For The Love I Almost Lost

Can I ?

           

At this point it was automatic. One could say she was a natural with how she lost herself in her thoughts. The way her mind always found a route of escape from what was currently happening in the physical world. The way she had created her own little big world. It was automatic the way she zoned out from the naturally monotone voice that many tour guides possessed , as well as a few teachers. Her route of escape, tiled in fluffy clouds and multi colored shapes and forms, usually led her to different places. To different stories she had read. She loved living in them and she hated when they ended. So they never did. At least not here, not in this world that she had created for herself.

May was snapped out of her thinking. Quite literally as she found herself face first with the teacher snapping her fingers a few inches in front of her face. She recoiled in surprise, glaring at the interruption. The motion had taken her out of a great adventure, dragging her back to where she didn't want to be.

"What?" Had been the irritated words the fourteen year old muttered. The teacher frowned in annoyance, but without further commentary she pointed at the exit of the museum. "The Tour ended a little while ago, you've been on the moon looking at the last part of the exhibition like a loon." May blinked at the words, she whirled around to see other students leaving and making a beeline to the bus. Only some had stayed to pay for something they had bought at the gift store.

"We're leaving soon so if you want to buy anything, Ms. Fisher, you might as well go." The teacher's voice blurred in the background as she walked towards the gift shop. May looked around a bit, before simply heading towards the bus. At least there she would be left to her thoughts, even if surrounded by other children. When she got there, she sat next to Clary, one of the only people who she actually talked to. May signaled the girl to leave her alone when she sat. She wasn't in the mood. Since last night May had wanted nothing else but to stay at home and ignore everything if she could. Even if staying at home meant spending time ignoring her mother's snarky remarks.

"Again? You're never in the mood for anything these days." May didn't look, but from the annoyed tone she knew Clary had rolled her eyes. May knew that tone and as soon as she heard it she was reminded of her mother. She knew what was going to happen, or at least had an idea. An idea which was confirmed as the red head raised an eyebrow and tried to look directly at May's distracted gaze. "It's been like this for a while, darling. You've been ignoring everyone and I swear the only thing you interact recently with is a book and nothing more. What is happening, tell me at least!"

At the shorter girl's ignorance Clary stood up, "Ok, got it. I'm tired of trying with you, of having to beg to you. I'm tired of being ignored by you, could you at least fake you're listening to me? At least look at me when I talk to you!" Clary's voice got louder and louder, until she found herself yelling at the girl, "May!"

She laid her hand on May's shoulder and turned her over to look at her eyes. She expected to find a spec of annoyance in the girl's gaze. In the very least she expected a frustration similar to her own. But what Clary didn't expect was the most bored stare one could find. May even had raised an eyebrow in what was the most dismissive and uninterested manner!

The younger girl cleared her voice and with a monotone tone, void of any sort of anger or frustration, she said, "Who asked you to do anything, to ask me anything, to help. I certainly did not." She accentuated the 'not', with a crevice of annoyance. "I have nothing I want to say, there's nothing wrong with not being in the mood so leave me alone."

Clary's expression morphed into one of hurt, her eyebrows tilted upwards while her lips tilted downwards. In what seemed like a whisper, heard by none of the new arrivals, she muttered a cracking "May, I only wanted to help.". Pushing the shorter girls back into the seat, she curled into a ball on the back of the bus. The other students looked at the two girls. They looked at Clary with a bit of panic at not knowing what to do with a crying female and at May with open jaws in surprise. Who had known that the quiet little May could drive someone to tears? Much less her childhood companion.