Guns and Roses

Five ~ Quinn

I'm watering plants when she comes in. My back is facing towards her so I hear her before I see her.

She's humming a tune that I don't know quietly but the sound is almost deafening in the silent shop.

I turn to welcome her but I'm taken aback slightly by what meets me. Her long white blonde hair is piled up on the top of her head in a bun, silvery, blue eyes scanning the shop for something. She itches at her button nose and heads for the roses.

Despite the cool air outside, she's wearing a tank top and jeans with no jacket. Even with the heating on, I'm wearing my school jumper.

She's like snow. Even her nails are painted white. Her skin is like porcelain and she's almost doll like with her movements.

Her bare arms show defined muscles, telling me she works out regularly, but that doesn't take away from her dainty look.

Her eyes meet mine and her pink lips stretch into a smile to reveal perfect white teeth. "Hello" she says, her voice as soft as her appearance. "I'm Ellie"

I step towards her and run my hand through my messy hair, trying to make it semi-presentable. "I'm Quinn" I say and watch as she holds her hand out for me to shake. "Can I help you with anything?"

She is older than me but not by much. I would guess that she is about 18.

She shakes her head and a strand of hair falls from her bun. She tucks it back behind her ear. "I was just passing by when I spotted this place. It's beautiful"

I smile "Thank you. It's my grandfather's shop" She looks around again and I step back again "I'll be by the till if you need me"

She smiles and nods, letting me leave her to her browsing. I go back to the arrangements I gave up on about half an hour ago and decide to give them another go.

About ten minutes later, Ellie is still here and the bell goes again. This time it's a short man. He's as wide as he is tall and seems to be made of bricks.

The two customers don't even look at eachother, they just go about their business. The man stays by the sunflowers, being too rough for my liking as he picks through them.

His almost frantic movements knocks a nearby vase to the floor and this gets the attention of Ellie.

She rushes over to pick up the shattered glass but before she can touch it, I stop her. If I get hurt it's okay, but she can't.

"I'll get it" I say to her and she nods, going back to the flower arrangements that she was looking at.

The man turns and leaves the shop without a word but I have no wish to confront him about it. He could crush me with one finger.

I sweep up the mess and then go back to my arrangements. Ellie is humming again and she doesn't really seem interested in the flowers anymore. Her eyes are scanning them but her attention isn't being grabbed.

Finally, she takes a bouquet of roses and heads back over to me. "I'll pay for the vase that fell" she says as she puts the bouquet down in front of me. "Don't fight me on it" Her threat is accompanied with a small smile that makes my head feel funny.

"Would you like anything attached?" I ask her "I'm pretty good at calligraphy if this is a present"

She laughs and shakes her head. "They're just for me" she says "But can I see one of the notes?"

I pull one out from under the counter and slide it across to her with a pen. She leans down to write something that I can't see and my attention is drawn away slightly because of a creaking above us.

"Here" she says and hands the note back to me. "It's my number. Call me" She leaves her money on the counter and takes her roses with her out of the door.

I stare after her as she stops on the street outside, looks around and then gets into a sleek black car.

"She's pretty" A croaky voice says. I turn and see my grandfather standing there. "Put up the sign and come upstairs for dinner"

I follow him up the stairs into our little flat. I have my own room but it isn't big. That doesn't matter as I don't have much stuff to fill it.

Our pokey little kitchen sits at the back of the flat and it's where you're most likely to find my grandfather if he's not in the shop.

On our table sits two steaming bowls of soup. It'll be some sort of vegetable concoction that he's found on the internet somewhere but I'm not a fussy eater so it'll taste good.

We sit together and eat in silence. It's always this way, neither of us know what to say. But I have to say something.

"Have you heard anything about mum?" I ask him.

He stops eating as I mention her and rubs his balding head. "Nothing more son. They said that she was improving last time though, so we've got to think positive"

I nod and go back to my soup. I love my mum and it kills me to know that she's so far away. After spending so many years looking after her, to know that if anything goes wrong I'm too far away to help her is terrifying.

"It's Dad's anniversary soon" I say "She always gets bad around that time"

His age-spotted hand with white hair coming from the knuckles rests on my arm. "She's safe Quinn. You don't have to worry anymore. They'll make sure she's okay now"

I'm not hungry anymore and I push the soup around my bowl. It really was good.

I know that putting her into hospital was a good idea. It's what she needs, I couldn't look after her anymore.

I miss her.