The Popular Girls

Like Rodents In The Dark

           There it was again. That sound. Drops of water splashed consecutively, shattering whatever silence Olivia could salvage in her final moments with the apartment being rented out. There wasn't much to see anymore; the furniture had been covered with white fabric awaiting their new owners, the windows had been left open allowing the evening breeze to slip through - and the smell of her grandmother's boiling soup to slip out. 

          In all fairness, the soup was not great. Yet, it was her first memory of this apartment. The rain tapping gently on the windows, the soft sheets beneath her fingertips, and the smell of that soup - it had been so long, that she could not even remember what was in it. The only memory was that of her caring Nana feeding it to her - then, everything became blurred, caught in a storm of pain and tears. 

          Then, the wound was fresh and the scar run deep. Then, there was no prosthetic to help her walk across her bedroom into the bathroom - just an old lady, with no help, carrying a teenage girl to the best of her abilities. Those times bonded her and grandmother more than anything else - the tiredness they felt once they reached the bathroom door yet the overwhelming accomplishing that came with it. How they were foolish to believe every time that it will get easier. How much shame they shared when Olivia had to take a shower or use the toilet. The anger that came with the thought that this was someone else's cross to bear. 

          The days became weeks and the weeks years. And the more time passed, the more their roles began to switch. Olivia, now, at the age of eighteen buried her loving caregiver and with her all the pain of the past. Eventually, grief gave way to acceptance, and Olivia found herself a full-grown woman with a small recollection of the past and an eagerness to eliminate whatever feelings of confusion or loss she began to develop for herself. 

           Softly, she glided her fingernails over the hard shell of the luggage standing beside her. Since she spoke with her landlord in an effort of breaking her lease and moving on, time had begun to slip before her very eyes. Blinking sometimes helped, reminding her where she was, who she was, and what she needed to do next. With that, she sprung up, the leather cushions peeling off beneath her. 

          She balanced her weight like the doctor had told her, once on the right and then on the left. The new prosthetic was slimmer and shinier than the previous version, providing a certain comfort that the other lacked. It may have cost a fortune but at least the feeling of itchiness on the right side of her calf would now fade away. Her Nana had spoken with the doctor regarding the cost; she was willing to pay everything on her own, despite earning a below-average pension. It was only when the doctor gently pushed her hand away that regret and relief drew upon her face. 

          Even at fifteen - years old, everything seemed a bit clearer to Olivia than it did to everyone else. How her parents' hope of convincing their only daughter to return home began fading with the years, how her mother's severed ties with Olivia's grandmother were a one-sided decision, how the sheer thought of returning to Hillbrook County after all these years was a mix of fear and excitement at the same time. Particularly, the last one seemed to leave a bad taste in her mouth. Figuring out why her parents cut all ties with her has been a tricky puzzle - with all the pieces laid out in front of her now, how could she be scared? 

          The luggage rolled smoothly behind her, following her footsteps like a shadow; over the braided rug, through the common areas, and into the elevator, that lead her to the front entrance. A circular garden lay beyond the picket fence surrounding the building - it was a pity that the smell of roses never reached their apartment on the fifth floor. Olivia's grandmother used to tease her by calling her a baby rose; seemingly for the color of her hair but also because she would bloom with time.