One Step Closer

OSC/ Twenty-Three

One Step Closer/ Twenty-Three

                                 Austyn Hill rolled out her bed sluggishly, as her text alert sounded on her cell phone. She looked at the message…it was her “agent”- a rather tall guy, who answered to the moniker, of Gavin Torres. She dialed his number. “Wassup, Gav? I got the message about the calendar spot and the paperwork…I’m on my way in,”

                                 “What happened with ya, Aus? You go off the grid for a couple of days? I was worried about ya,”

                                 “I’m fine now,” smiled Austyn. “I’ll be there by 10-ish, as usual,”

                                “Okay babes…see you when you get here. Laterz,”- Austyn hung up the phone, as she stepped out of the bed, stretching. She then went into her closet, pulling out a pair of dark jeans, and a DC Comics/Vertigo 100Bullets t-shirt. She also grabbed her black Chuck Taylors, and her metal studded rockstar belt. Austyn stripped from her pajamas, looking into her mirror…her bod was still in nice shape- even after lying in a hospital bed for a few days. She looked at the bandages, and sighed. “Stupid girl,”

                                 Austyn walked out her room…Criss’s door was already open, meaning she had gotten up, and headed to school. She then looked to the closed door of the main bathroom- the room, where she tried to end it all. Fragments of a once-forgotten memory, raced through her mind- stumbling into the bathroom under duress, hampered by the abundance of sleeping toxins in her system; turning on the shower, taking the razor…and slicing her wrists. Austyn shuddered at her own past actions, as she slowly approached the door. She took a deep breath, opening the once closed room.

                                 Austyn turned on the lights, expecting to see police trace tape where her body lied, amongst a blood stained floor. But the floor was clean- all evidence that there had been an attempted suicide that took place in that room had been erased; as if it never happened at all…she then remembered Cam in the bathroom, cleaning, as Criss’s mother had brought her home yesterday. Austyn smiled…Cam was such a sweetheart, and a dear friend. Austyn turned on the shower…she took her bandages off her wrists, stepping in.

                              Austyn stood in the shower, as the water poured over her body. She looked at her stitched wrists…where as she once took pride in her nearly flawless body, she now looked at her fresh new scars, with regret.     

                             She slowly grabbed her body wash, and began scrubbing herself clean- she had used Criss’s shower to clean up the day before. Austyn stepped out of the shower, walking back to her room where she dried off, as well as get dressed. She blow dried her hair, and put fresh new bandages over her stitches…it was more the fact she felt stupid, and embarrassed over them now. She brushed her teeth, and applied her makeup…once again; it was the heavy eye shadow and mascara that gave her the emo look, and a nice berry shade of gloss. Austyn did a final look at herself in the mirror…she half-smiled, as her eyes returned to her bandaged wrists.

                              Austyn walked into the kitchen, grabbing her travel cup, and pouring the last of the coffee that Criss had left for her. She put the lid on her cup, grabbed her purse and keys, and left. Austyn stepped into her 2-door, hatchback, lime green Ford Focus, setting her coffee in the drink holder, and plugging in her iPod. “Hey,”

                              She looked to Derrick, who stood there with Ginger. He smiled at her…Austyn cracked a wry smile, stepping out her car and walked to him. “I- I”-