Status: One-Shot.
Elizabeth
I
Elizabeth watched the snow float from the overcast sky. Her bedroom was dark and gloomy, matching hovering sky outside. The wallpaper, decorated with little purple flowers, seemed to be zapped of color and the usually starch white curtains seemed drab.
Elizabeth pulled the covers farther up her body and sighed. Anne had called yesterday, but other than her, no one had bothered to call or visit Elizabeth since she’d missed another week of school.
The pneumonia refused to leave her body and every time she relapsed, it got worse. It didn’t help that she suffered from depression and lack of people who talked to her. No one really cared about her. Her Aunt Diane was wearing ragged too, with all the medical bills and emotional strain in taking care of a sickly seventeen year old.
The pale girl let out a breath, releasing all the words she had pent up for that unlikely visitor. The visitor that would never come. She fell back on the pillows. The ceiling texture was the most fascinating thing she’d seen all day.
Her aunt lived on a very desolate street with only an occasional stray dog to break through the blanket of snow. The houses were always dark, always silent, and bleak.
The screen door creaked open and Aunt Diane’s muffled voice traveled up to the young woman’s room. The door closed. Diane’s voice drew closer, as well as another one Elizabeth couldn’t decipher. The steps creaked, the voices growing louder. It was a male’s voice, deep and rough sounding.
It was Phillip, one of the boys in her Math class. His voice was very distinguishable because it did not fit to his body. Elizabeth sat up and excitedly fixed her short-cropped ginger hair, looking in the mirror across the room to make sure she looked presentable in her ratty t-shirt and flannel pants.
A knock sounded at the door. “Elizabeth?”
“I’m awake,” she said and the door opened slowly.
Aunt Diane peeked her head in, smiling brighter than she had in a long time. “There’s someone here to see you.”
She turned from the door and Phillip shuffled in, his dark eyes averted as usual. His hair was dyed black and cut in the usual Emo fashion and his black clothes hung from his gaunt body. He was wearing a Korn shirt; they were one of Elizabeth’s favorite bands. The rim of his ear was pierced all the way down and a silver ring spiked his nose. One of his hands was behind his back.
“Stay as long as you want, Phillip,” Aunt Diane told him before shutting the door.
The two teenagers remained in silence for what seemed like hours. Phillip’s eyes seemed fastened to the floor and Elizabeth’s were glued to his face.
“What are you doing here?” she finally asked.
He swallowed and his eyes slowly met hers. He withdrew his arm from behind him and presented her with a red carnation. Its crimson petals were a stark contrast to the rest of the room that was forever swathed in gray.
“I remember you saying that you liked these,” he said quietly, taking a step closer to her.
She took the flower from him and put it to her nose. A smile rested on her lips. The lazy days of spring burst into her mind with green grasses and chirping birds. A feeling of bliss set in.
“Thank you, Phillip.”
His pale lips upturned. “No problem. I figured I’d come see how you were. I was going to bring your homework, but Mrs. Kay said your aunt had already come and got it.”
Elizabeth was taken aback by his generosity. “I appreciate the thought though.”
To make things better, Phillip sat down on the side of her bed. “So…do you know when you’ll be back in school?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “If I get to go back, I’ll just end up here within the week.”
“That sucks. Why are you always sick all the time?”
“Low immune system,” Elizabeth answered. “It’s just something I was born with, I guess…”
Phillip nodded. “That does suck. There’s nothing doctors can do?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I guess not. A lot of it, they say, is that I don’t ‘try’ to get better.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does. I’m always depressed…that affects it.”
“It’s not fun to be depressed.”
“Nope.”
Phillip sat in silent thought, wondering what to say next. A idea flashed through his mind and his face brightened. His head lifted to Elizabeth. “Why don’t we go outside?”
She shifted under the covers and looked down at her dry, cracked hands. “I don’t know…”
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I was just thinking it was really nice out and some fresh air might make you feel better.”
She’d never thought about fresh air. She figured going outside would make it worse. The more she considered it, the better it sounded. Elizabeth smiled at him, a real smile that he’d never seen before, and nodded.
