Sequel: Making the Album ›
Changes
Pillow Notes.
She left a note on the pillow. Billie would be coming back soon, and she needed to buy a new pair of gloves.
"See you later, Bill." She whispered, and slipped out of the room.
~~~
It was no easy feat to carry a cup of coffee and a muffin up three flights of stairs. But Billie did it, and he grinned when he reached Tony's room. Opening the door with his foot was just icing on the cake.
"Tony? You still asleep?"
But she wasn't in her bed. Billie looked around somewhat frantically before he spotted the note on her pillow. He put the food on nightstand and pulled the pin out of the paper.
Billie,
My gloves got ruined last night, so i went down to this store on main street. It's called Odds & Ends.
If you want, you can come down. I'll probably be a while.
We could have coffee somewhere.
*Tony
He crumpled the paper into a ball and jammed it into his pocket. Within minutes, he had left the hotel, and was walking quickly down the street.
~~~
"Now, this pair i think would be best." The saleswoman held up a pair of black gloves with neon green lacing and without fingers.
"I love them...can you recommend anything else?"
The woman looked at her kindly.
"How long have you been cutting, sweetheart?"
Tony's mouth dropped open.
"I don't...I haven't...How did you know?"
"I'm an old woman. I've been running this shop for years. I've seen things. So how long?"
Something inside Tony trusted her, this old woman with silver hair and a beautiful smile.
"Since I was thirteen. It was the drugs, mostly...I'd get high...too high, and then cut to see the blood. I don't know why I did it. When I look in the mirror, I just hate what I see. It's not as bad as it used to be, but I know I don't deserve anything I have. I've got scars...horrible scars...but now - now its just every once in a while, when things get too hard...or too confusing."
"May I see?"
She asked gently, reaching out to grab her wrist. Tony let her, pulling up her sleeves to expose the mangled skin, the scars.
"Oh, sweetie."
And she gave Tony three pairs of gloves for free.
~~~
Billie was walking so fast, and was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he knocked Tony clean off her feet before he even noticed her.
"What's the rush, Billie?" She asked, staring up at him from the ground. He flushed.
"Just...not paying attention."
He grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet.
~~~
Tony felt it, felt her sleeve sliding back. She felt almost naked without her gloves, but the thought of him seeing...
So she jerked her arm away, and toppled back to the pavement.
But he'd seen. His face...
~~~
What the hell had she done to herself? He'd never thought she'd been wearing the gloves to hide something, he'd just assumed they were a part of her 'look'.
She stared up at me from the ground. Billie couldn't read her expression. It was almost as though she was waiting for him to start yelling.
But he couldn't yell at her.
He just reached down and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she started to sob.
"Don't. Please...don't..." She kept saying, over and over. But he wouldn't let go, even when she tried to push him away.
"See you later, Bill." She whispered, and slipped out of the room.
~~~
It was no easy feat to carry a cup of coffee and a muffin up three flights of stairs. But Billie did it, and he grinned when he reached Tony's room. Opening the door with his foot was just icing on the cake.
"Tony? You still asleep?"
But she wasn't in her bed. Billie looked around somewhat frantically before he spotted the note on her pillow. He put the food on nightstand and pulled the pin out of the paper.
Billie,
My gloves got ruined last night, so i went down to this store on main street. It's called Odds & Ends.
If you want, you can come down. I'll probably be a while.
We could have coffee somewhere.
*Tony
He crumpled the paper into a ball and jammed it into his pocket. Within minutes, he had left the hotel, and was walking quickly down the street.
~~~
"Now, this pair i think would be best." The saleswoman held up a pair of black gloves with neon green lacing and without fingers.
"I love them...can you recommend anything else?"
The woman looked at her kindly.
"How long have you been cutting, sweetheart?"
Tony's mouth dropped open.
"I don't...I haven't...How did you know?"
"I'm an old woman. I've been running this shop for years. I've seen things. So how long?"
Something inside Tony trusted her, this old woman with silver hair and a beautiful smile.
"Since I was thirteen. It was the drugs, mostly...I'd get high...too high, and then cut to see the blood. I don't know why I did it. When I look in the mirror, I just hate what I see. It's not as bad as it used to be, but I know I don't deserve anything I have. I've got scars...horrible scars...but now - now its just every once in a while, when things get too hard...or too confusing."
"May I see?"
She asked gently, reaching out to grab her wrist. Tony let her, pulling up her sleeves to expose the mangled skin, the scars.
"Oh, sweetie."
And she gave Tony three pairs of gloves for free.
~~~
Billie was walking so fast, and was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he knocked Tony clean off her feet before he even noticed her.
"What's the rush, Billie?" She asked, staring up at him from the ground. He flushed.
"Just...not paying attention."
He grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet.
~~~
Tony felt it, felt her sleeve sliding back. She felt almost naked without her gloves, but the thought of him seeing...
So she jerked her arm away, and toppled back to the pavement.
But he'd seen. His face...
~~~
What the hell had she done to herself? He'd never thought she'd been wearing the gloves to hide something, he'd just assumed they were a part of her 'look'.
She stared up at me from the ground. Billie couldn't read her expression. It was almost as though she was waiting for him to start yelling.
But he couldn't yell at her.
He just reached down and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she started to sob.
"Don't. Please...don't..." She kept saying, over and over. But he wouldn't let go, even when she tried to push him away.