A Stitch Away From Making a Scar...

Hot pumpkin soup was passed out around the table and she doled out a couple spoonfuls into her bowl. Crockery rattled against the metal spoon but nobody voiced any objections about the noise out loud, just sitting back anxiously and watching her hand flutter whilst gripping the spoon. A collective breath was taken in when she painstakingly managed to set the bowl of soup down steady back into the middle of the table.
It took a lot to not just call them all out right there and then for their ridiculous behaviour but she understood that it was hard for them to find a way to act around her now. So she kept her pale lips closed and moved her gaze down to her food, trying to just focus on that instead.
As if he just couldn’t help it, Ashton moved out a hand to edge the soup bowl just a tiny bit over to the right so it was all perfectly symmetrical.
“Sorry,” he looked up a little awkwardly. “So, school goes back tomorrow. Are you going to go, Valissity?”
Adam shoved him and gave him a harsh look. “Shut up, you loser. She’ll go if she wants to so don’t pressure her. It’s not about you.”
Eyes narrowing for a moment in confusion, Ashton just rolled his eyes and looked away. That golden gaze flickered up to her in inquisition though. The pink that she’d gone along and dyed her hair the colour of did a lot to hide the ruin that was becoming of it. Purely white from root to tip, she’d had to do something. At least now she no longer looked like some sort of insanely grandmother.
“Yeah,” she told him gently, willing up a grin. “I’m definitely going. Are you kidding? It’s my last year of high school.”
A look of relief stole onto Ashton’s face and he sent her a smile too. Her mother looked over sternly and just gave a little huff at the slowly building amount of empty bowls and dry bottomed cups.
“Come on,” Valissity moved to get herself up. “Ashton, do you want to help me take the dishes in?”
“Sure,” he jumped up, still looking at her strangely and watching her hands worriedly. It honestly didn’t bother her so much as it used to anymore, though.
“Hey wait up!” Adam grabbed the scruff of Ashton’s shirt and pulled him back. “What the hell man. You clean the dishes. Valissity can just go to sleep.”
“And… what about you?” he asked, hands frozen in the act of picking up another plate.
“I’m going to bed to. I don’t need to do it because you will.”
A lump in his throat, Ashton didn’t respond and merely took the task, grabbing the bowls and plates that Valissity had already gathered to take to the kitchen and place into the dishwasher. Hurt, he looked back to see Adam helping his sister up the stairs and up to her bedroom again, his face full of only concern.
It was so selfish to want to be acknowledged by someone in this house. What, with his sister and all her stuff? But he couldn’t help wishing that maybe someone actually cared at all.
Shaking it off, he tried to focus on the dishes in front of him. It would be easy to just rinse them off and chuck them into the dishwasher just like that. But the task would bug him until it was done so he just grabbed the soapy dishcloth and started scrubbing the surface shiny. In the other room his mother talked about therapy and medicine for Valissity.
Fingers sore, he just moved the clean dishes into the dishwasher so that anything he’d somehow missed was cleaned off too. His shirt was wet now so he just pulled it off and chucked it into the washing bin, running up the stairs to grab another one so he could finally leave.
The house was only a short walk down the road and to the corner. It was large and weathered with creeping vines up the side of the front wall. Like some old English mansion, he’d always thought.
Walking right over, his feet skipped the grass and only touched the stepping stones to keep the good luck. He placed a knock over the door, rocking back on his heels to wait for an answer.
The door swung open almost immediately and a face appeared in the doorway. Letting the smile slip onto his face, Ashton gave a sigh. “Hey Luca,” he grinned.
The girl had a wispy figure and skin the colour of a white rose that contrasted due to her dark brown colour. “Ash,” she smiled. “Aren’t you coming?”
Walking ahead without waiting for an answer, it took Ashton a second and he just rolled his eyes and followed her into the house. His eyes took in everything like it was still the first visit. Large and manicured, this place had a lot of character too. Rushing up to walk directly behind her to keep from getting lost, he grinned.
Going straight to her room, Luca sat down on the old, pink bed. Her princess curtain that swept around the bed was drawn back to the side right then. Plopping down beside her, Ash looked around. “I can’t believe this place,” he laughed. “It’s so insane that you live here.”
Multi-coloured paint was strewn across the old, battered wood that lay under their feet to create the floor of Luca’s room. “Rose hates it,” she shrugged. “But no one likes her anyway.” The way that Luca had said it made her words sound like a fact, not an opinion.
Her eyes zeroed in on Ash’s finger that moved to smooth down the bed quilt absentmindedly. While Luca’s bed was always made, it was lumpy due to it’s age and it always grated on his nerves a bit.
“Stop it,” she told him gently, pushing his hand back. “It’s fine.”
The door was sort of non- existent so Rose simply leant against the door frame. “Hey Dopey,” she called to Luca. “Your friend needs to leave…now.”
“Hey Rose,” Ashton said sarcastically. “Nice to see you again too.”
“Fuck off, queer!” she hissed, turning her head and strutting away. Stifling a laugh, Luca smiled and turned to Ash. Throwing her arms around him, she sighed. “Well goodbye I guess.”
Sitting back again, she remained silent with a still smile. Fumbling a bit, Ash just stood up and gave a bit of an awkward wave before leaving the room. The word ‘goodbye’ got a bit jumbled and he just bit his lip and walked out of the place.
He walked past the lounge where Luca’s brother lay sprawled across the red velvet lounge with his homework spread underneath him and his eyes squinted with focus. Walking quickly, Ashton just left and closed the door behind him again.
Standing there for just a moment, he started laughing.