The Insurgence: Bleeding Silver

Girlish Sleepover

When I'm with Mavis I seem to forget all my problems. Whenever there was a break in our conversation— and with her there was only a handful— I remembered getting yelled at and Jack's identity and all the guilt that followed after that. While part of me felt like I was underwater and sinking fast, Mavis' chatter brought me back to land. We're becoming fast friends which is unbelievably exciting. All I could focus on was a real friend, one who could never stop talking and could make me laugh and forget about the pain in my body. This is what my parents forbade; what normal kids in my school got to have: a sleepover.

"Mija your hair is a nest." Mavis waddled over to me on her knees, causing waves in her water bed. I wondered how she managed to get this bed here in the first place— didn't sell the whole grave danger thing. And while I'm constantly aware of the threat in my new friends' words, I couldn't help but feel safe. That's the point, isn't it?

I shrugged as she took my long hair in her hands. My hand flung back to the top of my head and I winced as she tugged at a knot. "Ow?" I leaned my head over my shoulder to look at her.

She snickered and shook her head at me. "You're a mess." A new lingering sensation of nerves filled my stomach as she brushed out my hair. I didn't want her to think I'm a mess. Admittedly I'm a little embarrassed at how little I knew about taking care of myself. No one really taught me any of it. My hair was a dead giveaway. It was nearly to my backside, uneven, a mix of curls and straight that was both frizzy and course to the touch.

As she brushed through I found myself alone with my thoughts again. Jackson McCash. My parents are frozen. The town's whispers. School. They hate me. Everyone out there hates me.

"What?"

I blinked and looked over my shoulder up at her, "Did I say something?"

"Something about someone hating you?" I sucked in a breath as she tugged at another knot.

I didn't realize I said that out loud. "Um... Jack. And Jasmine and your Headmistress and the town..." My voice trailed off and I decided to stop talking before I accidentally hurt my feelings. The little piece of truth in there had me on the edge of my seat waiting for her response.

Mavis laughed, "Ayla you have no time to worry about how people perceive you. You just gotta... I don't know. Forget about it and just do you." She thinks I'm exaggerating.

Maybe it's better no one knows about my life before staying here. I swallowed, "Jack and I didn't get off to a good start then we actually talked and... I feel like I broke his trust when honestly all I wanted was to just step outside." I sigh, gripping the waterbed as she continues to tug at my scalp.

"Iffy subject I know but it was mentioned you never left your house in all that time?" Mavis asked, shifting on her bed and making me bounce up and down.

I shook my head with a wince, "Nope. Not until the accident..."

"And you mentioned the thing about the clothes..." Mavis grabbed my shoulders and looked down at me. "Was that true?" Her eyebrows were furrowed together and her voice was barely audible. It made me blush.

I nodded. "Yeah... Mother and father were never home and with nowhere to go I just had stuff from when I was younger and whatever old clothes father had at the station." I shrugged.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Gonna break my heart over here."

After a few silent beats she asked me, "Do you want me to show you how to braid it?"

I bit my lip, "Yeah sure..." Mavis didn't have a lot of hair on her head so I was nervous but I instantly thought of movies where the girls wore their hair in pretty updos and extravagant braids.