Girl of Mine

Chapter 54 - Sky high

«Eh, Sal, I think my Aunt needed you.» The boy scratched his underarm, unsure of himself.

«Gladys? Okay. Could you throw away these napkins?» Smiling calmly, I left the long skimmer to lean at the table's edge. Ruffling his hair as I walked past him, he lowered his shoulders and, with that, his hair, pushing my hand away with a roll of his eyes. From side to side, I shook my head at Billy and his humorous mannerisms and headed for the front yard.

As less and less bushes and trees covered the view of the path, the shade of pink got stronger. Ceasing to move, the unforeseen realization of Elvis being home as I laid my eyes on his Cadillac caused most of my carefree mood to evaporate.

His front door was left open, and no one jumped to park his car. In fact, I saw no one outside at all. I had not prepared a speech yet, but I sure as hell didn't need to. I knew what I thought of his high and mighty charade.

One foot in front of the other, I climbed those stairs like never before. The sight of Vernon in the foyer came into my view as I went higher. Marching in the front door, Vernon's hand at his chin dropped. And standing by the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor, he raised his arms as he saw me—big eyes capturing mine. «Sal, don't go yell at him now.»

With an unprecedented move of my eyebrows frowning, I let his words bounce off me. «I'm just gonna go talk to him.» Wanting to see through my plan on putting him in his place, I couldn't care less about it being the 4th of July.

«You don't want to do that now!» He called as I went past him, heading up with each step bringing on the last few days of built-up resentment. My hostility grew as I carried on, with Vernon calling for me. At the top of the stairs, George stood still with eyes of stone. Holding onto the railing, he met my eyes silently. His irises transformed, looking explosive, with emotions I'd never seen in any of Elvis' guys—except Scotty on the phone back in his apartment right before Elvis walked in after he'd gotten the news of Elvis getting drafted.

Taking the time to stop for half a second, he patted my shoulder tentatively as he went downstairs with heavy steps.

Past my shoulder, I witnessed Vernon's eyes glued to the floor. Lost, it seemed—his grey hair matched his soul. Caught off guard, it all sent me halfway off the path I wanted to walk. And I shook my head, feeling as though I had missed something. Despite being led astray and Vernon deeply encouraging me not to go at it with Elvis, my temper and want to talk it through with Elvis had its grip on me.

Off and around the corner of the tallest railing post, I rushed. The long and wide hall held the silhouette of one redhead. Awfully like Vernon, Red stood with his arm across his chest, supporting his elbow and hand at his chin.

My echoing steps captured Red's attention, causing his solemn stance to loosen. Seeing him swallow from far away, he stood by Elvis' bedroom door. A few inches of light seeped through, casting a line of sun across Red's black leather shoes. Clear as day, it was a grave-looking Red that put his hands up to slow me down as I moved closer.

Fighting my underlying angered sentiment, Red closed the last two meters of distance between us. Grabbing my shoulders as I tried looking past him to steal a glimpse of what was going on, he shook my shoulders. «Sal, Travis told me you're angry with him, but I beg of you—if you walk through that door, do it with love. God dammit, Sal.» I found my astonished eyes taking in Red, showing signs of ingrained sorrow at the close of his eyes.

Do it with love? My lip trembled with time traveling into the start of getting frightened. «Red... What is going on?»

The feel of his hands faded at the withdrawal of his touch. But along with his release, I felt cold. He put his thumb and index finger to his eyes, and at the shake of his head, I finally sensed the darkness that had taken over Graceland—as if the air lay grey thick. Nearabout suffocating, my frozen state fought itself out of my stuck-in-place shell. And only then I dared to move my feet.

Nearing the door, I nearly shook as I took hold of the doorknob—pushing it open. With white sunlight blinding me, the first thing I heard was Gladys' sweet voice whispering.

The brightness faded away, forming two people with black locks of hair. One was sitting at the edge of the bed in a lovely peach dress, with her hand at the shoulder of the other sitting by the floor. His legs were spread wide, his chin tried greeting his chest, and his hair fell to his forehead. The little I saw of Elvis' cheeks were red with soreness. Drenched from several rounds of cries, every limb of his hung weak.

Feeling my throat tighten, the man didn't move as I came in. Whereas every dust particle followed through, the one thing going against it was the very eyes of Gladys—with one granted warm cast of deepened windows into her soul.

◌ ◌ ◌
༄ The good and the bad ࿐
_____________________

It's said life flashes before your eyes as you pass on. The good and the bad, from a life starting at the right time and place.

Headlights grew bigger, and the pulse of four went sky high, reaching for their coming future. Desperate pairs of hands clung to the black leather, turning and turning the wheel as the light covered most of their view. Ash-blonde hair beside classy dark-styled locks shared a last declaration of love as their hands tangled—giving in. Praying they'll stay together, their beings went into the beeping sound of the world going into nothingness. Faint calls of barks and tearing claws in sheer tragedy going out with them.

_____________________

◌ ◌ ◌

«Sweetheart... Judy has been in an accident...»

___________________

Author's note:
I don't have much to say. I don't wanna be in this chapter, and I don't want to feel anything I wrote within this chapter. I knew this needed to happen. It's vital. But my heart just bleeds. Having to face the plans you had, is much harder than looking at short notes and waiting for them to play out.

◌ ◌ ◌

(Chapter 54/64)
This chapter is edited with Grammarly.
New chapter every week (Tuesdays)

___________________