Tourmaline

Chapter Thirteen

Over the course of the weekend my wrist had begun to swell. Fortunately not enough for the average eye to notice, but just enough to cause me continuous discomfort. Once Monday arrived I covered it with a few brass bracelets hoping it would go undetected.

I padded into Cornelius' room with an amateur stealth and gently closed the door behind me. 

"Cornelius?" I whispered into the darkness. "Cornelius?"

I heard him shift in his bed. His silhouette jumped at the sight of me and leaned over to switch on his bedside lamp. Light flooded the room, bathing him in a flat yellow glow. His thin, angular face looked dull and fatigued, nothing like usual. His eyelids sagged. His autumn brown hair resembled that of a rat's nest. The corners of his mouth were turned down in a despondent frown.

"What is it?" He glanced at his clock and let out a low, growl-like moan. "It's 6AM, Tourmaline."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I wanted to borrow your jacket."

"Which jacket?"

"The leather one."

"Black or tan?"

"Black."

"Quilted or regular?"

"Goddamn Cornelius, do you really have that many leather jackets?"

He paused. "Yes. It's on the deskchair." He gestured lazily toward his $30 IKEA desk and flipped over, pulling the blue flannel comforter back over his head.

"Thank you." 

I crept to the deskchair and quietly pulled it out to grab the jacket. A pile of dirty boxers, t-shirts, and socks greeted me, enveloping me in a dirty, musky stench. I held my breath and searched gingerly, throwing clothing aside, until my hands found the cool feeling of leather. I pulled it out, sending a plain gray shirt plummeting to the floor, and folded it over my arm in a formal fashion.

"Now get out." His voice tore through the silence, crackling and groggy.

I sped out without another word and flimsily slammed the door behind me. The sound echoed throughout the cramped two-story house, its sound hollow and acrimonious. I grabbed my bag and snuck down the stairs, grabbing an overripe apple on my way out the door. 

Once I found my way outside I drew in a deep breath. The early morning cold stung my nostrils and the frosty air pricked at my eyes. I pulled on the black leather jacket over my beige sleeveless blouse embellished with small red-and-blue sailboats. The satin interior of the jacket caressed my bare arms, giving me the minimum warmth I needed to go outside without freezing to death. My lightwash jeans rubbed against my legs, making them tender and raw in the frosty weather. 

It was still dark out, giving the neighborhood an eerie flatness. The only light came from the methodically placed lampposts, which did nothing but provide a dull fluorescent ember, faded in the overwhelming darkness of the morning. A soft layer of snow blanketed the street, the houses, the vehicles--including mine. I tread over to my car to find the windshield under a thick layer of nearly impenetrable ice. 

I had no intention of spending twenty minutes scraping it off.

 I sighed, evaluating my remaining options. School began in an hour, I could walk and get there in time for first period. I could also call Laurie to come pick me up, or Tate, or Ira, or Sylvie...or Brent.

I shook the thought away quickly and settled on walking. I set off down the street, having to steady my feet every few blocks to avoid slippery patches of ice. The walk was about forty minutes, give or take, though it felt much longer. About halfway through a streak of orange crept up the sky, signaling to all that the day was about to start. The meek, melodic chirping of birds rang throughout the air like churchbells. Fellow kids began to appear around me, also making their way to school.