"prissy." i yell out scaring the few people around me, as i walk away from my brother and the redhead we ran into. i run to her and pull her in a tight embrace. "i'm so glad to see you back, is your dad feeling better?" she asks her voice laced in concern.
"we're all just glad to be back." gilbert says answering her question. "yeah, it's nice to see you too." i say all happinesses fading away at the thought of my dad. gilbert sees this and pulls me away. "y/n, are you alright?"
"i'm fine but dad isn't." i respond trying hard to not let the tears in my eyes fall. i look towards the ground avoiding his gaze wanting him to leave, and he takes the hint and walks away. i quickly walk back into the run just in time to see the teacher start the lesson. i sit besides the prissy and start doing what is asked of the class. "hey y/n are you alright?" i hear whispering from beside me knowing full well prissy is trying to get my attention, concerned of my well-being. i ignore her and continúe on with my work.
eventually she stops with the quiet whispers and goes on to passing me notes.
hi :)
i hold back a smile at her childishness. but keep the note, not wanting to get caught by the teacher. i erase a small portion of doodles on my slate to make some words.
you're so weird
she glances over at my slate reading the words over before going back. to her own and writing something down.
says you
i silently laugh at that, not wanting mr. phillips to get into an even more horrible mood.
yes i do say so, now pay attention
whatever you say
the writing stops there, although i miss the small interaction. the lesson continues to drag on as his monotone voice pierced through my head. as soon as i hear the word dismissed i am the first to get up out of my seat and grab my lunch.
i sit down with some of my friends as we talk about our everyday lives along with some gossip here and there. "hey prissy come sit with us." y/f/n says as she makes room in between me and her for prissy. i give her a cold glare, knowing full well what she's doing. "we were just talking about boys, do you have someone in mind?" she questions the blonde in a sort of demanding way not hiding her obvious curiosity.
all the girls in the circle roll their eyes, not wanting to get into this again. "w-well no."
she's lying
"so how about that new girl what do you think of her?" i ask changing the topic not only for prissy's sake but for mine. so y/f/n won't pressure me into something i will surely regret. i hear a couple of murmurs not fully listening intently on the conversation. i just stop and stare at the girl beside me not noticing the pair of eyes on me. someone clears their throat which immediately catches my attention. "yeah?" i ask looking around at the inquisitive eyes.
"you just zoned out for a second there." i hear a girl saying too busy in my own thoughts. i take a while to respond, "i'm sorry i was just thinking." as i let those words slip through my lips the sound of footsteps takes me back to the classroom. everyone is piling into their seats ready for the next lesson to begin. i begin to stand up heading over to my seat at the back of the classroom. "you still haven't answered my question." prissy says holding me back by the arm only to drag me to our seats.
"what question?" i question the blonde confused at what she's insinuating. "are you alright?" her voice goes back to that same tone, full of concern. "never been better." i respond sitting down as the teacher begins speaking.
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i pick up my speed, not wanting to waste a minute without the presence of my dad. "y/n wait up." i ignore his complaints and walk faster, eventually running home. "dad i'm home, how are you feeling today?" i ask as i place my things down walking into his room where he lay on his bed.
i hear his fits of coughing before he lets out a few words, "i'm doing fine. how was your first day back at school?" he asks immediately turning the conversation onto me. "it was alright, did you want something to eat, or a drink?" soon i hear the creaking of the floorboards before i see gilbert walking into the room standing beside me.
"a cup of water will be fine thank you dear." i rush out for his glass of refreshing water hearing the murmurs of their words being spoken. i come back into the room careful not to spill the liquid and hand it over to him. i see gilbert with a book out reading to him and i step outside.
calm down y/n. you have to stay strong
while gilbert is spending time with our dad i take the time to do some chores and prepare for supper. i take the already prepared food for dad to eat. i go back to the kitchen and set up the table for gilbert and i to eat. "is mrs. kincannon going to be here tomorrow?" i ask straying off the conversation.
"yeah." he simply responds, as we are surrounded by nothing but silence.
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"gilbert hurry up we're late for school." i say hurrying up the younger boy who is packing up his lunch. as i finish making the food for dad. i take the bed tray with his food and pass it to him. "thank you." he lets out a small cough. "mrs. kincannon will be here shortly." gilbert yells out informing dad. "i'm fine. you go on to school, kids." i look to gilbert as i stand near the doorway ready to head out. i see him walk into dad room as i walk out waiting in the cold. i see a woman appear and recognize her to be mrs. kincannon. i walk her way, "well good morning mrs. kincannon."
"y/n, gilbert you're late for school." she says as gilbert walks into step beside me. "we promise to get your wages next week."
"no worries. i know where you live." with that we run to school not wanting to be even more late. but it's hard running in the snow.
we approach the schoolhouse and enter feeling all eyes on us as we make our way to our seats.
