Nocturnal Epiphanies | The Umbrella Academy

C H A P T E R . T H I R T E E N

"Wherever you're going, I'm going." He holds my hand once again and I decide I could get used to this.

"Okay then, we go together." I comply.

Five squeezes my hand as if he was trying to remind me he was there while simultaneously reminding himself that I was there as well.

"Together." He repeats.

<<<<<<<<<<

"What's wrong?" Five asks, noticing me slumping in my seat.

"I look like a hooker, people are staring." I complain looking nervously outside the window. Five glares at one of the countless leering men, causing the man to quickly walk away. "Thanks." I say quietly.

"We're almost there." Five ensures. He parks in the Gimbel Brothers and helps me out of the car. Quickly we enter the store and I go straight towards the changing room waiting for Five to come back with clothes.

While he searches for clothes I view my body in the mirror. I had healing cuts and bruises all around my body leaving my skin looking more purple than peach. At least my hair was going to match my skin once I finally dye it.

I've decided to dye my hair simply because I need something to change. I want to feel different, separate, changed, from the me that saw Josie's body, the me that was tortured, the me that watched Eudora die. Dying my hair purple would be a small change, but it was enough. Red was always Josie's favourite colour and Eudora had taken a liking to blue, purple was also my favourite colour so a mix of the three felt meaningful enough.

Dying my hair would help me move on, and help me gain confidence, because the worst part of not having clothes on was actually my insecurity. I didn't really care about being exposed, I mean from the waist up (I'd like to believe that) I'm hot as shit, but from the waist down I can't focus on anything but my size.

You see, I'd never really liked my body, the way it was shaped, it made me feel fat and ugly. Listen, I know it's supposed to be 'body positivity' and everything but it's just harder to practice what you preach. I could look at any other woman and be like 'she's a goddess, her beauty is unmatched' but that just doesn't apply to me I guess.

"What do you think, Dolores?" I asked the opinion of the mannequin that had come into the change room with me. Dolores stares back at me without a response. "Saying nothing, I see. Smart."

I hear a knock on the door, and open it to reveal Five standing outside with a bunch of clothes. He seems impatient, probably wanting to get back to stopping the apocalypse as soon as possible, not that I blamed him.

I shut the door, quickly putting on the clothes he had bought. Luckily they fit although the outfit itself was slightly more tomboyish than I usually wear. But I don't really care about style, Five picked it out so I'll wear it, it was cute anyways.

I pick Dolores up and exit the changeroom slowly, still in pain. Five grabs my hands as the two of us go back to the car. "Did you get it?" I ask, and he nods putting the box in my hands. It was obvious he didn't understand why I 'needed' to do this but he was trying to be supportive, squeezing my hand as we went back into the car.

<<<<<<<<<<

I enter the academy, still using Five as a crutch as we walk up the stairs. I doubt any of the siblings had even noticed the fact that Klaus and I had been missing and if they did they certainly hadn't come back to the academy to check up on either of us.

"How's the pain?" Five asks, helping me up another step.

"Good. Once I get back to my room I can use the light and get back some of my energy." Five nods. "I should be able to walk after that so you won't have to help me go everywhere." I explain.