Hades

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Encounter

Aurora's Point of View

My arm ached. No matter how careful I was, I accidentally bumped the stitched up flesh against some sort of surface at least four times a day.

Every damn day.

This was my first experience getting a sharp needle stabbed through my flesh repeatedly with a string attached, and it was just as agonizing as I expected it to be. What's even more terrifying is the scar that will form in the near future.

My father, on the other hand, has been on edge ever since that day. It's the most active I've ever seen him, though, as he insists he'd be the one to go out and get groceries for the house until my arm is fully healed.

"How would you bring down the bags from the car all alone?" He'd say, as if I had only one arm to begin with. As if the mere stitched up flesh was a major bone injury, disabling me from doing such things.

I let him baby me though. What kind of father would he be if he didn't worry? After all, he was playing the role of both parents.

Dean and I texted a few times since that day. He was acting normal enough for me, which was a relief. I ignored the thought at the back of my head that warned me he would act the same way all over again if surrounded by his douche teammates.

I know,  I agreed with my own thoughts. I know he will.

But is it up to me to tell him how to act, and how to treat people? No. Is it healthy for me to invest myself so much in a person, to the point where I feel responsible for his attitude changes? Absolutely not.

I loved Dean, but his choices are his alone.

I told Hailey what had happened after I came home from the hospital the following afternoon, to which she was furious about.

"YOU CALLED DEAN BEFORE YOU CALLED ME??" She had screeched into the phone, shattering my poor eardrums. She forgave me quickly though, grumbling something about you can't hate on the injured and at least you lived.

Her 'get well' present?

A kitten.

It wasn't unexpected, since I planned on snatching one from her the moment I laid eyes on them, but nonetheless my heart exploded with love when she handed me a mewling kitten.

And here we are, bouncing around a pet store with three kittens in our arms.

"Ooh, ooh let's get them each one of these!!" Hailey pointed towards a wall cluttered with different types of collars. Specifically, at a row of collars with patterns on them, which were a little more higher priced than the regular plain colored ones.

"Yeah, yeah sure." I replied, attempting to keep the anxious kitten in my arms at bay. She twisted her nimble body around as she attempted to escape, a claw managing to get between the wound and a stitch. She yanked her paw upwards, ripping it out and reopening the gash on my arm in the process.

"Fuck!" I yelped out, a bolt of pain shooting up my arm. Blood began to drip down and I winced at the sight. The demonic tormenting kitten jumped out of my arms in a graceful manor, and I was in too much agony to attempt to reach out and attempt to stop her. 

"Hailey, get her!"

Even if Hailey didn't freeze the second she lay her eyes on my now bloodied arm, her reaction time would've been too slow to catch the escaping kitten, who successfully scurried out of sight around a corner of the store.

"YOU'RE BLEEDING!" She screeched. "YOU'RE B-BLEEDING BLOOD!"

Oh, for fucks sake.

Hailey was way more frightened by the sight of blood than any hemophobic I've ever known, and I could tell that she was going to faint any second.