The Sharpest Lives
o6
When Gerard woke the next morning, he felt disoriented and sore. His back cracked when he moved, making him groan in pain. He sat up, facing the television set, looking around. For a moment he had forgotten why he was sleeping on his couch. When he remembered, his heart sped up considerably.
They’re here, they’re here. What do I do now?
He panicked internally until he heard movement coming from his bedroom. He composed himself as best as he could, and then emerged Natalie and Laurie from his room, both still in what they’d used as pajamas.
Gerard smiled a little as Natalie half-ran towards him, sitting beside him on the aging couch. She was smiling, as per usual, her small, pink lips stretched widely. Gerard blinked twice and managed to force a small smile back at her.
“Did you and your mother sleep alright?” He asked the girl, his gaze flickered to Laurie for a moment as he said it.
Natalie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, thank you.” She spoke happily.
Gerard smiled more genuinely this time at the small girl this time, looking up at her mother.
“Thank you for letting us stay here, Gerard.” Laurie said shakily, Gerard wondered why her voice sounded the way it did. Had something gone wrong overnight?
“It’s my pleasure.” Gerard stated, nodding.
“We’d really better be going, Natalie.” Laurie said to her daughter. “Come on, let’s get changed.” She took her daughter’s hand and they headed towards the bedroom again, emerging later fully clothed the way they had been the previous day.
Gerard walked the two to the door. He smiled at Laurie and Natalie and unexpectedly, the smaller girl reached up and hugged him tightly.
Gerard was speechless. Did she really care about him as much as she made it seem like she did? Gerard patted Natalie’s shoulder instead of hugging her back, and when he did the girl shouted in pain.
Gerard gasped quietly and Natalie backed away from him, rubbing her shoulder. She didn’t look angry at Gerard, she just looked surprised.
Gerard looked up at Laurie, dumbfounded. The woman looked back at him, her eyebrows furrowed sadly. “She has a bruise on her back. I-It’s fine.” She lied swiftly, although Gerard didn’t buy it for a minute.
The man shook his head, grabbing Laurie’s sleeve and pulling her into the kitchen. When he turned to look at her she had tears in her eyes.
“What am I missing, Laurie? Please tell me.” He pleaded quietly so that Natalie wouldn’t overhear. “What did I just do?”
Laurie bit her lip, swallowing back the threatening tears. She shook her head sadly, looking down for a moment, sniffing quietly and looking back up.
“Natalie has leukemia.”
They’re here, they’re here. What do I do now?
He panicked internally until he heard movement coming from his bedroom. He composed himself as best as he could, and then emerged Natalie and Laurie from his room, both still in what they’d used as pajamas.
Gerard smiled a little as Natalie half-ran towards him, sitting beside him on the aging couch. She was smiling, as per usual, her small, pink lips stretched widely. Gerard blinked twice and managed to force a small smile back at her.
“Did you and your mother sleep alright?” He asked the girl, his gaze flickered to Laurie for a moment as he said it.
Natalie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, thank you.” She spoke happily.
Gerard smiled more genuinely this time at the small girl this time, looking up at her mother.
“Thank you for letting us stay here, Gerard.” Laurie said shakily, Gerard wondered why her voice sounded the way it did. Had something gone wrong overnight?
“It’s my pleasure.” Gerard stated, nodding.
“We’d really better be going, Natalie.” Laurie said to her daughter. “Come on, let’s get changed.” She took her daughter’s hand and they headed towards the bedroom again, emerging later fully clothed the way they had been the previous day.
Gerard walked the two to the door. He smiled at Laurie and Natalie and unexpectedly, the smaller girl reached up and hugged him tightly.
Gerard was speechless. Did she really care about him as much as she made it seem like she did? Gerard patted Natalie’s shoulder instead of hugging her back, and when he did the girl shouted in pain.
Gerard gasped quietly and Natalie backed away from him, rubbing her shoulder. She didn’t look angry at Gerard, she just looked surprised.
Gerard looked up at Laurie, dumbfounded. The woman looked back at him, her eyebrows furrowed sadly. “She has a bruise on her back. I-It’s fine.” She lied swiftly, although Gerard didn’t buy it for a minute.
The man shook his head, grabbing Laurie’s sleeve and pulling her into the kitchen. When he turned to look at her she had tears in her eyes.
“What am I missing, Laurie? Please tell me.” He pleaded quietly so that Natalie wouldn’t overhear. “What did I just do?”
Laurie bit her lip, swallowing back the threatening tears. She shook her head sadly, looking down for a moment, sniffing quietly and looking back up.
“Natalie has leukemia.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Well. There you go.Has it been long enough since I updated this? I think so.
I'd really like it if you tell me what you think of the direction this story is taking. There won't be that many chapters after this one, I don't know how many exactly, all I know is that I have the ending written out and I have to find a way to lead up to that.
But really. Comments will make me jizz in my pants.
Is that slightly too innapropriate? Probably.
Either way. Comments, pretty please.
Forever and a day,
Sydney.
Edit; I'll probably have chapter seven up tonight, or tomorrow.