Separated by a Screen (And Several Hundred Miles)

Chapter Six

When my alarm went off the next morning, my first thought was something along the lines of "no." I randomly smacked buttons on the clock until it shut up.

Groaning, I left the warmth of my bed and stumbled away to get ready. As usual, I tried to look in the mirror as little as possible. No need to dwell on what I look like. That just leads to a not-good morning. Although I guess no mornings are very good, but whatever. No days are very good, either.

~ ~ ~

At lunch that day, everyone seemed to only be capable of talking about the party. Telling who was the funniest drunk, who made out with who, which people entered the party as virgins but didn't leave it as one.

One girl, Diana, was going on about something that I frankly did not care about.

"Oh my god, you wouldn't believe him," she said, flustered. "He was acting like such a perv! I swear, at one point, his hand was so far up my shirt that it nearly came out of the neck hole! Wasn't it, Heather?"

That last bit snapped me out of my Monday-induced haze. "I wouldn't know," I said, slightly uncomfortable that the attention was directed towards me. "I wasn't there. No one ever asked me if I wanted to go." Now, here is where you would expect that people would launch into the whole, "oh my god I'm so sorry I thought someone had invited you I would have asked you to come if I had known."

Diana hardly paused. "Oh. Anyways, so then Ethan..."

I didn't hear anything after that. My thoughts were a hell of a lot louder than any of that meaningless chatter.

They don't even care enough about you to apologize. They can't even be bothered to give some fake apology.

How pathetic.

~ ~ ~

By the time I got home from the school, the day's events had left me feeling completely and utterly alone. Once I was in my house, I stopped in the kitchen to get food, and, as usual, couldn't help but stare at the knives.

It'd be so easy, I thought. Who would care about a slit or two on your wrist?

As soon as I realized what I was considering, I made a beeline for the stairs and went straight into my room.

Pull it together, Heather. You've got stuff to live for.

Did I?

I wasn't quite sure.

~ ~ ~

A few minutes later, I actually had a notification on my phone, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

@lukewarmcoffee: hey!

My hands were shaking slightly when I responded - anxiety.

@heather_the_feather: oh, hi! Long time no see! (Although I've never seen you, but who cares)

@lukewarmcoffee: oh yeah. Sorry about that :/ my little brother fell down the stairs, broke his arm. I was with him in the hospital most of the weekend

And instantly, any anger that I'd felt towards him vanished.

@heather_the_feather: oh my god, I'm sorry. Is he okay?

@lukewarmcoffee: yeah, he's fine. I'd broken several bones by the time I was his age, so I'm sure he'll manage.

I found myself smiling more than I normally would.

@heather_the_feather: Um, how old is he? Because if he's young you lived a dangerous life as a child

@lukewarmcoffee: he's almost 7