Washed And Other stories

Washed-Chapter 3

He was on all fours wagging his tail at her as she rubbed his head.
"Good job hazel"
He licked her hand making her giggle.
....
She could remembe it vividly the day her mom had shouted at her. Since she became pregnant she had been becoming irritated at the slightest things possible.
She kept quiet and ran into her bedroom to cry. That night she didn't cry instead she ended up playing dress up with hazel.
....
She had just broken up with Tyler, he had stopped giving her attention they way he normally gave her when they just started dating. Occasionally she would catch him stealing glances at Maddie, the new girl.
Hazel welcomed her that day as she stepped into her room. The night was spent talking to hazel about Tyler and ended with she and her best friend on the couch watching a cliché movie.
...
Today she sat with Hazel in the hospital bed. She had taken a bullet for her just last night when some burglars broke into their home. Her eyes were red, fresh hot tears threatened to spill out as she looked at her best friend almost dying.
That was the last day she ever talked to her.
At home, no body really paid attention to her. Kulture, the new baby had just arrived and she was the centre of attraction.

Ariana woke up with a stir. The nightmares were back, she needed her pills if not she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

She sat up and hugged her knees trying to drive the chill that crept up her spine. The bright stars that surrounded the half moon that night twinkled in the sky giving a soft glow to the darkness.

"Can't sleep?"
Jade said still lying down. Ariana jerked at the voice but relaxed when she remembered she wasn't alone.
"I haven't been able to sleep without my sedatives for some years now"

Jade managed to sit up. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Why?" Her voice came out groggy.

"It's a long story, I don't feel comfortable talking to strangers"
The 'strangers' came out in a hushed whisper.

Jade threw her head back and laughed shocking her.
"Something is obviously disturbing you, as my dad would say, a problem shared is a problem half solved"

Jade waited but instead Ariana kept quiet and hugged her knees more tightly.
"There was this time my dad brought this weird lady home. I didn't like her, one bit. You know that moment when you meet someone and you don't just connect"

Jade was telling her story, she was trying to make her friend more comfortable.
"She was my dad's girlfriend. I always felt that she just wanted to take my mom's space."

"Your mom's dead?"
"Yes, died before I finished high school. The doctors said it was something about a brain tumour. I felt bad then, but I got better. Back to my dad's girlfriend. I talked to my dad about it, he decided to take it slowly. First she started coming for visits, then she joined us in family dinners, outings and all that. Turns out she was nice after all"

"Your point exactly?"
"My point is that if I never told my dad about how I didn't like her, he would have not even known I didn't like her and then I would have just spent the rest of my life hating her and that hatred will just keep eating me up and getting me skinny. I actually wanted to try modelling, skinny wouldn't have been a bad idea tho....I talk too much don't I?"

Ariana smiled a genuine smile
"Yes, your talking is kind of contagious too"
Slight pause

" My best friend was hazel. She was a dog, got it as my fourth birthday gift from my dad. She was special trust me".

"She was brown, so I was like okay, Hazel's your name. We were really close. My dad was always going for business trips, only ever attended three of my birthdays. My mom tried to give me her attention once or twice. When I was fourteen, my mom got pregnant. The little attention I normally got from her was slowly quavering. I didn't care, because I had Hazel. We would always play, I'd tell her everything. Sometimes it felt like she really understood me. She was the only person I ever felt comfortable talking to about my issues.

She paused again and wiped a stray tear with her palm.
"A week before my little sister was born, kulture. Hazel took a bullet for me, burglary attack. She died.
Then kulture came and no body cared about dead hazel, or me; except for me."

She let out a dry laughter.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this. Ever since then I always needed sedatives. My mom still doesn't understand me, my dad is always out and kulture derives joy in creating problems for me."

The disturbing silence settled.
"Have you ever tried talking to your mom?"

Ariana shook her head as she began to draw unreasonable sketches on the sand.
"It's okay, we could both stay awake tonight. I don't really feel sleepy too. God I wasn't feeling sleepy last night, remember the cute boy I told you about?"

Ariana chuckled.
"Yes jade, how can I forget?"
Another smile spread on their faces.

"Damn he was hot, I was beginning to think we would get down and dirty. Then nature called"
They both laughed in unison.

"You have a boyfriend don't you?"
"Yes, but a girl's allowed to fantasise too"
"Jade?"
"Yeah?"
"Your dad is okay, trust me"
Jade nodded as she looked at Ariana with hope in her eyes. Her old man was okay.

"You must have really loved hazel, but she's dead now and it's nobody's fault. One day you're going to have to talk to your parents, and kulture"
"It's not easy jade"

"Step by step, you'll get there. Your family loves you, you don't just realise it now because you're so bitter. I'm sure even kulture loves you. Tell me about kulture"

"Well, she's a pain in the ass.......