'tis the damn season

Twenty-Two: august

"Back when we were still changing for the better, wanting was enough, for me it was enough, to live for the hope of it all" 

*One month later*

I'd gotten my stitches out yesterday, but they told me the old cuts would scar. I was supposed to be wearing the brace around that same wrist, still having two more weeks to go before it would be fully healed, but I was ready for it to come off now. It didn't hurt anymore, so I kept it off while at home. I knew I wasn't supposed to, but I hated the way the material always felt like it was gripping my skin. I swear they gave me a size too small or something.

It was just Will and I home today, Joyce and Johnathan were both working, and El was out with Mike. I had the next three days off from the bookstore which was nice. I was working full time there now, since about a week after the whole thing at the mall. I liked it there. The job was easy enough and it kept me around an atmosphere I enjoyed.

Since everything happened a month ago, I've been trying to keep busy as best as I can. On days like today though, it was difficult to ignore the memories that seemed to push themselves to the front of my memory so often. The house was quiet, Will was drawing in the living room while watching TV, and I was in my bedroom, attempting to read a random book I'd picked off of my shelf. I haven't been able to get through the first page without my thoughts wandering to the mindflayer. I knew it was dead. I saw it die. But that wouldn't stop my brain from trying to convince me otherwise. It could still be out there. You never know.

Robin had been a really great distraction lately. We hung out fairly often, and even Steve had been around too. I've gotten much more comfortable around them now. So comfortable I'd actually call them friends.

I saw them most days. I typically worked at the bookstore from nine to five on week days, while Steve and Robin worked at Family Video, from ten to six. After my shift I'd go to Family Video, hang around them for an hour, and then come back home. On the weekends we'd all gotten into the habit of watching movies at Robin's house.

After going to the movie theatre as Steve had promised in the Russian base together, movies kind of became our thing.

I shake my head, forcing my eyes onto the pages in front of me. I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom with my back against the foot of my bed. My eyes were heavy as I hadn't slept much last night— or any night for that matter. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail out of my face simply because I didn't feel like brushing it today. It's felt like I've been a mess recently.

I just wanted to get lost in a story— was that too much to ask?

A knocking noise, startles me from my position on my bedroom floor, and to my surprise, Steve is standing outside the window, waving at me, a smile curled over his lips. I get up from off the floor, setting my unread book on my bed as I head over to the window, rolling my eyes at him through the glass.

I shove the window up, pushing it open and letting the warm August air float into my room. "What are you doing?" I ask him, his brown eyes smiling at me as if it were obvious.

"Are you busy?"

Even with the summer air, I could smell his cologne that I'd gotten to know so well over these past few weeks.

"Yes I am," I answer, lying.

"No you're not, you were just sitting on your floor, staring off into space," he argues, making me raise my eyebrows at him.

"Oh so you're stalking me now?"

Two months ago, that would have come out with an annoyed tone. Now I was completely joking. We'd settled into this rhythm of sarcasm around each other that was completely harmless.