I run my hand up my right arm, feeling the bumps that could easily be mistaken for a washboard. Shaking my head, I wonder what I've done to myself. I'll never be rid of these reminders of my past, but thinking about that never stops me. I am always too selfish to think about my future and the people in it; too selfish to think about Sky, my mother, even Harrison and Ginger. They all deserve someone better than me, someone less broken, and I realize that their lives will be so much easier if I'm gone. At that thought, a single tear slides down my face. Rushing to stop the waterworks, I pull on my dark pajamas and shove everything else into my bag. I brush my teeth, careful not to look in the mirror for fear of having those thoughts again, and then I leave the bathroom.
"Harrison?" I call, stepping into the living room once again.
His head pops up from the arm of the couch and he grins, that one dimple standing out so prominently on his face. "Hmm?" He replies.
"Where's Ginger's room?" I ask. I really need to avoid being alone with him. I know that if I get too close to him, I won't be able to push him away properly.
"Door next to the bathroom." He says simply. "But River, before you go, can you tell me something?"
"Uh, that depends on what you want to know..." I answer suspiciously. The last time he asked me a question, I almost spilled the beans. There is no use having that happen again.
"Well, I just wanted to know what's up with the long sleeves. I've never seen you wear a short-sleeved shirt."
The walls he's been slowly tearing down are back up and my immediate reaction is to lie. So I do. Again. There's nothing better than a friendship based on falsehood, right?
"I get cold easily." The words fly out of my mouth like they've got wings. I've been asked this question too many times for it to phase me now.
"Oh." Is his brilliant reply.
"Anyway, I'll be getting on to bed." I announce, turning around and heading toward the hall.
"River?" I hear Harrison call.
I turn, though I'm already getting sick of all the questions. "Yeah?"
"Sweet dreams." He says, smiling.
I shake my head and turn around. "I highly doubt it." I mutter under my breath. Sweet dreams have escaped my mind since before mom and dad split up.
"Harrison?" I call, stepping into the living room once again.
His head pops up from the arm of the couch and he grins, that one dimple standing out so prominently on his face. "Hmm?" He replies.
"Where's Ginger's room?" I ask. I really need to avoid being alone with him. I know that if I get too close to him, I won't be able to push him away properly.
"Door next to the bathroom." He says simply. "But River, before you go, can you tell me something?"
"Uh, that depends on what you want to know..." I answer suspiciously. The last time he asked me a question, I almost spilled the beans. There is no use having that happen again.
"Well, I just wanted to know what's up with the long sleeves. I've never seen you wear a short-sleeved shirt."
The walls he's been slowly tearing down are back up and my immediate reaction is to lie. So I do. Again. There's nothing better than a friendship based on falsehood, right?
"I get cold easily." The words fly out of my mouth like they've got wings. I've been asked this question too many times for it to phase me now.
"Oh." Is his brilliant reply.
"Anyway, I'll be getting on to bed." I announce, turning around and heading toward the hall.
"River?" I hear Harrison call.
I turn, though I'm already getting sick of all the questions. "Yeah?"
"Sweet dreams." He says, smiling.
I shake my head and turn around. "I highly doubt it." I mutter under my breath. Sweet dreams have escaped my mind since before mom and dad split up.
