Status: On the 14th of April 2013, I will be editing this story. Most chapters are subject to change, and some may be combined. Stay tuned for the remake.
Maleficent
Finally Gone Round the Bend
I held the blood red rose delicately between my fingers, twirling it slowly and watching the thorns spin around the stem. The similarities between the sketch and the flower was flawless, not a single line was out of place. That led me to two possible reasons. He had either planted the flower, mysteriously knowing I would find it, or he’d been stalking me and saw the rose through my bedroom window.
I figured it was the latter.
Avery lay sprawled on my bedroom floor, her long golden locks spilling about her in a beautiful river. The only sound she made was the light scratching of her pencils against the picture she drew. Her little forehead turned to a frown as she concentrated as hard as she could. I smiled, unable to deny how precious she was.
I’d been thoughtlessly watching her when my phone buzzed. Avery looked up briefly, her blue eyes shining in clear happiness before turning back to her drawing, and I turned my gaze to my phone.
Yo, bitch. I’m coming over. Big Problem. Be there in five. – Flora
It had barely been one minute when Flora came bursting into my room, her hair dishevelled and her clothes smelling oddly like fuel. The stench was thick as she barged towards me with wild eyes. At the sudden intrusion, Avery looked up, her pencil still poised on her paper as she watched my lunatic best friend.
“I need your help,” Flora squeaked, flinging herself at me. If I hadn’t been stretched out on my bed, I was sure I’d have ended up in a painful heap on the floor.
Avery’s wide eyes turned to me as she waited for an answer, but instead I smiled at her. “Avie-bub, why don’t you take your pencils and drawing downstairs? I’m sure daddy would love to see it.”
It was a poor excuse, and my little sister wasn’t stupid, but she did as I asked anyway and without complaint. As soon as she was gone, I closed the door and turned to my fuel infested friend, and disapproving frown clearly stamped on my features. Whatever this was, it had better be important.
“Spit it out,” I demanded. “You know I spend Tuesday afternoons with Avery.”
Hesitation and guilt crossed Flora’s features before she sat up on the bed, her eyes watching as she fiddles with her fingers. I’d never seen her like this. She looked so disorganised. So messy. Whatever the problem was, it was stressing the preppiest girl in school. That should be a hard feat.
“I can’t tell you the specifics right now,” Flora mumbled, her eyes shooting to mine pleadingly. “But you have to hide me. Please.”
I breathed a sigh, having expected something other than my insane friend running away from home. Though I couldn’t really figure why she would do something like that.
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
She was shaking her head, eyes shifting to the sides as if expecting something to pop out of nowhere. “I can’t tell you here,” she answered with a harsh whisper.
I palmed my forehead. “Oh, God,” I muttered. “You’ve finally gone round the bend, haven’t you?”
For a brief moment, my friend returned my sarcasm with her usual glare before cowering into a small ball. She didn’t answer. Just the sound of her trying to melt into my bed and the smell of her clothes distracted me from her strange behaviour. Dropping the subject, I held my hand out.
“Come on then, crazy,” I sighed. “I’ll let mum and dad know you’re staying here tonight, but you need a shower first. You smell foul, Flo. Be ashamed.”
I led the girl to the bathroom, tugging a towel from the linen cupboard and a throwing a set of fresh clothes on the sink bench. She’d been strangely quiet, but it looked as though she’d calmed down slightly. Her shivering had reduced to a hunched form as she shuffled her way around. Just as I was about to leave, she caught my wrist, gripping me with an intensity I hadn’t known she possessed.
“Raven, thank you,” she whispered, water brimming her eyes.
I only smiled, closing the door and ignoring the unsettled twist churning in my gut as I realised that it was the first time she’d used my real name for fifteen years.
I figured it was the latter.
Avery lay sprawled on my bedroom floor, her long golden locks spilling about her in a beautiful river. The only sound she made was the light scratching of her pencils against the picture she drew. Her little forehead turned to a frown as she concentrated as hard as she could. I smiled, unable to deny how precious she was.
I’d been thoughtlessly watching her when my phone buzzed. Avery looked up briefly, her blue eyes shining in clear happiness before turning back to her drawing, and I turned my gaze to my phone.
Yo, bitch. I’m coming over. Big Problem. Be there in five. – Flora
It had barely been one minute when Flora came bursting into my room, her hair dishevelled and her clothes smelling oddly like fuel. The stench was thick as she barged towards me with wild eyes. At the sudden intrusion, Avery looked up, her pencil still poised on her paper as she watched my lunatic best friend.
“I need your help,” Flora squeaked, flinging herself at me. If I hadn’t been stretched out on my bed, I was sure I’d have ended up in a painful heap on the floor.
Avery’s wide eyes turned to me as she waited for an answer, but instead I smiled at her. “Avie-bub, why don’t you take your pencils and drawing downstairs? I’m sure daddy would love to see it.”
It was a poor excuse, and my little sister wasn’t stupid, but she did as I asked anyway and without complaint. As soon as she was gone, I closed the door and turned to my fuel infested friend, and disapproving frown clearly stamped on my features. Whatever this was, it had better be important.
“Spit it out,” I demanded. “You know I spend Tuesday afternoons with Avery.”
Hesitation and guilt crossed Flora’s features before she sat up on the bed, her eyes watching as she fiddles with her fingers. I’d never seen her like this. She looked so disorganised. So messy. Whatever the problem was, it was stressing the preppiest girl in school. That should be a hard feat.
“I can’t tell you the specifics right now,” Flora mumbled, her eyes shooting to mine pleadingly. “But you have to hide me. Please.”
I breathed a sigh, having expected something other than my insane friend running away from home. Though I couldn’t really figure why she would do something like that.
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
She was shaking her head, eyes shifting to the sides as if expecting something to pop out of nowhere. “I can’t tell you here,” she answered with a harsh whisper.
I palmed my forehead. “Oh, God,” I muttered. “You’ve finally gone round the bend, haven’t you?”
For a brief moment, my friend returned my sarcasm with her usual glare before cowering into a small ball. She didn’t answer. Just the sound of her trying to melt into my bed and the smell of her clothes distracted me from her strange behaviour. Dropping the subject, I held my hand out.
“Come on then, crazy,” I sighed. “I’ll let mum and dad know you’re staying here tonight, but you need a shower first. You smell foul, Flo. Be ashamed.”
I led the girl to the bathroom, tugging a towel from the linen cupboard and a throwing a set of fresh clothes on the sink bench. She’d been strangely quiet, but it looked as though she’d calmed down slightly. Her shivering had reduced to a hunched form as she shuffled her way around. Just as I was about to leave, she caught my wrist, gripping me with an intensity I hadn’t known she possessed.
“Raven, thank you,” she whispered, water brimming her eyes.
I only smiled, closing the door and ignoring the unsettled twist churning in my gut as I realised that it was the first time she’d used my real name for fifteen years.