Forever Crimson

Chapter 6

"TROUBLE, TROUBLE," HER MOTHER repeated, laughing to herself. Scarlet pouted as she leaned her head on her bony shoulder. "How were you able to clean all that up so quickly?"

Scarlet flushed, remembering Elliot coming at the right moment after her mess backstage. So much for wanting to leave the floors squeaky clean. She had to douse them in their own filth.

"I had help," she admitted. Her mother's brown eyes glinted in the golden light of their lamps. Before her mother could even ask, Scarlet stretched her legs in front of her. "But now I'm home, and that nightmare can be forgotten."

"Until next Friday," her mother pointed out cheekily before going back to playing her show. Scarlet groaned at the thought of having to go back to the auditorium, but she knew the consequences of not going, so she swallowed her frustration like everything else that went wrong in her life.

She didn't have the energy to go back upstairs to shower and go through her class notes, so she stayed curled up next to her mother, who laughed and pointed at the TV every time something exciting happened. Scarlet wasn't paying attention to the show, but only saw how happy it made her mother.

It was part of her routine. Every night, she sat back on the couch wearing her comfy pajamas, drank a cup of tea, and watched her favorite shows until she grew unbearably tired.

Scarlet would make sure she made it safe to bed before starting her nighttime routine, which involved cursing out Winter Bay for giving her too much homework, complaining to her friends about how terrible high school was, and catching up on anything she might want to catch up on—which was usually on sleep.

"How was school today, by the way?" her mother asked, catching her breath after her last word. Scarlet hummed, recalling the uneventful day.

"It was fine," she said. "I was hounded to audition for Juliet."

"You should've, sweetie," her mother pointed out, then placed a palm over her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut as she fought to catch her breath.

"How about we get ready for bed?" Scarlet asked. She didn't even wait for an answer as she shut off the TV. Fortunately, her mother didn't fight her for doing so. She caught her breath and allowed Scarlet to help her up the stairs into her bedroom.

Opening the door, her mother reached for her bed, suppressing a whimper. Scarlet furrowed her brows and lowered her down onto the mattress. A sheen layer of sweat covered her face, and she untied her bandana, leaving her bald head exposed.

"What are you feeling?" Scarlet asked. Although she had a pretty good idea of what was happening, she needed the confirmation. She took mental note of it and reminded her doctors every time her mother had an appointment.

"Just the body aches, sweetie," she replied. Her voice lacked the usual strength she had. "Tired...can you turn the light off?"

Scarlet nodded and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She could feel her mother trying for a smile as she pulled away. She didn't say good night, but she turned away to shut the lights off. A newfound darkness enveloped the room as Scarlet found her usual corner in her mother's room, waiting until her breathing labored and she was sound asleep.

When her mother fell into a slumber, Scarlet stood up quietly and made her way to her own room. The messy space greeted her like an old friend surprised to see her after so long. She sighed and scratched the side of her head.

An uneasy feeling traveled down her chest all the way to her stomach, leaving a warm trail that threatened to spread all over her body. She bent down to retrieve the jacket she almost wore that morning from the floor, and stuffed it back into her closet. After a one-over of her room, she lowered herself onto her bed, scrubbing at her face, not caring that her mascara and eyeliner would look like a mess down her cheeks.