I'm still hurting - Sally Face (agere)

-11-

i quickly jolt awake. still feeling the cold water sinking into my lungs. I cough and grab the nearest soft thing and hold it against my body. My breathing slows and I calm down wrapping my arms around it. it feels like my body is ice.

I look down at the toy and notice it's not Noodle. It's a little white bunny, that smells exactly like that mysterious pillow I woke up on one morning. Did Sally buy me this? Is he the reason why my room has a sweet side? Just Being in here makes me feel cute. I can't really explain it but I feel euphoric and small in a good way.

Knocking on my door pulls me out of my thought. I stumble out of bed and unlock the entrance. My eyes align with his chest. I slowly look up and make eye contact with the smiling eyes in front of me.

"I see you like your bunny Princess" Sal chuckles. That's what really did it. It felt like my body shrunk inside itself. I just stared, I couldn't even pull the words out.

"Are you okay?" he asks kindly and puts a hand on my shoulder. I just turn my head to its side.
" here how ab-" I don't even let him get the full sentence out.  I wrap my arms around him and place my head against his chest.

"tank you" My face heats up. what did I even just say? His arms tightly hold me. He slowly raises me off the ground and I nervously wrap my legs around him. He closes the door behind him and walks me to my bed. My heart races a little bit but I don't feel scared of him. He sets me down and sits next to me.

"What's going on?". Again I just stare. Tears begin to form in my eyes. I'm confused and now a little bit scared. What's happening to me? As soon as tears begin the run down my face he picks me up. He leans his back against my pillow and crisscrosses his legs and sets me on his lap. He's holding me like a baby. I cry into his chest and he plays with my hair. I squeeze his hoodie hard. He leans over to grab something and I just whine. I didn't even try to it just came out. He hands me Noodle, and my mood instantly lifts. He continues to whisper little affirmations in my ear. It felt like any bad feeling I had ever had just melted away. If I could I would spend every second of my life like this. He rubs my back.
"Bunny we are going to sit up okay?"

-Sals POV-

she didn't say a word as I asked if she was okay. she just tilted her head like a puppy would if you asked it a question.

"here how ab-" I feel her body fall into mine perfectly. Something must really be wrong. I instinctively pick her up and walk her to her bed. She just looks at me. Radio silence. She turns her head and tears start falling from her pretty eyes. I moved her to my lap, I don't know what she is feeling right now but I want to be able to take all of the bad away.

"Bunny we are going to sit up okay? " I set her in front of me. "Start at the beginning, what's going on?"  It takes her a few moments

"I feel weird" Her voice comes out small and shaky. She squeezes Noodle harder.

I know what's happening.

"shh it's okay, how about we watch something on my phone okay?" I take out my phone and play her videos of little pieces of fruit jumping and dancing. This entertains Larry so why wouldn't it entertain a little girl? I tuck her in and lay beside her. I've never seen her this calm. She has never let me get this close.  Her eyes started flittering and I could tell she was going to fall asleep

"Goodnight"

—

I slowly sneak out of her grasp. I want to grab her a snack or two and some water for when she wakes up. We need to talk about this this morning. I open the door and quietly close it behind me.

"What are you doing?" I jumped.

"Todd you scared the shit out of me."

" When you disappeared this morning I didn't think I would find you in her bedroom with your hair all messed up and no shoes on"

"It's not like that. She's just sleeping in there, I'm just grabbing her a snack."

"Ace wouldn't fall asleep around you, she always waited for us to sleep"

" I swear she watched the walking dead on my phone and fell asleep. I sat in her chair" I lied. Todd walked over to her door and pushed it open slightly once he sees her asleep with my phone on her chest he closes the door.

"Okay, is she not sleeping enough at night still?"

"I think she slept last night. I just think she needs more to catch up" we talk as we walk to the kitchen. I begin grabbing a glass of water and a random pop tart

" is that for her?" Todd questioned. I nodded. He grabs the pop tart out of my hand and slides it into the toaster. "She won't eat them cold" I give Todd and slight hug and he walks to the other room.

Once I see it pop up I walk to her room and sit at the end of the bed.

"Wake up sleepyhead" I shake her lightly. She moves around a lot before she finally wakes up.

"Why are you still here," she asks and groans covering her face with a pillow.

"I made you a pop tart" She moves the pillow and grabs the pop tart and then covers herself up again. " so are we going to talk about what happened"

" no," she says quickly, obviously embarrassed.