Shine For Me

Chapter 8 - Fixing

"How is um, Gloria?" Jay asked as she entered Luna's room. 

"She's fine, but she's in a room by herself know just incase. I guess it's safety precautions but I want to be with her, to help her." Luna shrugged her shoulders and continued to paint a daisy.

"You have to help yourself before you help others, Luna." Jay patted Luna's shoulder and left the room.

Luna sat and thought about what Jay said. She's right, sadly, and Luna knew that. But to Luna, she was beginning to be fixed; Louis was the reason. Now that he's not here, she can't seem to be helped. This building doesn't help, the people don't help. The only thing helping was Louis.

Luna collected her painting supplied and carried everything carefully to her usual picnic table. It was a beautiful day out, warm enough for a light sweater but cold enough for long pants. It was Luna's ideal weather, really. It's between too hot and too cold.

She sat everything up and took her seat, beginning to paint again. She pushed some hair back and concentrated deeply on the mixing of colors.

Louis stood a distance away, still watching how Luna concentrated, the way her eyes settled only on the canvas in front of her.

He wants to talk to her again, but he had a reason for staying away. He believed that if he stayed away, he could show her how things don't matter with him gone. That it's ok if he's not here. It's an odd way of doing things, he knows. It's the only way he seems to fix things. Runs away.

He kept watching her and wished he could go up and talk to her, but he's afraid. There were nights when he would walk by her room and hold his fist up to knock on the door, but something keeps him back. He always felt better with her there and lately he's been feeking pretty awful. 

Louis isn't the kind of guy to run up to a girl and express his undenying love for her. He doesn't like to say "I love you" or "I like you, a lot". He's more of a "You're interesting" kind of guy. Courage is only a word when Louis says it. It has no meaning to him. He has none.

Louis was leant up against the brick wall of the building, across the yard from Luna's table. People would stop next to her and compliment her work, she'd blush and murmur "Thank you." Louis saw things from a distance that he didn't when he was close. 

He's slowly falling for her and wishing for their friendship back. That saying must be true the;

Distance does make the heart grow fonder.

*

"Do you miss him?" Jay asked as she licked at her ice cream cone. Luna nodded and sipped at her milkshake. "Why don't you just go talk to him?"

"You didn't see his face. There was something about that fight that made him angry," Luna mumbled with hurt in her chest.

"It's been a week, Luna. You have to talk to him," Jay said, patting Luna's shoulder. Luna just nodded her head and continued to sip at the delicious drink in her hands. 

Luna's leash has been extended a bit. She still has to sleep at the hospital and spend most of her time there, but Jay can sign her out for an hour a day and they can spend time out of the building. Today, Jay took her to an ice cream parlor. 

"What's the next step so you can go home?" Jay popped the last piece of her cone into her mouth and started to chew.

"They said some final tests, I don't know. Remy said she has a deal for me when I get back tonight. It's the secon to last group session." Luna slurped at the last bit of milkshake she had left.

"Have you said anything yet?" Jay asked, her eyes glued on Luna.

Luna just shook her head and looked around the colorful room, studying the painted ice cream cones on the walls and the bright colors. She watched the other people and how they talked.