Floyd Charles Van Horn III

Chapter 4: Dolly

The first thing Dolly does when she gets home is run a brush through her wind blown hair. Her mother opens her bedroom door.
"How was your walk," she says, sitting down on Dolly's bed.
"Fine," she says, "normal."
"Honey," Dolly's mom says. Her tone of voice sends a warning off in Dolly's head.
"What's wrong?" Dolly says.
"Well, while you were out. Alex's mother called. She wanted to talk to you."
Dolly's stomach dropped to her feet. See, Dolly didn't know about Alex. Alex never told her. After Alex died, Dolly felt betrayed for a while. Worst of all, she despised Alex's mom; It was her fault after all. A week after Alex's death, Dolly went to the Stuart's house, and just, yelled and yelled and yelled. She hadn't talked to Mrs. Stuart since. Dolly can't move on, she simply can't. If Alex would've came to her first, if Alex would've just told Dolly; she would still be here. Dolly does not want to talk to Mrs. Stuart, Mr. Stuart, or Alex's cousin, and close friend, Paul. She can't. She simply can't.
"I'm not going to call her back." Dolly says, walking out to the living room, and sitting down on the couch, away from her phone.
"That's the thing dear,"
Dolly's mother says, taking her phone to her. "I think it- talking- will help you move on. You'll get better; you won't have to take a walk through the graveyard everyday." Dolly's mom smiles, but Dolly doesn't see the humor.
"No. I don't want to. I don't want to talk to the woman who killed my best friend." Dolly crosses her arms, hugs herself.
"Dolly Ann Smithe take that back immediately! You should not say things like that," Dolly's mom crouches in front of her and take her hands. Her tone softens: "Cindy did everything in her power-"
"Cindy," Dolly says, "rejected her sensitive daughter in a time of need; Cindy," Dolly continues, tearing her hands from her mother and standing up. "let her daughter, her sweet, kind, funny, loving daughter bleed to death on a park bench, like Alex was nothing more than trash!" Dolly takes a deep breath, she squeezes her arms around herself, trying to control her tears.
Dolly's mother sat there, in front of the couch staring up at her daughter.
"Dolly-"
"I'm going on a walk," Dolly says.
"It's dark outside!" Dolly's mother grabs her arm.
"A drive then," Dolly runs out, anxious to be alone.