a mannequin and a boy • the umbrella academy ON HOLD

volume one, issue 3

Even if Five tried to touch her, Dolores could see that, the moment his hand went through her and to the empty air behind her, the small bit of trust he had in her dissipated. He wasn't very good at hiding this, but Dolores appreciated the effort.

The two weren't 'sneaking out' of the house; rather, just walking to the coffee and donut shop nearby, actually. But Five described his memories associated with the place to be him sneaking out with his siblings.

"I finally get to take you here, like I promised in 2056. Even though it isn't the real Dolores." Five paused, waiting for Dolores to come in with the right year. This was probably just the beginning. Dolores knew how bad his trust was; she was there to witness his trust issues form.

"2043. Though you remembered in 2056." Even if it was a short sentence, that was a complete sentence that Dolores was able to muster. She giggled, quietly, feeling a little bit more confident in herself. Five even looked a little impressed, too. She suspected that she'd be back to normal in a day or so, hopefully. But then again, she didn't age like Five.

Dolores grew up with hope of a future. She didn't let being mentally old or a spirit stop her from having fun as a ghostly form and causing mischief. And now that she finally had eight days to be a careless and reckless teenage girl, she's going to live it like she always pictured.

Five's only preoccupied with saving the world. Which is good to think about, yes, but Dolores wondered what would come of after, when he succeeded.

Before she had much time to think about it, Five abruptly stopped in his tracks, looking somber as he stared into the open doors of a clothing store.

"Five? What's wrong?" Another completely sentence. Dolores was heading on the track of being able to speak tomorrow, thankfully.

"Nothing, Dolores. Not like you'd understand. C'mon," he said, striding on and not looking back. Dolores, however, stayed back, and shuffled a little bit into the discount store. Standing there was the mannequin that she was stuck in for years and years. Dolores heaved, wheezing for breath as she was caught in a memory loop.

How could he think she didn't understand? She was trapped in that little piece of plastic for years.

Glimpses of images came back to her, and the remembrance of how she felt paralyzed, so stuck, for fifty-nine years. It was better than dead, but how much better, exactly? She felt so dead inside, but the one thing that gave her life a light was him. And he doesn't even believe her, nor trust her.

Dolores remembered one time when Five, aged around twenty-six, was drunk and told her that she 'wasn't even real'. Of course, he didn't know she was a real person behind that plastic face, but it still hurt. Because it struck a nerve; she knew that, it was so likely she'd be stuck like this forever. Never age, never die, unless Five decided to destroy the doll himself. And he'd never do that.

But now, Dolores was real, and pretty much solid. The kinks are still being worked out, but she can walk, talk (kinda), and people can see her. And no one could tell her otherwise. She wasn't too solid, though.

The mannequin staring back at her was just a haunting reminder that she couldn't be normal. Plus, she wasn't wearing sequins, and Five would've made sure to tell the store clerk about that. Dolores walked up to the nearest employee, clearing her throat.

"Excuse me, Miss, she likes sequins," Dolores informed the lady, pointing to the very doll. The employee shook her head, laughing.

"Is this sort of prank? You're the second kid to say that today. I'll have to get on that," She remarked, hanging something up and humming to herself. And suddenly, Dolores knew why Five longingly gazed at the doll; it hadn't been long before that he must've parted with it.

"Was he about my height and age, with black hair and green eyes?" Dolores asked her, and the lady just nodded, walking down the isle. Dolores blushed slightly, her ideas confirmed.

Dolores walked back to stand in front of the mannequin, gazing at the fake smile for a few moments. A smile crawled onto her own face, as she glimpsed a stain of blood on her neck. Dolores hated violence, but at least that meant that Five was still a fighter and alive. Five could survive so many things, but Dolores couldn't, and she was amazed by him.

She heard soft footsteps behind her, and someone clearing their throat. She turned to find Five standing there again, with his black hair falling in his face and a mournful expression hidden in his features.

"I liked her. I really did. She was the closest thing I had to humanity when the world ended. Dolores, if you're really from the commission, please leave me alone. I left. I'm no assassin, even if I am a murderer, and-"

"I knew you before murders. Not bad person. You..." Dolores paused, halting to say her sentence and get it wrong accidentally. "You're a good person at heart, Five." She smiled warmly. To her surprise, Five returned that smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was sad.

"Yeah. I guess at one point, I wasn't so bad. I had a family- and I'm beginning to think I still do. I just need to save the world," Five remarked, jokingly, and shaking his head. "I'm way in over my head. How can I save the world in a few days when I have no idea who this Harold is, and there's a time traveling agency on my nerves?"

"I'm sorry, Five," Dolores replied, standing beside him.

"You're fine. Hey, if you really are Dolores, do you think you could possess that mannequin again?" It really was just an innocent question, but Dolores read way past that. She would never risk herself like that again, because what if she got stuck again?

"No. No, no, no," She choked back a sob as all of the grief came flooding back to her. The awfully long time being stuck, doing nothing but watching a boy's innocence be ruined.

Dolores glanced at Five's confused expression, then back to the door. "I... sorry. I can't, ever," she told him, through her crying. "I'm sorry. I'm a baby. Seventy-two, act like I'm four."

Five cleared his throat, grabbing her wrist to stop her from wiping her eyes. "Let's keep going."

Dolores smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I'd like that."

author's note
I have gotten so much love on this book and it's so comforting thank y'all so much 😭

I don't have many notes today for this chapter, but do y'all like the updating schedule? I try to update twice a week at the least but I could get busier without knowing so-

question of the chapter: who's your favorite character from TUA?
my answer: Ben, hands down. that, or vanya. Of course I love klaus and Five, but so does everyone else (as well as Ben), so I always want to be able to say something new.

Thank you!! Bye!!

edited on June 21st, 2020- the entire ending changed and so did most of the dialogue, so check that out!