He smiled back and got up from the bed. Elizabeth threw the covers off and got out on thin, shaky legs. Pulling on her coat and ski hat that hadn’t been used in forever, she slipped on her snow boots and the two of them escaped to the outdoors.
It was very still and quiet, except for the snow crunching underneath their feet as they walked arm and arm down the empty street. The street lamps were on in the overcast air, giving off a peaceful sensation that seeped into their bones. “It’s beautiful out,” Elizabeth breathed. “I always loved winter.”
She dipped her hand into the snow and brought the fluffy stuff to her face. Then she blew it away and it flew gracefully from her hand back to the ground.
“I love it too,” he said. “It’s cold and dark. I like that kind of weather.”
“Me too. I like when it’s cloudy and rainy in the spring, or in the summer when it’s storming and you’re inside and you can just listen to it.”
Phillip nodded in agreement. “Best part of summer. I hate the heat.”
“Me too!” Elizabeth laughed. “Favorite holiday?”
“Halloween and then Christmas is in a close second.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Color?”
“Black.”
“Music?”
“Metal.”
“Symphonic metal for me.”
“You like Kamelot?”
“Love ‘em.”
“Me too.”
“It’s sad Roy left though…”
“Yeah,” Phillip sighed. “We have a lot in common.”
Elizabeth nodded and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around one of his own. “Thanks for coming to see me today.”
“No problem.”
“Will you come back?”
“Of course.”
“Promise?”
He looked at her and smiled. “Promise.”
Elizabeth relaxed and they doubled back for home. The house was a welcoming, warm haven from the steadily chilling night. Phillip said his good-bye after supper and Elizabeth climbed the stairs to bed.
The trip down the street had taken a lot of her, but she felt rejuvenated somehow. When her door opened, the carnation was standing brightly in a vase, making the room seem a little livelier.
Another smile came to her lips and she realized it’d been a long time since she’d smiled that much. Climbing under the covers, she lay down and studied the flower until, finally, she fell asleep.
Elizabeth pulled the covers farther up her body and sighed. Anne had called yesterday, but other than her, no one had bothered to call or visit Elizabeth since she’d missed another week of school.
The pneumonia refused to leave her body and every time she relapsed, it got worse. It didn’t help that she suffered from depression and lack of people who talked to her. No one really cared about her. Her Aunt Diane was wearing ragged too, with all the medical bills and emotional strain in taking care of a sickly seventeen year old.
The pale girl let out a breath, releasing all the words she had pent up for that unlikely visitor. The visitor that would never come. She fell back on the pillows. The ceiling texture was the most fascinating thing she’d seen all day.
Her aunt lived on a very desolate street with only an occasional stray dog to break through the blanket of snow. The houses were always dark, always silent, and bleak.
The screen door creaked open and Aunt Diane’s muffled voice traveled up to the young woman’s room. The door closed. Diane’s voice drew closer, as well as another one Elizabeth couldn’t decipher. The steps creaked, the voices growing louder. It was a male’s voice, deep and rough sounding.
It was Phillip, one of the boys in her Math class. His voice was very distinguishable because it did not fit to his body. Elizabeth sat up and excitedly fixed her short-cropped ginger hair, looking in the mirror across the room to make sure she looked presentable in her ratty t-shirt and flannel pants.
A knock sounded at the door. “Elizabeth?”
“I’m awake,” she said and the door opened slowly.
Aunt Diane peeked her head in, smiling brighter than she had in a long time. “There’s someone here to see you.”
She turned from the door and Phillip shuffled in, his dark eyes averted as usual. His hair was dyed black and cut in the usual Emo fashion and his black clothes hung from his gaunt body. He was wearing a Korn shirt; they were one of Elizabeth’s favorite bands. The rim of his ear was pierced all the way down and a silver ring spiked his nose. One of his hands was behind his back.
“Stay as long as you want, Phillip,” Aunt Diane told him before shutting the door.
