Pinky Promise [on hold]

twenty one

"Hey Princess. Why are you up? Did we wake you?" She squats down so the kid doesn't have to crane her neck by looking up at her.

The kid shakes her head. "Why is the man from the park here mommy? Did he lose his shirt? Oh, we can give him one of Masey's!" She smiles at Julia and me. How can one kid be so adorable?

But why would that Mason guy have clothes over here? Don't tell me he lives here too.

Julia softly laughs and it sends a shiver down my back. Luckily she has her back turned to me.

"No Princess, he didn't lose his shirt. But that was very sweet of you baby." She stands up and lifts the kid up in her arms. The kid wraps her tiny arms around Julia's neck and lays her head down in the crook of her neck.

"Let's get you back to bed baby." She turns back around towards me. "I'll be right back." She turns towards the door and walks away, soundlessly.

Sure, leave the injured man alone in your bathroom.

~

The microwave started beeping, guess I was hungry. This pasta is great though. I lift the fork -which took me forever to find- to my mouth and shove the pasta in my mouth. If she doesn't come back soon I might finish all of this.

Suddenly she's in front of me. How does she do that?

"Are you done yet? I thought you said you weren't hungry?"

"Bleeding out made me hungry. What took you so long?"

She rolls her eyes and makes her way back to the bathroom with me in tow. "Some of us have other people we have to take care of. Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouths, Blue Eyes."

I sit down on the closed lid of the toilet and she grabs some stuff out of the kit. She's on her knees in front of me, stitching up the wound on my abs.

"So, teen pregnancy huh?" I try to fill the awkward silence.

She pulls a little too hard on the thread and I wince. 

"Not that it's any of your business but no. Not a teen pregnancy." Her last words are a lot softer than the rest.

"Nola is my little sister. She calls me mom because I'm the only mother figure she has." 

My eyes grow wide because of her statement but also because of her tone. Ice cold.

Holy shit.

NOELLE

Why the hell did I just tell him that? Stupid brainless idiot. He didn't need to know that. Now he's gonna ask a million questions. Fuck.

I stand up. "I'm finished." I keep my tone flat and don't look him in the eye as I wash my hands and try to suppress the memories.

RIVER

"So, where is your mom? Does your dad live here?" The questions keep tumbling out of me and she roughly closes the tab.

"Follow me." I can hear by her tone that she's not gonna answer my questions but I can respect that. We barely know each other and it's not like we're friends. More like, acquaintances. Yes, acquaintances who occasionally help each other out. Well I haven't helped her out but she helps me.

"I am not sending you back in this weather while you're hurt." 

I look out of a window that we're walking past. Shit, the rain is coming down in bucket loads. 

"You can sleep on the couch." 

She starts walking and I follow her to a walk in closet. By the looks of it she shares it with Nola, there are a few little tutu's and other small clothing laying around.

Julia grabs some sheets and walks back to the living room. I watch the cartoon playing on the tv while she puts the sheet over the couch. I would help her but I have no idea how to.

"In that cabinet over there are some blankets and pillows if you want to use them." She points to the cabinet that's the farthest away and I grab a blanket and a pillow and put them on the couch.

"I'll grab something for you to wear."

I nod my head. "Thanks."

She waves it off. "Mason leaves his clothes here all the time. He basically lives here." I watch her walk away until she rounds a corner.

I sigh and look at the tv. It was stupid of me to ask those questions, I knew she wouldn't answer them. Her mother looked like a sore subject. I know all about those. Wait- why didn't she ask me what got me so bloodied and bruised?

I hear a soft thud and look at the clothes that landed next to me on the couch. A shirt and some basketball shorts. Nice.

"You should know where the bathroom is by now." She chuckles a little and starts to walk away.

I nod. "Why didn't you ask me about my wounds?"

She stops in her tracks but doesn't turn around. "If you wanted me to know you would've told me. Besides, I like to keep my nose in my own business." She's quiet for a few seconds. 

"Goodnight River."

I turn my head away from her as she walks away and look at the clothes. Time to put these on I guess.

~

I didn't put the shirt on as I don't like to sleep with a shirt. Now I'm back in the living room but I can't find the remote to turn off the tv. Why are these things always gone?

Ah, there it is. I move her English books that are on the coffee table out of the way and grab the remote. I press the on/off button. A little light flickers on the box next to the tv and the sounds of the cartoon sound hollow now. Shit, she has multiple remotes.

"What are you doing?" 

I almost jump out of my skin but I manage to conceal it just in time.

"I want to turn the tv off but I can't find the right remote." I sheepishly rub the back of my neck.

Julia sighs and grabs a remote out of one of the cabinets and turns the tv off.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She turns around and walks back to what I assume is her room.

I let myself fall on the couch. It is surprisingly comfortable. I close my eyes.

It doesn't take me long to fall into a dreamless sleep.