Timbre

Movement Four

Timbre: Movement Four

Elizabeth

I stared into the empty fast food restaurant that I was employed at, boredom being the only thing I felt as I waited for either a customer to come and break me from my petrified state, or for my shift to end so that I could leave the torture-chamber that I was stuck working at to support myself while going to school to get a better job. I found it somewhat ironic how the system worked, but then again, I was probably the only one who viewed it as cynically.

My shift ended and I quickly left before anyone could try and ask me to work a day that I wasn't required to. I promptly hopped into my vehicle, slamming the door with a depressed gusto before driving as quickly away as I could while remaining within the legal limit. If the state of Texas would've allowed it, I would have gladly floored it without a second thought.

God, I hated that place.

As I was getting ready to enter my apartment complex, I noticed something rustling in the bushes. Cautiously, I made my way over to see what the conundrum was, surprised to see a kitten stuck in the plant. I freed it, picking it up to examine it.

She was a black kitten, her front right paw white in contrast. Mewing sweetly, the cat managed to steal my heart. I pulled her into me, happy by how she cuddled into me. Luckily the complex allowed pets.

I walked up to my apartment, feline in hand when I felt my phone vibrate. Entering my apartment, I set down the kitten so that I could check who was calling.

"Just wait here for a second, Beethoven." I smiled, grabbing my phone out of my pocket. My eyes widened when I read the caller ID, immediately picking up.

"Elizabeth..." Carmen's voice was rough, "can you come and see me please?"

♬♬♬

I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I was heading off to Carmen's house. She seemed very distraught. I was going about six over the posted speed limit, knowing that no one would pull me over, yet still wanting to make sure that I didn't get into an accident on the way.

Carmen hadn't really been around since the project's conclusion about two weeks prior. The week following the project she seemed more distant from life in general, but that week, she hadn't shown up to classes at all, not even band.

My mind was reeling as I tried my best to keep it clear. I steadied my breathing, not exactly clearing my mind, but made my focus on driving the primary thing. As Carmen's apartment complex drew nearer and nearer, I only started to worry more.

Why did she call me?

Upon arrival, I quickly shut the door, sprinting into the complex to look for her number. When I found it, my hand quickly found its way to the doorknob. The surface was cool and uninviting, but I grasped it tighter, turning it in a swift, clockwise motion. I entered the unlocked apartment to see a blanket covered lump on the couch. Cautiously, I moved closer to the form.

The shape on the couch didn't move when I came closer, making me wonder if it was just a pile of blankets. Unsure, I hooked my hand underneath the fabric, tugging gently. My spirits fell.

Before me was a shaken Carmen, her eyes clenched shut and her cheeks stained by the tears that had been coming at a constant rate. She was sickly pale and seemed to have lost a lot of weight.

"C-Carmen..." I stuttered.

Her eyes opened, bloodshot and puffy, indicating that she had just been crying previously. "H-Hi."

♬♬♬

"... and he dumped me," the brunette concluded, her eyes glazed over. "He said that he never actually cared about me and left."

"He sounds like a jerk," I replied. "Why are you so torn up over him?"

"I love him."

I clamped my mouth shut, unsure of what to say in response to that.

"It's fine." Carmen forced out a chuckle. "You don't have to say anything. I'm sorry that I called you. You're just the only person I could think to call."

"I'm sorry." I played with my hands awkwardly. "I don't mind you calling me, especially since you're not currently in the best state of mind. You don't need to ever feel ashamed to reach out for help. Sometimes asking for aid is the hardest thing to bring yourself to do... I just don't know how helpful I'll be to you, but I'll try my best."

The truth was that I had never really been in a relationship, so it was hard for me to empathize. I didn't know how it felt to just give my heart up. In my mind, the whole concept and core of romantic relationships terrified me. Heartbreak was not something that I ever wanted to experience in my lifetime.

"Just you being here is enough." Carmen's words came out soft, but forced. "I just feel really alone right now and you're numbing the ache a bit. Thank you. It means a lot."

"You're welcome." I sat down on the couch next to her. "Do you want me to stay here with you? I could take you to my house if you want. I just got a kitten and right now my neighbor is watching her for as long as I need, so don't feel pressured into pushing me away, okay?"

I felt Carmen's small hand wrap around mine, squeezing it weakly as she offered me a distressed smile. "You don't have to do that. I already feel better. Thank you, Elizabeth."

Shaking my head, I continued to persist. "No, no, no, it's fine, I promise. We can pack up and then just go. You probably have memories of him here, so it's best to be with a third party, yeah?"

"I... I suppose..." Carmen was having some difficulty getting up, so I easily pulled her up, put off by her weight. It was like lifting a feather.

After a while of getting packed up and ready to depart, I looked down at Carmen to see her with a thick red blanket wrapped around her. Her usual golden brown complexion was ghostly and she looked like the wind could knock her over.

I made a silent promise then and there that I would fix her. 

Author's Note:

Well, this is oddly enough my first note in this book. I'm sorry for the one person who's reading (love you, RYUD) about the lack of updates. Hopefully, this will change! I've mainly written bl or straight stuff because that's just the audience I've amassed, but I really want to break free from just doing those type of relationships and do some gl. Hopefully this'll one day get more reads, but I'm going to stop caring for now because you can't get reads if you never post. 

Thank you to anyone who has gotten this far and I promise that this story will get better and that you'll understand why I love it so much.

This is random, but I'm so proud of this cover. I love it so much. 

-A. A. White