┌────── ∘₊✧₊∘ ──────┐
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄
the messengers
└────── ∘₊✧₊∘ ──────┘
( abomination; pt.ii )
BUZZ. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz——
With heavy eyes, Maddie wakes up, turning over to her alarm and shutting it off before she stays still. Her hand under her head, drawing circles on her pillow, she keeps a tight grip on the bear with her other hand, keeping it close to her chest. The top of its head rests under her chin.
School. She had almost forgotten about it. The dreaded seven hour day. After what happened yesterday, Maddie's not sure she wants to ever leave this bed. The warmth from the duvet envelops her with protection, keeping her safe.
Usually, she'd have the voice in the back of her mind telling her to get up, that she'd be late to school if she spends too long lying down. Recently, Maddie's placed her alarm at the opportune time to have just enough time to get ready for school without having to wake up early. With how little sleep she's been getting, Maddie's trying to make the most of it by making sure she can sleep in for the longest time.
Downstairs, Sarah looks at the time. She's aware of her daughter's routine, and she's usually downstairs by now, greeting her mother with a tired smile and messy hair tied up in a careless bun to get it out the way before trudging on into the kitchen. Putting her coffee down, Sarah heads upstairs, tapping a gentle knock on her daughter's closed door.
A hum of acknowledgement comes from within and so she opens the door, seeing Maddie with the covers up to her neck, buried. Sarah frowns sympathetically before heading to her daughter. She lifts the covers slightly, shuffling in next to her daughter. Maddie turns around, face to face with her mom.
"This about yesterday?" Maddie furrows her brows slightly, looking at her mom. Sarah gives a small smile. "I'm your mother; Noah told me."
With the reminder now in the forefront of her mind, Maddie finds tears pricking the the corners of her eyes, her chest tightening with the urge to release the bottled up emotion she's been holding into so tightly. Not trusting her voice —— nor having the energy to use it —— Maddie simply nods.
Sarah brings her hand to her daughter's face, tucking some hair behind her ear. "You don't have to go to school, sweetheart."
"If I don't, then I'll get behind," Maddie whispers. Academic validation was something she sought out for herself, needing to find herself doing well in one aspect of life that other people admired the success in. Maybe it was to people please or to feel good about herself, but Maddie knew that if she stayed at home and then tried to catch up on work that she might end up not understanding, she'd be too afraid to ask the teachers for an explanation on the very minimal off chance that they'd judge her for it.
Perhaps if she'd gone to the class, she'd understand.
"Baby, I don't want to bring up bad things but you saw someone die," her mom says, making Maddie close her eyes, the memory flashing in her head. "That doesn't go away. Not the next day."
Maddie shakes her head. "I can't miss school." She pauses for a moment. "But can I be a little late?"
Sarah smiles softly, nodding before kissing her daughter's forehead.
YOU ARE READING
Empathy ⌯ Stiles Stilinski
Fiksi Penggemar❝ the way he looks at her, i don't think he's never looked at me that way ❞ ❝ maybe you just weren't looking ❞ High school is supposed to be hard. The homework, the socialisation, the worry of deciding your future. At least, that's what's supposed t...
