The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 84

---Sylvia---
"I'll see you guys later." she said and gave me a hug. Instead of hugging Ricky, they both turned and bumped shoulders. This was something called the "Scenery Tattoo Bump" which was a development that had come into the works this morning when they realized they both had little scenery tattoos of houses and such on their left arms. I liked that they had become so friendly with each other. They were two of the most important people in my life, and them being friends made everything easier. I watched her walk to her car before I drifted away back inside the house.

I still hadn't slept yet and sometimes everything felt like it was spinning.

I walked upstairs and went to my workroom, closing the door and carefully sitting down on the couch. I thought about laying down but soon banished the thought from my head. I was tired of facing down the nightmares every time I closed my eyes. I was tired of my brain being so full of dreams that I still woke up exhausted. I was tired. I was so tired but sleep couldn't save me.

So I worked. Putting my brain towards a creative process I went back to sculpting the little clay figures. Hours passed by. When my eyelids drooped and my posture became slack with fatigue I took walks. I played music. I turned on the tv or played YouTube videos.

Ricky came in at some point and offered me some hamburger helper. I gratefully declined knowing that being hungry would help me stay awake. He sat with me for a little while when I was taking a tv break. I think he might've finally been catching on with my lack of sleep because he asked me to take a nap with him.

It was an appealing offer, to say the least. I loved napping with him. I loved those moments in between waking up and falling asleep. Those moments where you almost forget everything. For some time, there is nothing but the present. You and this other person while everything else has fallen away.

But recently I didn't even have those moments because every waking moment was tormented by the fresh memory of a new nightmare; every falling one overlooked by the threat of a newer.

"No," I murmured, "I'm alright. You go ahead and nap without me."

***

---Ricky---

I scraped the leftovers of the hamburger helper off the pan and spooned it into the tupperware. Pressing the lid on, I tucked it into the fridge and dumped the pan and spatula into the sink. I'd talked to Chris on the phone whilst cooking.

Two days. I had the rest of today and tomorrow before I had to go back to tour and I wasn't sure how to feel. There were conflicting emotions.

On one hand I looked forward to being back with my band, touring and laughing. On the other.. I was going to miss Via.

I turned around and was walking out of the kitchen when a voice spoke and nearly scared me out of my skin. To my right, sitting at the table was Via. I hadn't even heard her come in.

"Hey," I said, "Change your mind on the nap?" she looked exhausted.

"No.." she murmured, kind of staring off, "Do you think..." her voice faded out and then she kind of shook her head at herself.

"Do I think what?"

"Nothing."

"What is it?"

"Nevermind."

"You can't start a sentence and not finish it."

"...Do you think there was a funeral?" she asked, voice hollow.

"For who?"

"Philip." A pang of worry embedded itself into my chest, "I don't think there was. He didn't really have anyone, I think. He was always alone.. I don't know."