Laconic » a.i

0.5

//ashton//

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Mali's voice pulled me from my sleep -- wait, no, I'd passed out -- and brought me back to my terrible reality. "We have things to do today."

"What happened?" I wondered. I still had that groggy feeling I'd get when Calum would give me the sleeping potion.

"You killed someone else," she stated bluntly. "Let's go."

That's when the memories rushed back. I'd been woken up by another episode and went into the city that we were staying right outside of. I had met some girl -- Margie, I think -- and convinced her to kill herself. It wasn't the first time I did it, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I got out of the small bed I had to sleep in. Mali slept in the slightly larger room next to mine.

"We need more food, so we're going into the city." she explained, grabbing her brown bag and hanging it across her torso.

I never liked going to the city. I always found myself scanning the crowds for Luke or Calum or Cooper or Michael or even Jeremy; anyone I knew. I thought that doing this would help me, but Mali had hardly done anything for me. I'm still fucked up; still a monster through and through.

"When are you going to help me?" I wondered as she opened the door.

She turned so her profile was darkened by the morning sun, "I made a list of things we need. But remember what you promised."

I nodded -- although she had already turned back around -- and walked behind her. We got into her car and sped off to the city. She played music lowly that I paid no attention to. I put in my own headphones in and listened to the music I used to listen to when I'd hang out with one of the guys, or when I was in the car with Bridgette. I'd listen to the bands she'd told me she liked and the ones I'd mentioned to her briefly that she said she'd look into. I always wondered if she actually did.

It was about half an hour when we pulled up to some plaza. There was an ASDA, a cinema, a few restaurants, a few shops, and an old bookstore. Mali stepped out of the car and I followed, shoving my headphones into my pocket with my phone. She handed me a list and some cash.

"Go to ASDA and get this stuff for the house," she told me. I mentally corrected her, saying it was more like a shack than anything. "I'm going to go get the stuff we need to fix your pretty little head."

As she said the last part, she held my chin in her hands, her fingers pressing into my cheeks. She let out a soft, short laugh before turning and walking down the strip. I hurried into the huge store, glad to be away from her.

I searched down the list. It was mostly food. Milk, eggs, bread, the basics. Then there were a lot of microwavable stuff, along with a few pastas and meats. At the bottom, she wrote, anything else you want, i guess. I hummed and nodded to myself.

Don't mind if I do.

I went and got a cart before I stared at at the signs above the isles and started down the freezer section. I grabbed as many frozen pizzas as my hands could grab before continuing along, grabbing more frozen dinners. Apparently Mali couldn't cook despite her mother's skills.

"Shit." I heard a girl hiss as I walked passed. She was trying to reach a tub of ice cream on the top shelf, but she was too short.

I pushed my glasses farther up my face, making sure they were securely on. Then I lightly tapped her shoulder. She spun around, looking slightly alarmed. I pointed up to the shelf. Her dark eyebrows pulled together.

"Do you want to help me?" she asked slowly.

I nodded, trying to muster up a friendly smile.

She smiled back thankfully, "Um, yeah, thank you. I was trying to reach the cookie dough ice cream, actually."