"sorry." i say as i bump into prissy tripping on my own two feet. "it's fine." she says reassuring me with a genuine smile.
mr. phillips dismisses our lateness and goes on with the lesson. prissy slides over a piece of paper after writing something on it with the words:
why are you late?
family matters
i slide the paper over to her as i watch her reading the words. she again sends me a smile before focusing on the lesson.
lunchtime couldn't have come sooner. because by the time class was dismissed for break, my stomach was heard growling for food. i grab my food and head over to the spot my friends and i meet. already seeing the group of familiar places sat down. "so y/n the girls and i were having a sleepover at my house, do you want to come?"
"no, i have important things i need to do at home." i say not wanting to get i to full detail. "what can be so important you have the need to ditch us for?"
"it's my dad ok." i yell at the poor innocent girl getting up and walking outside for some fresh air. as i walk outside i could feel the coldness embrace me as i take in deep breaths to calm myself. "y/n" prissy says her voice calm as if i were fragile. i come face to face with her, "i can't handle it prissy i know he won't get may better. i can't keep this facade up any longer for myself nor for gilbert." i explain to the girl as i let the tears flow.
she pulls me in for a long needed hug, whispering sweet nothings in my ear trying to cheer me up. from behind prissy i see gilbert come out of the schoolhouse, i pull back and quickly wipe at my eyes ridding my tears away. "i heard what happened, are you alright?"
"i'll just give you two some time alone." i hear prissy say goig. back in the classroom. "i'm trying my hardest to maintain our family, how am i supposed to do that if all i feel like doing, is crying my eyes out?"
"you don't have to keep the act up, i know how your feeling." gilbert says consoling me. "i'm trying to be a good big sister."
"you already are, you're just pressuring yourself too much. we'll spend as much time with dad as he has."
"thanks gilbert." i pull him in a hug remembering how much i miss these sibling moments. "so you and prissy huh?" gilbert starts. "don't start." i say knowing full well he's going to start teasing me. he laughs a bit letting go just as the bell for class rings.
class comes to an end as everyone gets ready to go back home. i wait outside for lyra to come out owing her an apology for lashing out at her. i see the locks of brown hair and her familiar bow and i make my way over to her, "i am utterly sorry for lashing out at you it was so unlike me."
"no, i'm sorry i shouldn't have pressed on to ake thing as personal as that."
"are we good?" i ask her. "i can't stay mad at you."
"well i'm also sorry, because i won't make it to the sleepover but you girls have fun. i'll see you tomorrow." i say walking towards gilbert. "i saw prissy looking at you just then."
"we're friends." i explain justifying her reason for staring. "yeah friends." he says in disbelief. i scoff at his tone of voice. "let's just go. we said we'd be home straight after school." i say changing the direction of the conversation.
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to say i didn't expect this day to come was a lie. i did expect it, but i didn't want to believe it. because if i believed it, it would come true, even then it would still come true.
today was the day of our dads funeral. most everyone we know came to the service, along with prissy and a few of my friends. all they did was look at me with pity and i did not want to be pitied so i distanced myself away from them, away from everyone. gilbert was currently sitting down near his grave, mourning for the loss of our dad, although he hid it pretty well he was hurting inside more so than me i supposed.
i didn't hide it at all. while he plastered on a serious face, i let the tears flow down freely. in the midst of my thoughts i didn't hear the crushing of the snow below the feet of someone shoes. that someone being prissy. "i'm terribly sorry for your loss." she says sitting down on the porch steps beside me.
i didn't respond seeing as i had now stopped crying and didn't want to continue. i didn't even speak, not wanting my voice to betray me. i just looked into her eyes, those eyes that held comfort. "you don't have to let people out of your life when you need them the most. i'm here for you."
"i-i know." i speak up, my voice still hoarse from the crying. i lay my head down on her shoulders reminiscing the memories of our family. enjoying those few moments that unfortunately couldn't last forever. i feel her fingers comb through my hair detangling it of its knots. i then feel her soft lips press against my forehead. i know it's just a friendly gesture, but i hoped it was more.
i remember all those times i would talk about prissy to dad, he would say things like
"you found yourself a good one."
"don't let her out of your sight."
"you really love her don't you?" as usual i would only respond with, "we're just friends." i wish my words deceived me.
"just looking at you now, i can't help but tell you that i have feelings for you." the silence is broken with those words that only make me freeze in place. "i'm sorry. i should get going." she turns to leave, but i grasp her her hand in mine. "you're not going to hear what i have to say?" she gives up trying to leave and sits back down. "the feelings mutual. i like you too, although i wish i told you under different circumstances."
"i know how you feel. i just couldn't hold back this feeling."
"you know all my dad ever wanted was for me to tell you." i say all seriousness evident in my voice. "you talked about me to your dad." she teases making me laugh. "it's too bad he's not here right now, so i could tell him the news."
"but he is here, in spirit, watching over you right now." prissy says scooting closer to me turning my face to meet hers. "can i kiss you?"
"take me on a date first." for the second time that day i laugh.
a/n
i made two of prissy because i didn't know what storyline to write