𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

forty four

44|MISERY

Marigold sat miserably on Jackie's bed, holding her flower pillow close to her chest as she watched Donna do her makeup. It had been a week since her argument with Hyde and he had chosen to avoid her so now she was spending her days locked up in her room or with Donna.

"So, what are you and Casey doing tonight?" Jackie questioned the ginger girl excitedly, frowning as she watched Donna apply blush.

"He won't tell me." Donna shrugged, grinning ear to ear. "It's a surprise."

"Honey, it's blush not spray paint." Jackie cringed, taking the brush away from her.

"A surprise, huh?" Goldie tried to join in on the conversation, smiling as she saw how happy Donna was.

"What if the surprise is something big? Are you ready for it?" The shorter girl quizzed the girl, trying to prepare her for her date. "I mean, how do you really feel about Casey?"

"I don't know." She answered truthfully, glancing at Marigold to see if she knew. Goldie shrugged in reply, smiling as she realised why Donna was staring at her.

"Well, how do you feel about his hair?" Jackie asked, knowing how to help her.

"Love it, lots of body." Donna said after a short pause, really thinking about an answer as she pictured Casey in her mind.

"And his body?"

"Love it, lots of hair." She continued to blush thinking about the boy.

"How about his car?"

"I love it." Donna practically moaned as she thought about the car, her reaction making Goldie chuckle lightly. "Trans Ams kick ass."

"So hair, body and car. The big three." Jackie grinned with amazement over Donna. "The Holy Trinity of love."

"It's true." Goldie nodded along slowly, thinking about Hyde's hair, his body and his car. "That really is the Holy Trinity of love. Stupid, fucking love."

"Okay, I think you're ready for the big surprise." The girl said enthusiastically, helping Donna fix her blush.

"Jackie, what is the big surprise?" Donna quizzed, wondering what Jackie knew.

"All I can tell you is definitely, definitely shave those legs." Jackie gestured to Donna's legs, looking at Goldie to gain her agreement.

"Yeah, maybe trim the bush as well." Goldie winked, chuckling to herself as she cuddled the pillow closer to her chest. She quickly clicked on to what Jackie was suggesting would happen, happy for her friend as it was something she had mentioned a few times.

Marigold waved goodbye to Donna before wandering back home, ignoring the boys stares as she walked through the kitchen and to the fridge. She could feel Hyde staring, defiantly ignoring him just as he had been doing to her. She was done with the argument, done with the fighting. She just wanted an explanation or a proper apology.

She grabbed a Coke from the fridge and began to walk back to her room. Goldie had found herself reverting back into her old self when she first started living with the Formans, an empty shell with no will left to live.

"Goldie, dear." Kitty stopped her from leaving the kitchen, everyone at the table looking at the older woman with surprise that she spoke to the broken girl. "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

"Sorry, Aunt Kitty." She apologised, glancing over her shoulder briefly to see who was at the table. When their eyes met she turned her face away, feeling the tears gather. "I don't have an appetite at the moment."

"Okay, dear. I'll bring you a sandwich in a bit." The older woman smiled kindly at her niece, her worry growing. "How is Donna?"

"She's happy." Goldie answered with a shrug before leaving the kitchen and wandering up stairs to her room. She wanted him to stop her, to talk to her, to do anything but instead he avoided her like usual.

The worry was growing on her. The more he avoided her the more she believed that he could have possibly cheated on her with a girl called Lucy. Why else would he look so guilty and avoid her? Marigold cuddled up in her bed, crying till her voice was croaky and eyes had run dry.

"Thank you." Goldie mumbled before finally going back to her room and hiding under the covers of her bed with an old book her mother use to read her.