twenty-six
'I just wish you would've changed sooner.'
"How're you feeling?" Julie greeted me as I walked into the living room. The fireplace crackled in the silence of the morning as I peeped out the window, watching the snowflakes fall onto the front yard.
"Defeated."
Julie scooted over on the couch and patted the cushion. I wanted to be alone today, I had planned to be alone today but as I started at Julie waiting for me expectantly, I knew being alone today probably wasn't going to be the best option.
Julie wrapped me with her red velvet blanket so the cold wouldn't bite at my skin. It didn't effect me that much, seeing as being with Oliver, I was used to being wrapped in a cold feeling.
"How's Oliver?" I whispered, keeping my face looking straight.
"Aria's with him upstairs right now, actually. Chloe's feeling a bit better now that he's here but I think what she's worried about the most is him, you know, coming back." She shifted in her seat and leaned closer towards me.
Did she home me for what her son was now? Or did she blame Aria? I think I'd feel a lot worse if she had blamed Aria for what happened to Oliver. But to be honest, it wasn't either of our faults. I knew exactly who's fault it was.
"I'll be right back," I said before pushing myself off the couch and allowing the red blanket to fall off my shoulders.
"What's wrong, are you alright?" She asked as she sat up straight.
"Just peachy."
I walked quickly down the basement stairs and into the dungeon for Cameron. Jeremiah stood in front of the one sided window with his arms crossed and a hand on his chin, lost in thought.
"Hey!" I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. He turned around and his face finally turned back to color, a small smile appearing on his face.
"Good morning, Maddy. How'd you sleep?"
"Just fine," I glanced towards the blonde in the bedroom. "Do you mind if I go inside?"
He nodded his head and resumed back to being lost in thought.
I squeezed my way past the man and unlocked the metal door. Pushing open the heavy metal door, Cameron sat up in her bed to look over at the person opening the door.
"Morning," I started to speak before the door slammed shut behind me. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like you care how I slept last night." She scoffed. "All you care about if your stupid little boyfriend — who I'm sure you found last night."
I decided to ignore her comment, only focusing on the task at hand. Although you don't know what exactly I plan on doing, I think you'll agree with my actions after on.
I sat down at the edge of her bed, watching her inch away from me with a cross face.
"Do you think I don't have a reason to be unhappy with you? First you stole my family — and now my boyfriend? Come on, Cameron, you can't turn a blind eye to this anymore."
"I know!" She whined, throwing herself onto the floor before turning so she'd face me. "I know what I've done is wrong but as I told you before, I am trying."
"I know, my love, I know," I whispered as I held her temples below me. She looked up at me eagerly and I could feel her gaze on me as well as Jeremiah's outside the window. "I just wish you would've changed sooner."
She opened her mouth but I clutched her head in my palms until I heard a crack, a crack in her skull. I crouched deeper, adjusting my palms as she began to scream out in pain and kick and scratch my wrists. Using all of my might, I watched as her skull cracked more, this time, detaching itself from the rest of her skeleton.
I let out an 'oomph!' as I fell backwards onto the bed with her skull in my hands, watching it turn to dust.
I wiped the ash from my shirt and watched it spread across the bed before pushing myself off of it and didn't look back. If I looked back at her ashes I think I might feel guilty about what I just did.
I pushed the door open and found myself facing Chloe. She stood alone in shock at the sight she'd probably just seen.
"Chloe!" I laughed awkwardly, closing the door shut behind me.
She didn't speak. Even her breathing slowed down as she looked between me and the ashes left of my ex-girlfriend. She pressed her finger to her lips, "I won't say anything until they notice." She said.
A smile of relief escaped my lips, raising them upwards before I wrapped my hands around her to hug her tightly. Deep down, I think I felt like she secretly blamed me for what happened to Oliver. She blamed the random girl for her son being in a coma.
"You're a wonderful girl, Maddy, thank you." She whispered as she pulled away from me.
"Thank you, Chloe."
She wiped away the forming tears from her eyes, "I can't believe I'm crying!" She took a deep breath, "I came down here to tell you that Aria's waiting for you upstairs."
I nodded my head slowly, feeling a twang of guilt as I watched her cry.
I was in a rush to get out of there. I hated feeling guilty, whether it was for reason or not. I rushed up the staircase and listened to my feet slap against the marble flooring.
I don't think I'd ever get over the interior design of their house. It was the most exquisite, beautiful, expensive, thing I'd ever seen.
I slowed my hand to trail behind me as I climbed the spiral staircase. The house felt lonely without Oliver. Maybe I'd have to get used to it.
Could I imagine myself without Oliver? How would the house sound without him? If the house felt this lonely with him in a sleeping trance of some sort I couldn't imagine how lonely it'd be without the possibility of him coming back.
The walls were covered in family portraits. The farther I walked down the hallway, the more modern they became. Halfway through, Aria appeared standing next to Julie and after that, they never separated.
Oliver's hair grew long, his jaw grew sharper and his smile faded.
"Maddy?" Aria had her head stuck through a half opened door, no less room than her head could fit in and no more room than you could see her head. It was like she was hiding something inside of that bedroom.
"Yes?" I turned my position to face her completely, adverting my gaze from the portraits and back to the floating head.
She motioned for me to follow her quickly, opening the door up wide. When I stepped inside, she shut the door quickly behind me,
leaning against it as it slammed.
"Thank god you're here, I've been waiting for you since I woke up. Which was three in the morning by the way." She walked over to the floating, entranced body floating in a mass of purple in the middle of the ceiling.
Oliver looked so peaceful sleeping there. Maybe if he were to.. pass.. he'd finally feel pure peacefulness.
"Hey, I didn't know you could do that." I pointed towards Oliver. "Or the whole spear thing."
She laugh, sorting through her desk to clean it up. "You've seen me levitate everything in my bedroom — including you — and you're surprised I can create a spear out of electricity?"
I laughed, "That does sound pretty stupid, doesn't it?"
She nodded her head but her smile quickly faded. "I was wondering if you could help me," She made her fingers into little legs and walked them across her desk, keeping her eyes on them and avoiding me.
"Help you? How could I possibly help you?"
"With your pink moon powers, of course."