Different
Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
- Indigo –
Josie stood there, looking at me as I slowly closed the car door behind me.
“Erm…hi?” I began cautiously.
I never talked to Josie anymore (or rather the other way round), and it was difficult to tell what she was going to say next, because she was prone to snapping at people, mainly me.
At first Josie continued to stare at me and say nothing. Her hair was not immaculate as usual, but down and around her face. A strand of it fell in her eyes but she didn’t bother to push it away. I noticed she was also wearing eyeliner, the only makeup she never wore. Just like she used to. Except that she wasn’t wearing even a third as much as she used to obviously.
At first she continued to stare at me and say nothing. She opened her mouth, looking desperate, and her eyes wide. No sound came out. She closed it again and blinked several times, trying to clear the tears that had settled in her eyes.
Finally she managed to gasp out a few strangled strung out words.
“I…heard… what J-Jake…h-h-he…he…an-and y-you…” She trailed off, obviously finding it hard to put full sentences together as she tripped and stumbled through her voice.
I didn’t know what to think. Was Josie angry at me for getting in Jake’s way? Was it anger making those words so choked and planting those tears in her fearful eyes?
But it couldn’t be! Jake had broken my nose, not the other way round! Or did she even know about that? Maybe this was about something entirely different. As my head clouded up with more impossible questions and answers to explain Josie’s state, spiralling round and round in my brain, trying to process all the information been fed into it, reality hit me in the face and I came crashing down to earth as Jake called her name. I froze at the sound of that all too familiar voice which had haunted my fears since that incident in the classroom a week ago.
Frankie was out of the car and by my side in a flash at the sound of Jake’s dreaded voice. He stared defiantly at Jake, as if squaring himself up for another fight. I gripped Frankie’s arm pulling him back.
Frankie turned to look at me and I shook my head.
“Not now Frankie, just leave it” I muttered so that Josie couldn’t hear me.
“Why?” He mouthed, but I just shook my head again and he stepped back to my side reluctantly.
As it turned out Jake wasn’t interested in me anyway. He stood at a distance, beckoning furiously at my sister the usual snarl on his face.
Josie took one last longing look at me, and gulped fresh air into her lungs, as if preparing herself for something, before running over to Jake, who in turn seized her sharply by the arm and dragged her out of sight, cursing at her as he went.
Josie did nothing but I could see the tears curling down her whitened face as she closed her eyes, as if wishing herself to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. I knew that feeling all to well. I was about to follow her but it was too late; they had already gone into one of the corridors and out of sight. Besides, Josie wouldn’t want me around. She never did. Not anymore. I turned away, forgetting I wasn’t on my own anymore, and felt a reassuring hand grip my shoulder warmly.
I looked at Frankie, biting back tears.
He looked concerned.
“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.
I forced a smile and swallowed down my emotion. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” I said, as calmly as I could manage.
“Nothing. You just seemed…nothing.” Frankie shrugged uncomfortably.
I suddenly felt mean and wished I had told him what was wrong. I knew he could see through my fake smiles from looking at his own. It wasn’t Frankie’s fault my sister hated me, and I didn’t want to put him through anymore then he needed to be.
And anyway, I told myself, Josie was probably fine.
I smiled at Frankie again, real this time, and she smiled back thankfully, obviously relieved. I felt momentarily happy, happy to have someone finally there for me.
“So” Frankie began, breaking the silence, “What did that prep want?”
I sighed.
“That was my sister” I said quietly. Frankie’s eyes widened.
“But…I…her and Jake! I’ve seen them! I mean I’ve seem them together!” he stuttered.
“Yes” I began, my voice barely a whisper, “They’ve been together for a year now…”
- Indigo –
Josie stood there, looking at me as I slowly closed the car door behind me.
“Erm…hi?” I began cautiously.
I never talked to Josie anymore (or rather the other way round), and it was difficult to tell what she was going to say next, because she was prone to snapping at people, mainly me.
At first Josie continued to stare at me and say nothing. Her hair was not immaculate as usual, but down and around her face. A strand of it fell in her eyes but she didn’t bother to push it away. I noticed she was also wearing eyeliner, the only makeup she never wore. Just like she used to. Except that she wasn’t wearing even a third as much as she used to obviously.
At first she continued to stare at me and say nothing. She opened her mouth, looking desperate, and her eyes wide. No sound came out. She closed it again and blinked several times, trying to clear the tears that had settled in her eyes.
Finally she managed to gasp out a few strangled strung out words.
“I…heard… what J-Jake…h-h-he…he…an-and y-you…” She trailed off, obviously finding it hard to put full sentences together as she tripped and stumbled through her voice.
I didn’t know what to think. Was Josie angry at me for getting in Jake’s way? Was it anger making those words so choked and planting those tears in her fearful eyes?
But it couldn’t be! Jake had broken my nose, not the other way round! Or did she even know about that? Maybe this was about something entirely different. As my head clouded up with more impossible questions and answers to explain Josie’s state, spiralling round and round in my brain, trying to process all the information been fed into it, reality hit me in the face and I came crashing down to earth as Jake called her name. I froze at the sound of that all too familiar voice which had haunted my fears since that incident in the classroom a week ago.
Frankie was out of the car and by my side in a flash at the sound of Jake’s dreaded voice. He stared defiantly at Jake, as if squaring himself up for another fight. I gripped Frankie’s arm pulling him back.
Frankie turned to look at me and I shook my head.
“Not now Frankie, just leave it” I muttered so that Josie couldn’t hear me.
“Why?” He mouthed, but I just shook my head again and he stepped back to my side reluctantly.
As it turned out Jake wasn’t interested in me anyway. He stood at a distance, beckoning furiously at my sister the usual snarl on his face.
Josie took one last longing look at me, and gulped fresh air into her lungs, as if preparing herself for something, before running over to Jake, who in turn seized her sharply by the arm and dragged her out of sight, cursing at her as he went.
Josie did nothing but I could see the tears curling down her whitened face as she closed her eyes, as if wishing herself to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. I knew that feeling all to well. I was about to follow her but it was too late; they had already gone into one of the corridors and out of sight. Besides, Josie wouldn’t want me around. She never did. Not anymore. I turned away, forgetting I wasn’t on my own anymore, and felt a reassuring hand grip my shoulder warmly.
I looked at Frankie, biting back tears.
He looked concerned.
“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.
I forced a smile and swallowed down my emotion. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” I said, as calmly as I could manage.
“Nothing. You just seemed…nothing.” Frankie shrugged uncomfortably.
I suddenly felt mean and wished I had told him what was wrong. I knew he could see through my fake smiles from looking at his own. It wasn’t Frankie’s fault my sister hated me, and I didn’t want to put him through anymore then he needed to be.
And anyway, I told myself, Josie was probably fine.
I smiled at Frankie again, real this time, and she smiled back thankfully, obviously relieved. I felt momentarily happy, happy to have someone finally there for me.
“So” Frankie began, breaking the silence, “What did that prep want?”
I sighed.
“That was my sister” I said quietly. Frankie’s eyes widened.
“But…I…her and Jake! I’ve seen them! I mean I’ve seem them together!” he stuttered.
“Yes” I began, my voice barely a whisper, “They’ve been together for a year now…”