Wilted

Seeds

     Orchid woke to the sound of a starting car, and the harsh, hazy yellow light of a street lamp bouncing off the blanket of snow. She held her head, resting on cheap faux leather seats. 

"Wh-wha…" she choked out, "What just happened?"

"Jesus, Orchid…" a familiar voice spoke, "You really took a beating out here. Can't believe you already have enemies…"

"Jørn? Ugh…" she sat up, shading her pounding eye from the street lamps above, "I didn't know that girl."

"She knew you! You didn't even put up a fight, And you…" he looked over at Pelle, who was in the passenger's seat, resting his head against the car window, staring into space, "You are injured, you idiot. You almost died, or got arrested! Whichever came first." 

"Well what did you want me to do?" Orchid hissed back, half from pain, half annoyance. "I'm 5'3, Frail and stupid, I'm not exactly the fighting type."

Jørn let out a heavy sigh, "You're not stupid, kid. What the hell happened back there, anyway?"

"I wish I could tell you, all I remember is that she mentioned…" she paused, "Oh, Shit."

"Hm?"

"Eh, it's nothing. I'm just sorry I ruined your night, guys."

"C'mon, kid, have you seen us? We break up more fights than a bar on 10 cent wings night. You fit right in, eh? Just gotta work on the Hitting Back part is all."

Orchid couldn't help but chuckle through the pain, "Glad I'm part of the group, I guess, wish it wasn't so painful."

"Oh yeah, you're gonna have a black eye."

"God damn it."

-

     Pelle's room was cold, the whole house was, but the ethereal chill hung heavy over everywhere he went.

...Or maybe he just left the window open. 

      Orchid pulled the thin quilt over both of them as they rested on the makeshift bed. Jørn had a bit of a hissy fit about putting Pelle into his coffin, and he had exerted his last bit of energy going up the steps. 

Even if he was a bit pissy, it sure was nice of Jørn to toss them an apple and a granola bar from his trunk. Pelle had made short work of the bar, but they both were relieved he was eating something, anything.

*Crunch*

     "Fuck!" Orchid hissed in pain as a dribble of blood stained the apple's white flesh, one of her bottom teeth lodged in it. 

Pelle stirred, rolling over to face her, "Hm?"

"That bitch knocked my tooth out!" She whined, ripping it from the apple and studying it in her hand.

"Heh, Cool."

"Not cool, Pelle." She huffed, "Not cool at all!"

"You can barely tell, Orc." Pelle curled back under the quilt, staring out the window at the treeline as Orchid shuffled around in her bag.

"I gotta have something in here for the pain, I'm gonna be miserable if I don't…" she trailed off, not finding much but a thin strap of leather string and some old craft wire she had forgotten. "Hm."

     Pelle yawned, "You done with the lamp? Øystein will bitch if I leave it on too long…" he looked over at her, fiddling with a craft, as she usually did. "What are you doing?"

"Eh, making a necklace." She sighed, "I'd hate to have it go to waste."

"Your tooth?"

"Mmhmm." She mumbled, hanging it up to the light. It was generally messy, in a way only handmade crafts could be, but odd in a way that was uniquely her. "Kinda cool, huh?"