The Neverland Project ✎

━━ ten

The next day, Amelia caught a ride with Lia. I couldn't pretend that it didn't hurt that my friend didn't want to drive with me anymore, so in a moment of desperation, I sent a message to Curtis, asking him if he wanted a ride to school. I tossed my phone onto my bed while I went into the bathroom to wash my face. 

I turned on the faucet and held a cloth underneath it, waiting for the water to warm up before I put it on my face. Looking up into the mirror, I let out a sigh, running my hands through my tangled hair that was still slightly damp from my shower last night. I looked exhausted, eyes sunken into my skull and ashen skin, pulled taut over bones. 

I lifted the cloth to my face, running it over my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin, removing all signs of exhaustion. From the cupboard above the toilet, I grabbed my moisturizing face cream and spread some across my cheeks, rubbing it in so there was no trace of it left, leaving my skin as clean and glowing as it could get. 

My hair was next. I struggled to run a comb through the messy, clumpy mess that sat on my head, wincing in pain as I yanked on the strands until they unknotted and fell flat against my face, clinging to me with all the built-up static. There was a random hair elastic sitting on the counter, so I pulled my now frizzy hair into a ponytail and left the bathroom. 

I swiped my phone up from my bed before laying on my stomach on my duvet and checking it to see a message from Curtis waiting. I grinned when I saw it, my heart fluttering with nervous excitement as I opened the text conversation and looked down at the grey bubble waiting for me.

sure! what time are u coming?

I began typing out a reply when another message popped up, making me smile even wider.

also thanks for offering :)

My fingers began working even faster as my thumbs flew across the tiny keyboard. I took a deep breath before hitting send, informing Curtis that I could be there at 7:45, and then set my phone back down again to get ready. I'd gotten my clothes out the night before and I quickly got dressed into them, a pair of jeans and a tucked-in t-shirt. 

My phone vibrated on the bed once more while I was fastening a necklace around my neck. I finished with the tiny clasp before going and snatching up the device and unlocking it to be presented with our entire conversation. The interactions we'd had were fairly simple. There was me telling him about the work that he had missed in English when he had a dentist's appointment and a few photos of some art pieces that he was working on. I read the latest message as I walked down the stairs.

sounds good, followed by a thumbs-up emoji. I smiled and shoved the phone back into my pocket as I approached the kitchen table. Martina was already here, spooning Lucky Charms into Aurelia's mouth. Milk was dribbling off her chin as the spoon made its way into her mouth, dropping marshmallows and sugar-covered puffs into her open mouth. Her loud chewing filled the kitchen as Martina got another spoonful ready for her. 

I smiled at them both as I opened the fridge, took out an orange and began peeling it over the sink. 

"Hi Cherry!" Aurelia shrieked, waving her arms at me and knocking the spoon filled with cereal out of Martina's hands. Martina motioned to me to grab the cloth for her and I complied, snatching it from where it lay in a crumpled ball next to the sink and tossing it into Martina's open hands. 

"Hello Aurelia," I smiled, tossing my orange slices into a bowl and going to sit down at the table next to her. "You're looking gorgeous today," I adjusted her toque on her head and handed her a peeled orange slice which she took happily and began chewing away on the juicy flesh. 

Martina raised her eyebrows at me as I too started eating an orange slice. I returned her gaze with a forced smile before I got up and put the empty bowl into the sink.