Love Above all Else

14. Reminded of You

Thank you for listening.

, Isabelle"

~~~~~~

I sit down my journal on the edge of my bed, get up, now even more depressed thinking about Marco, and go to my closet. After grabbing a new set of clothes and sitting them on my bed, I grab the shard and go into my bathroom. I check to make sure the towels are stocked enough for me to use one when I am done, and to my delight, there are enough. 

Once the water is on and warm, I strip to get in. I am delighted by the warm rain cascading over my skin. It fills my hair and with it my thoughts. After soaping down and getting clean, I reach out of the shower to wipe my hands on one of the towels on the rack. I now reach into the pocket of my pants to find the shard waiting for me. 

I stand still in the shower, looking down at the piece of plate in my cupped hands. Water runs into my eye as I sit down on the shower floor. I look to my wrists and my thighs. This is what my life has come to.

~~~

After getting out, I keep the blood from trickling down my legs and arms with my towel. The peroxide I grabbed burns as it washes away my sins. This is not the closest I have come to death, but it certainly reminds me of it.

I have to go to work tonight so I dress in a flowy blouse with ripped jeans and white chunky Filas. I leave my hair wet and down so that it will get natural waves for tonight. 

Finally ready, I head out the door to drive the car up to the boutique. What a long shift this is gonna be.

~~~

A good four hours later, I am finished. I am feeling a little refreshed. So much so, that I am texting Riley to come to get ice cream with me. I know it is cold outside, but who doesn't love a good ice cream cone in the winter? She tells me she is excited to come by and hang out for a bit over the phone and I end the call so I can drive.

We meet at our favorite Ice cream hot spot around this little town, 'The Dairy Cart.' They serve milkshakes and custard and ice cream cones all for a cheap enough price that teenagers love to come and chill here. Get it? Chill? 

"Hey, Belle! You seem to be doing better!" I hear Riley before I can even turn around to see her. 

She parked two cars down from me. I got here before her but decided to wait for her arrival. I was just about to enter when I heard her behind me. 

"Yeah, just a bit. Let's head in and talk, I'm freezing," I request. 

She nods her head and follows me in as I hold the door open for her. I immediately look over at the menu but realize I don't even need to look at it because I already know what I want.

"Our usual?" She asks.

"Yes please." I look down at the ground with a sheepish grin. She remembered. 

While she is ordering for us, I grab a buzzer and go to pick a table, but not before bumping into her with my hip. She just giggles, still trying to order. 

It is now that I realize just how busy it is. This place can get busy but I wasn't expecting it tonight for some reason. I struggle to find us a seat but find a tiny booth in the back corner of the little restaurant. I sit down in the cold red seat and wait for Riley to make her way over to me. While I watch her squeeze past tables, one table she squeezes past catches my attention. 

Marco and his friends.

It isn't that I am avoiding him intentionally, but I am not excited to see him. I just need time to get over him.