Shapeless

Ch 11 thoughts

Jason was laying in bed, stomach full of dinner. His mom had made some homemade pizza and cookies. Instinctively, Jason had saved one for Skyler but then he remembered. Right... she likes someone else. He glared at the ceiling. This was all Peter's fault! Things had been perfect until he had come along. Peter had ruined everything and now Skyler was his, not Jason's. Jason punched his pillow angrily. What does she see in him? He wondered. I was so close! She's known him for, what, a day? And I've known her since kindergarten! Why would she pick him, a stranger?

"What does Peter have that I don't?" he sat up in the covers, looking into the mirror on the wall. "I have the looks, the flirting skills, the manners, everything! Not to mention I have known her since forever! Peter is super grumpy and hates everything. Why would she choose that?" By now, his thoughts were beginning to come together, his anger dying down. Though he didn't realize it, Jason could be as dramatic as Skyler sometimes.
He sighed sadly. "I didn't even get a chance... now I never will." Skyler didn't need him anymore.
iIt was just high school. Maybe they would break up and he'd get a chance again but it'd be really awkward now that she knew his feelings. Jason blinked unhappily. He wasn't sure if he could face her tomorrow if he ran into her. With a muffled groan, Jason rolled up in the covers, falling into an overwhelmed sleep.

* * * *
Back at the orphanage Skyler was getting ready for bed. She washed her face with the tattered, scrap of a mop laying on the floor soaked with someone's bathing water. I don't need to take a bath today. Sshe decided. Believe it or not, Skyler wasn't particularly fond of having to be seen naked by the other orphans. Technically, they never looked, but it was still uncomfortable. The leaky barrel of ice cold water sat in the middle of the floor, in perfect view of everyone. She didn't own a towel so she just had to hope that no one would notice her walking around in her birthday suit. But not today. She had enough bad encounters at the moment.
After splashing the dirty water onto her face, Skyler used her sleeve to dry herself off and made her way down the desolate halls of gray. The interior was concrete, nails jabbing out of the walls here and there. Skyler flinched as a fuzzy body scurried over her feet. Mouse. They had a huge pest problem. You would think that the state would try to give adequate shelter to kids who have been through so much, but that wasn't the case here.
Walking alone, the darkness seemed to stretch forever. Skyler stopped at a small table where a lone apple sat, a chunk had been nibbled off. She sighed. This was going to be her dinner tonight. Snatching the apple, Skyler hid it in her pocket. She didn't feel particularly hungry at the moment but she didn't want the others to see the fruit. When there was food involved, the orphans were savages. To be perfectly honest, despite Jaimey's belief, Skyler wasn't too fond of looking for fights.

Continuing down the hall Skyler came to a halt at the sound of a small sneeze coming from one of the many dark corners. Turning around, she made her way towards the noise's direction. "Hello?" she peered through the dust.
Curled up in the corner was a girl. She looked young, maybe 9nine or so. The shivering girl peered up at Skyler through her hair's black curls, flinching away. Skyler's heart clutched with pity for the freezing child.

She crouched down to the girl's level, trying to appear friendly. "Hi there little one." She smiled softly. The little girl blinked shyly. "Eight." She nodded, holding up six dark skinned fingers. Skyler tilted her head. "Is that how old you are?" she prompted. Orphans living here didn't get very much education.
The girl didn't respond. It was clear that she didn't trust the teenager. Knowing the orphanage, Skyler understood why.
"I'm Skyler. What's your name?" she tried again. For a few heartbeats the girl didn't reply. At last, she blinked. "Vivian." She sounded scared. Looking at the young girl, Skyler knew exactly what to do with her dinner.
Reaching out her hand, Skyler pulled Vivian to her feet. "Come on Vivian." she beckoned her to follow. "This way." she shouldn't be out in the open like this. They hurried down the hall, Vivian clutching her hand. Skyler sighed, peering through the hingeless opening of a bunkbed room. For some reason, they didn't really have many doors in the orphanage.
Leading Vivian over to a dusty bed in the corner, she turned around ready to lift the eight year old in. "Skyler!" Vivian stopped, grabbing at her pant leg.
"I'm hungry." she whimpered. Skyler ran a hand through Vivian's hair sympathetically, handing her the apple. Vivian gasped in excitement, biting into the food. Hoisting her into the bed, Skyler tucked the blanket around her. Soon Vivian was fast asleep, tiny snores making her thin body shake. Skyler gazed at the little girl fondly. She glanced around, eventually laying down and curling up on the hard floor. It was cold beneath her, seeping into her bones. She shivered when a gust of wind chilled over her from the entrance. She had given Vivian the only empty bed. Skyler didn't regret it though, she knew that the child needed it more than her anyway.
Finally resting, at last Skyler could hear herself think.

She didn't want to think about the shapeless visions at the moment or Jaimey's creepy warning. Instead she let her mind think about how she had gotten answers. Peter, the shy, grumpy blonde had talked to her and listened. He had accepted the hug and even smiled at her for once. Skyler nodded with satisfaction. He would accept her friendship. That meant she wouldn't have to try so hard to win his trust. She smiled to herself. Her friends were her family, they made life less lonely.

Ella had stuck with her since first grade, as well as Jason. She stopped. That's right! Jason was mad at her. How could she explain her meeting with Peter? The brunette had convinced himself that she liked the blonde. This made no sense. All Jason had seen her do was talk to him. He was way too quiet and grumpy for her. Sure he was cute and very handsome but their personalities wouldn't work that way. Didn't mean she didn't want to be friends with Peter. Just meant that was all she wanted to be.
Alarm crashed down on her when she remembered the disappointment in Jason's eyes when he thought she was choosing Peter over him. Skyler felt pity for the poor boy who probably felt so betrayed. He thinks I'm just toying with his emotions. The grumbling of her stomach interrupted her thoughts and she groaned inwardly. I don't need dinner tonight. She decided firmly, slipping into a troubled sleep. She would talk to Jason about it tomorrow. Everything would be just fine. They would work it out. lLike we always do.