The Aftermath

-Running-

Chapter Two

‘Running’

 

“We can’t keep doing this; I’m running out of excuses.” Bree put her hand on her hip as she spoke.

It’s not like I didn’t know any better, but my Aunt knew the smell of weed all too well. Her friends always had her room engorged with the smell of it. She had a tendency of hiding the smell but it lingered in some parts of the house.

“Not right now, I’m still fading and I’m trying to enjoy it.” I sat back and watched as the light danced its way through Bree’s room. As if it was the only place the light wanted and knew how to be.

“Enjoy it later it’s almost two in the afternoon and we still have to think about an idea for our project.” Leave it to her to drink and end up babysitting me for the night only to bombard me with school work on a Saturday morning. I should be in bed all warm and toasty.

“What about light and rainbows?” I asked smiling around at the dancing light that bounced around.

“Something less high please.” She paced back and forth across her bedroom floor.

“What about death?” I suggested immediately recalling my idea from last night.

“Well, what about death?”

I pulled my knees tightly up to my chest. “Why it’s so not talked about? What it does to the people who have lost loved ones. How people’s reactions differ depending on the situations.”

Bree paused for a long time but continued with her pacing. “I actually like it. Good job on not sounding so high”

“My best work is done after a blunt and you know it.” I teased sticking my tongue out at her.

Bree continued asking questions and I answered as best I could considering my legs felt like jello and I felt like I was floating still. She was always a ticking time bomb her mouth going a mile a minute till she got to the damn subject.  We just sat and as her questions went on I looked around her room, the exact same room I’d woken up in dozens of times when we decided to give into the party favors at Brad’s party. She’d kept the same pale pink paint on her wall and her Mom’s mural of a princess and prince on horseback together. The mural was modeled after Bree’s Mom and Dad when they were together. Bree insisted on keeping the mural even after their messy divorce that took a huge toll on her back in seventh grade. Bree being an only child much like myself except, she was actually very close to both of her parents before her Mom cheated on her Dad and he left without saying a word to Bree. She only gets a card from him here and there ever since then, about him, his girlfriend, and their travels.

 

“You think we should question people here in Cloverdale?” Bree paced back and forth her brain going farther than I wanted to at the moment.

“Well where else do we know anyone?” I asked sarcastically.

“Gia, I think we should question four people at the least that way the documentary isn’t boring.”

“Well now that you mention it, there’s Birdie.”

As the words left my mouth Bree’s eyes grew wide what happened to Birdie was a shame beyond anything. It was pretty recent but she seemed pretty okay whenever we went to Ruby’s café.

“We should think of the questions then we can run it past Mrs. C on Tuesday.”

“Yeah we can, but after I take a shower and have a chat with my aunt.”