your city gave me asthma // Wilbur Soot

twenty-eight

Skylar

"You can't keep rotting in your bed."

"Yes I can." I mumble, pulling my covers over my head.

Claire sighs and pulls it back off of me. "You haven't showered or left the house in a week. I love you but you're disgusting. Go take a shower, put something cute on, and I'm taking you to a party. Whether you like it or not, you're gonna make out with someone. You don't have to fall in love with them, but just kiss them, at least."

"I broke up with Wilbur a week ago. I can't already move on."

She groans dramatically and pulls my arm, making me sit up. "You can still be in love with him and get back together in June or whatever. But just have a fun night. Nothing wrong with that."

I want to keep arguing, but I know she won't give up. I finally climb out of my bed, my legs stiff, and walk into my bathroom. I lean against the counter and stare at my reflection; something I've refused to look at in days. I'm an ugly fucking mess. That's all I can say.

Claire steps in and turns me away from the mirror. "Do I need to bathe you? I will if you need me to, but I don't really want to."

"I can do it." I mumble, watching as she turns the water on. Instead of walking out, she stands in front of the door, arms crossed over her chest. "What?"

"Get naked."

"I can do it by myself."

"We've seen each other naked 30 million times. I need to make sure you get in that shower and actually clean yourself."

I roll my eyes, kicking off my pants and slipping off my shirt. I unclip my necklace and slip off my ring from Wilbur, setting them on the counter next to the sink.

"You gotta stop wearing those." She mumbles. "Keep them somewhere safe, since they're nice, but still."

"Whatever," I reply, reaching my hand out to test the water. It's nice and hot, so I step in, nearly moaning as the water hits me. I won't admit it to Claire, but it feels nice to finally shower again. But as I'm lathering my hair with shampoo, I remember the showers Wilbur and I took together at Olivia's beach house. I lean against the wall and feel my tears start mixing with the shower water.

"Skylar," Claire says, making me jump as she yanks the curtain open. "I'm gonna bathe you."

"It's fine," I mutter, but she makes me sit on the edge of the tub. I completely zone out as she finishes my shower for me, making sure to scrub every inch of my body. Once she turns to water off, she pats me down with a towel and wraps another one around my hair. She quietly plays one of my vinyls and sits me down on my bed, grabbing my makeup bag that hasn't been used in weeks. Claire sits beside me and silently does my makeup, Maddie coming into my room right as she finishes.

"Hey gorgeous," Maddie says, lying on my bed. "Put some clothes on."

"I'd rather be naked." I mutter as a joke, but neither of them laugh.

"I'd kill for your hair." Claire tells me, aggressively shaking it with a towel. "It dries so fast."

"Where are you guys going?" Maddie asks, curling my hair as Claire asked her to do as she looks through my closet.

"Another NYU party."

"I wanna come!"

"No," I say. "I need to stop endangering my little sister."

"I was safe last time." She groans.

"Only because we were only there for like, thirty minutes." Claire tells her. "When you turn 18 and we're both at NYU, you can come to parties with us then. But not when you're 16."