Paper Cuts | Luke Hemmings ✔

01. papercuts

{ listening to Tracy Chapman because why not?

Song; Give Me One Reason }

chapter song; Youth by Troye Sivan

word count; 2019
edited ✔

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Corrine Lancaster sat in her bedroom reading as usual, when her finger slipped. She felt a small, sharp pain slice through her hand, causing her hand to jerk away from her book up to her mouth. "Ouch!" she hissed. It wasn't an omen that she had gotten a paper cut, nor uncommon, just... unavoidable.

She set her book down, and headed into her bathroom to wash all the blood of her finger. As Corrine ran her hand under the cool water, she glanced down at her other hand, examining the bruises of the tips of her fingers. Other paper cuts she received earlier on. The only thing she hated about reading. The cuts she got from the thin, frail – and not to mention sharp – paper edges.

She dried her hand, and made her way back to her bed where her book lay. It was left open to the last page she had been on, pages flowing lightly through the breeze that ran under the crack of the window and into her room. She was seventeen chapters in, and had another eight to go. Corrine desperately wanted to finish her book, but didn't want to risk another paper cut. She had enough already to last her a lifetime. But one more chapter couldn't hurt . . . could it? Corrine mentally had an argument with herself before deciding. She climbed back onto her bed, and returned to her page.

Eight chapters, and three cups of tea later, Corrine closed the book, and closed her eyes for a moment as she went over the book in her head. She though about the highlights and the low-lights of the story. She was upset over the fact that Francine had gotten with Mark, when she should have been with Anthony, because she thought those two to be more compatible, and had way much more in common with each other. Yet, the story ended happy, and her and Anthony were great friends, so she wasn't about to complain. Besides, Francine and Mark did make a cute couple.

Corrine hopped off her bed, passing by Elmo, her cat, and made her way over to her bookshelf. To avoid rereading the same book twice before reading another, Corrine placed the book on the side of the shelf labeled 'Already Read' so she didn't gt mixed up. Shifting over to the section of books she had yet to read, she scanned through them. What to read?  she thought to herself. Her eyes wandered and came to a stop shortly afterwards. She pulled the book off the shelf and read the title aloud. "Smoking Sunsets." Corrine turned to Elmo, who seemed to be enjoying the sunny spot in her room. He laid sprawled out upon the carpet floor. "What do you think Elmo?" she asked. The cat looked at her, and mewed softly. She smiled. "I think so to." Corrine crawled back onto her bed, right where the sun was shining. She let the soft heat rays warm her up before opening up her book. Corrine studied the cover of the book, running her hand over the spine. She flipped the book over and read over the description given for it.

On the outside, Kennedy Walsh seemed like an ordinary girl. Loving parents, a home, a family. But that wasn't the case. No, the only person willing enough to give a damn about her was her father, but even as she grew older, he grew distant. By the time she was sixteen, she was viewed as a spoil, and ungrateful brat with nobody. Kennedy lived life very bitterly, pushing away everyone and anyone who wanted to get close to her.
Until one day.
And from that moment on, everything in Kennedy's life changes. For better, for worse. It's just a rollercoaster of emotions for her. But maybe . . . that isn't a bad thing.