finding I had to start over a few times. I glanced back at her, raising the phone to my ear as another person stepped up now. He was scruffy, psychotic looking. He was talking hurriedly to the person I'd instructed to stay with her before sliding his arms under the tiny body and lifting her.
Why couldn't my mouth work? Why was I letting him take her? Why had the stupid fucking New York police done nothing when it was reported? I saw Brian leaving the glass doors, Amber holding his hand and skipping along at his side. I saw the guy carrying Orchid away even though people were telling him to leave her. And finally, I found my lungs.
"DON'T LET HIM TAKE HER!!!"
Brian POV
I sat on the sofa in my brand new living room, my daughter laid on the sofa cushions beside me where she had cried herself to sleep, trying to hold back my own tears as police gathered around. When I'd first seen her and all through the play, the fact that she had shrunk in size had been nagging at me but now I just couldn't be angry at her for that. Not while some mental home escapee who had been stalking her was running loose with her God only knows where.
"Why didn't she tell me Felix?" I asked, my voice broken as I tried not to cry.
He turned to look at me, his eyes full of...I don't know. Too many things. We all were and I really didn't know who to say was worst. "You weren't exactly on speaking terms when she left." He replied. It was a fair enough answer but she obviously hadn't told him about me going to see her that day. Or she had and I just didn't think it was a good enough answer.
"I told her to look after herself, she should have told me." I only retorted, saying it through gritted teeth as my last chance before I began to cry.
"Brian I know you've missed her but you're not exactly a close friend are you?" Felix then shot back, gulping before doing so.
I blinked up at him. Dammit, tears and everyone was looking at me. Obviously waiting on my answer.
I sighed, looking down and finally the first tear escaped, making it's way down my face till it dripped off my chin, the reality of my reaction seeming more real than it ever had.
"I love her."
For a little while she looked confused, which, I guess was the fault of my hair colour, before lifting her smile to a grin and waving back a little more enthusiastically. I gave a gentle laugh as Brian kissed the side of my head, laughing himself. The children walked off the stage then, the lights coming back up and lighting the hall. "I think it's safe to say you're gonna be mobbed." Brian grinned as I stood and stretched.
Briefly I saw his eyes wander down my body, taking longer to look away from my hip bones. I stopped and pulled the top down feeling conscious of myself and pulled my jacket on. His eyes met mine, looking...disappointed? Sad? Angry? I'm not surprised. After all he had told me to look after myself and I'd failed by becoming depressed and home sick.
Once my bag was in place I followed Brent out of the aisle, one of Brian's hands resting gently on my waist as if to guide me. Then once he was able to stand beside me he took my hand again and headed back outside. It wasn't entirely dark, the setting sun still casting a glow over the city but the breeze had picked up a little causing Goosebumps to form on my bare legs and whipping bits of hair around my face.
I saw Felix waiting in the car for me, but stopped the engine and climbed out when I beckoned to him. He wandered over to us, smiling, I'm guessing at the knot that was me and Brian's hands. Well it had taken long enough, so wouldn't you smile too?
"Brian we're gonna head home." His parents then said, before saying their proper farewells.
"It was lovely to meet you Orchid." His mom smiled as they began walking away.
"You too." I replied.
"I'm just going to fetch Amber, I'll be back in literally a minute." Brian then said to me, planting a kiss upon my cheek and walking back into the building.
As I watched him disappear through the glass doors, I felt a nudge in my side. I turned to Felix and smiled weakly, finally letting on that I was tired and weary. Brian had noticed how thin I was again, even though he hadn't said anything but I was trying to put on a front so he thought I was okay. "He better not be too long-" Felix stopped and watched me as I began to sway a little on my legs, having to grasp his shoulder just so I didn't fall over. "Orchid what's wrong?"
"Iunno, I just got really dizzy and faint." I said, my eyes meeting his.
"Again?"
I nodded. "Again." My voice was barely above a whisper and I felt like crying because I could feel myself becoming dizzy again. This wasn't the first time it had happened in the last week. It had happened loads of times.
"Okay, really if he's not back in five-" I didn't hear Felix finish though because the dizziness got worse, the sick in my stomach increased tenfold and I felt my legs disappearing beneath me. I felt the cold hard floor underneath me as I reached it but that was the last thing since I blacked out.
Felix POV
Instantly I dropped to my knees beside her. Oh God, I knew it was getting bad again. People were gasping and talking, hurrying round as I tried to wake her. Someone then stepped up, crouching beside us. I looked up through the tears in my eyes as they checked for a pulse.
I didn't have a clue what was going on and I was scared for my friend. One minute she was all loved up and happy, the next complaining of dizziness and now I didn't even know. I thought about what might have happened had I not cancelled everything and we'd stayed in New York.
"Erm, err, I'm- I'm just, just going to c- call 911." I stumbled with my words as I climbed to my feet, pulling my phone from my pocket. "Don't, don't l- leave her."
I walked away, sliding up the phone and trying desperately to make my fingers dial the three numbers I needed, finding I had to start over a few times. I glanced back at her, raising the phone to my ear as another person stepped up now. He was scruffy, psychotic looking. He was talking hurriedly to the person I'd instructed to stay with her before sliding his arms under the tiny body and lifting her.
Why couldn't my mouth work? Why was I letting him take her? Why had the stupid fucking New York police done nothing when it was reported? I saw Brian leaving the glass doors, Amber holding his hand and skipping along at his side. I saw the guy carrying Orchid away even though people were telling him to leave her. And finally, I found my lungs.
"DON'T LET HIM TAKE HER!!!"
Brian POV
I sat on the sofa in my brand new living room, my daughter laid on the sofa cushions beside me where she had cried herself to sleep, trying to hold back my own tears as police gathered around. When I'd first seen her and all through the play, the fact that she had shrunk in size had been nagging at me but now I just couldn't be angry at her for that. Not while some mental home escapee who had been stalking her was running loose with her God only knows where.
"Why didn't she tell me Felix?" I asked, my voice broken as I tried not to cry.
He turned to look at me, his eyes full of...I don't know. Too many things. We all were and I really didn't know who to say was worst. "You weren't exactly on speaking terms when she left." He replied. It was a fair enough answer but she obviously hadn't told him about me going to see her that day. Or she had and I just didn't think it was a good enough answer.
"I told her to look after herself, she should have told me." I only retorted, saying it through gritted teeth as my last chance before I began to cry.
"Brian I know you've missed her but you're not exactly a close friend are you?" Felix then shot back, gulping before doing so.
I blinked up at him. Dammit, tears and everyone was looking at me. Obviously waiting on my answer.
I sighed, looking down and finally the first tear escaped, making it's way down my face till it dripped off my chin, the reality of my reaction seeming more real than it ever had.
"I love her."