The Girl In The Suit

Gabrielle

I wake up and I yawn and stretch. I then notice Tasha isn't beside me. I begin to panic, and I jump out of her bed. I then notice that she's sitting on the windowsill smoking a cigarette. She turns back to me.

"Gabs, you OK?", she asks.

"I'm fine. Its just, you weren't beside me and I got scared. Whenever that happens, I worry what happened last year is happening again."

She throws her halfway done cigarette and gets off of the windowsill. She sits down beside me.

"Gabby,", she puts a hand on my cheek, "I'm OK now. I'm doing a lot better. You don't have to be afraid like that. I'll never leave you like that. I promise."

A tear falls from my eye and onto her thumb. She wipes them away and brings me in for a hug.

"What if I do lose you though? I've had a dream about it and if it was foretelling something, I'd stop living."

She looks at me. "What happened in the dream?"

I sigh. "I woke up and you weren't beside me, and I went downstairs cause I assumed you were eating, but you weren't there. Then, I checked the bathroom and there you were. And it felt so real. Then, I woke up, and there you were beside me. But I've been scared ever since."

I break down in her arms. She holds me even tighter and she sighs softly.

"Gab,", she starts, "why didn't you tell me this? I knew something was bothering you. You could've told me. You can tell me anything, good or bad, especially the bad. I need to know. Its part of my duty to keep you safe from everything and everyone that's shitty. I can tell you one thing. I'll never leave you like that, or at all. I love you, G. I'd never do that to you. All that depression, cutting, almost attempts, that's all in the past. I will tell you though if something comes up. I promise." She puts her fingers through mine. Her voice gets tearful, but she chuckles a bit. "You do realise you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, right?"

I take in a breath. "I do. And you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, too. Thank you, and I love you too. I would be lost without ya."

"I would be too."

She then kisses me softly, and smiles at me.

"Why don't we get dressed and we can head down to Blueberries for those pancakes and hot chocolate?"

I smile at her. "Let's do that."

She grins and gives me one last kiss before she throws my clothes at me and we burst out laughing.

"Get dressed then, ya muppet!", she says, still laughing.

"OK, OK, then, Bossy!"

I hold my clothes and then head out the door and into the bathroom. Tasha's mother works in the pharmacy, so she leaves at 7 every morning. As for her father, he works in Donegal, and he's gone for weeks at a time. I've only met him twice.

I get dressed in a few minutes, and when I come out, I see Tasha sitting at the table listening to music through her earphones. She's getting really into the song, bopping her head and miming the lyrics. I smile at her and then move to sit on the table beside her. She takes out her earphones and smiles.

"Whatcha listening to? You seem to like it."

"Some band Amelia sent me on Snapchat. Athlete. Never heard of them but you know her, 16 year old living in London who spends her days finding kickass indie bands." She chuckles, and I do too.

"What's that song? You seem to love it."

"Half Light. Its really good."

"I'll have a listen later. We need to get to Blueberries. Ready to go?", I say as I put on my hoodie.

"Let's go."

She grabs her jacket as we head out the door.