A Pirate's Life For Me

Wasted Time

"Oliver?"

I glance up, throwing my head back a bit too far, the lights swimming around me. I squint. At least, I think I'm squinting. I can't feel my face. I recognize this voice. Why do I recognize this voice? It's a nice voice, I'll give it that.

"Oliver, hey, are you okay?"

The blurry shape comes closer, and I recognize the braided hair over the shoulder, pretty, dirty blond hair, bright green eyes twisted up in a painful smile, but patient. Like she's done this before. I recognize her...but I can't place her.

"Hello," I sing-song, settling on a smile since I can't remember the name. But that's fine. Maybe she's someone I messed with to get information.

"Are you...drunk?"

There's a tone to her voice; she's upset. Why is she upset?

"Yessirree. I am, I am, I am very drunk. You see some shitty things have happened and I haven't had a drink in a while, so I thought maybe I could go drink a bit while my friends..." No, that's not right. They don't like me. They aren't my friends. "My companions are working. I'll go back soon."

She doesn't seem like she understood most of what I said. "I don't believe this."

My eyebrows knit together, and I shrug. "Um...you want me to pinch you?"

A dull ache ignites in my shoulder. Left shoulder. Why does my left shoulder hurt?

...fucking asshole shot me in the shoulder...thing in me snaps as the girl cries on the dock, holding her elbow, knees curled up to her chest...His fingers clamp down around my shoulder...

I shiver, down the rest of my glass in a gulp of...whatever it is. I'm not sure. It tastes bad.

She sighs hard, blowing air through her nose, before waving her arms at me. "Come on. Declan wants you back."

I recognize her. C...Colette. Colette! And her boyfriend, Jackson.

I stand, wobble, point at her with a satisfied smile, about to explain how I figured it out, but then I remember. Jackson isn't her boyfriend, he's her brother. Which means I've got a chance.

Dizzy.

...his eyes are unfocused, and shrink back. He looks crazier when he isn't staring straight ahead. His eyes are blurring slightly, swimming as his head moves up and down, as his nose follows suit and blurs the same, his mouth, his ears, his face, everything blurs, and then I realize it's not him, it's me. I can't focus on anything. The distance fades, clouding over until I can't see the wall anymore, I can't see Rosalette standing silently in the corner. But it's not silent. The only thing I can hear his my heart pounding irregularly in my throat and my breath heaving up and down and—

"What's wrong now?"

She's irritated. I blink myself back to the present. I'm leaning on her a little bit, wobbling my way down the sidewalk. And she's worried, leaning her weight down on her shoulders with her hands curled against her stomach. That's worried. Maybe a little bit frustrated. Mostly worried.

"You look like my sister."

She stops, turns to face me, and I take a step forward without her, sticking my arms out to my sides to keep myself upright. "I do?"

"Yup." I pop the 'p' and almost fall into the side of the bakery, righting myself on the brick. "S-See, I wasn't going to tell you because it makes me sad, but I think that's why I want to make sure that you guys don't die so bad. Like, I care a lot now. About the both of you. But when I cared about my sister, it never ended well. I think that's why I don't like to look at you."