The two teenagers remained in silence for what seemed like hours. Phillip’s eyes seemed fastened to the floor and Elizabeth’s were glued to his face.
“What are you doing here?” she finally asked.
He swallowed and his eyes slowly met hers. He withdrew his arm from behind him and presented her with a red carnation. Its crimson petals were a stark contrast to the rest of the room that was forever swathed in gray.
“I remember you saying that you liked these,” he said quietly, taking a step closer to her.
She took the flower from him and put it to her nose. A smile rested on her lips. The lazy days of spring burst into her mind with green grasses and chirping birds. A feeling of bliss set in.
“Thank you, Phillip.”
His pale lips upturned. “No problem. I figured I’d come see how you were. I was going to bring your homework, but Mrs. Kay said your aunt had already come and got it.”
Elizabeth was taken aback by his generosity. “I appreciate the thought though.”
To make things better, Phillip sat down on the side of her bed. “So…do you know when you’ll be back in school?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “If I get to go back, I’ll just end up here within the week.”
“That sucks. Why are you always sick all the time?”
“Low immune system,” Elizabeth answered. “It’s just something I was born with, I guess…”
Phillip nodded. “That does suck. There’s nothing doctors can do?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I guess not. A lot of it, they say, is that I don’t ‘try’ to get better.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does. I’m always depressed…that affects it.”
“It’s not fun to be depressed.”
“Nope.”
Phillip sat in silent thought, wondering what to say next. A idea flashed through his mind and his face brightened. His head lifted to Elizabeth. “Why don’t we go outside?”
She shifted under the covers and looked down at her dry, cracked hands. “I don’t know…”
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I was just thinking it was really nice out and some fresh air might make you feel better.”
She’d never thought about fresh air. She figured going outside would make it worse. The more she considered it, the better it sounded. Elizabeth smiled at him, a real smile that he’d never seen before, and nodded.
He smiled back and got up from the bed. Elizabeth threw the covers off and got out on thin, shaky legs. Pulling on her coat and ski hat that hadn’t been used in forever, she slipped on her snow boots and the two of them escaped to the outdoors.
It was very still and quiet, except for the snow crunching underneath their feet as they walked arm and arm down the empty street. The street lamps were on in the overcast air, giving off a peaceful sensation that seeped into their bones. “It’s beautiful out,” Elizabeth breathed. “I always loved winter.”
She dipped her hand into the snow and brought the fluffy stuff to her face. Then she blew it away and it flew gracefully from her hand back to the ground.
“I love it too,” he said. “It’s cold and dark. I like that kind of weather.”
“Me too. I like when it’s cloudy and rainy in the spring, or in the summer when it’s storming and you’re inside and you can just listen to it.”
Phillip nodded in agreement. “Best part of summer. I hate the heat.”
“Me too!” Elizabeth laughed. “Favorite holiday?”
“Halloween and then Christmas is in a close second.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Color?”
“Black.”
“Music?”
“Metal.”
“Symphonic metal for me.”
“You like Kamelot?”
“Love ‘em.”
“Me too.”
“It’s sad Roy left though…”
“Yeah,” Phillip sighed. “We have a lot in common.”
Elizabeth nodded and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around one of his own. “Thanks for coming to see me today.”
“No problem.”
“Will you come back?”
“Of course.”
“Promise?”
He looked at her and smiled. “Promise.”
Elizabeth relaxed and they doubled back for home. The house was a welcoming, warm haven from the steadily chilling night. Phillip said his good-bye after supper and Elizabeth climbed the stairs to bed.
The trip down the street had taken a lot of her, but she felt rejuvenated somehow. When her door opened, the carnation was standing brightly in a vase, making the room seem a little livelier.
Another smile came to her lips and she realized it’d been a long time since she’d smiled that much. Climbing under the covers, she lay down and studied the flower until, finally, she fell asleep.
♠ ♠ ♠
This was originally an assignment that I did not want to do in Creative Writing. I entered it in a contest that one of the colleges put on and they published the top five in each grade. This story is to be published in the anthology. :)Let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated.