Naughty Princess

6

"I did try, though, and you can stay tonight. It's just... Argh! I don't want to be here anymore!" Grace closes the door hard, and then walks quickly to her ruffled bed. Addison frowns and turns to her friend.

Grace is a bit taller than Addison, but now she seems to shrink in frame. Her knees come up to block her chest, arms crossed and resting on top to hide her face. She sniffs in her arms, and for a second it's like they're 18 all over again.

Promising to run away with each other to the city, and become models or cashiers or anything to get away. At the moment, Addison hates herself and hates the memory. She was the one that pulled out, that convinced Grace to stay.

She was foolish, and it hurts to see that she hasn't changed much from then.

"Why don't we run away together?" She bites her tongue after the words leave her mouth. Stupid, but still she hopes for Grace to get her a yea, or even a maybe. She is still standing beside the vanity, surrounded by every little thing Grace has ever loved.

"I... I can't. I made a promise to dad before he left. You know how mom is, you know what she'd do if I left her." The words are muffled, and tired, and sound like they've been repeated back 100 times over.

Addison does know what Grace's mom would do, but she worries for her friend more.

Grace has her mind made though, and after the time when they were 18, she has never entertained the thought again. Not even when they had a drink one night, and Addison begged her to run away somewhere fun for the weekend.

'Mom won't like it unless it's booked 3 months in advance.'

It's cooler now; she shivers and wraps her arms around herself. Addison walks over to the pile of stuffed animals and picks the oldest and most favored from the top. A blue baby lamb with a boy's face. She takes it to where Grace is sitting, and sits alongside her.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Grace, I'm just scared." Her words tremble a little, but she manages to stop herself from crying. She knew one day she'd move out, but already she misses her home, misses her bedroom.

She misses her old life.

Grace takes a deep breath; it rattles a little in her throat. When she lifts her head up from her arms, Addison sees that her face is sticky with tears and sweat.

"I'm so sorry, Addy. I love you, and I wish I could help you." Her face crumples; Addison does all she can to make sure she catches her friend and hugs her tight, fighting her own tears to keep them at bay.

"It's okay, I'm sure I can go to a shelter tomorrow. Maybe you can hold my suitcases for now though?" It hurt to say; it made it feel more real. Not much has felt real since this morning's rain.

Grace stilled, and then sat up straighter.

"Wait, shit! I just remembered something." A little worrisome, made her heart drop actually, but Grace was smiling, as if she just remembered something that could save Addison.

"I have someone that needs a roommate."

Turns out she did.