Paint You Wings
three
A small hint of recognition flashed through his eyes as he let his gorgeous, dark brown eyes rest upon me. Raising my head up in the air, a look of indignation flitted across my features. Why did this have to happen? I should have just left when they came on stage, hell I should have left when I found out who we were going to see. But I didn’t; now I had to deal with this shitty situation. It was as if life was pushing me back down, into that murky water on the sidewalk.
“Don’t call me that,” I spat out, my voice coming out so harsh that I didn’t recognize it. I was trying to keep a firm grip on my emotions here, but it felt as if the rope was snapping strand by strand every second his eyes were on me. “Only my friends got to call me that and as you most definitely proved, you are no friend of mine.”
Brianna was looking on wide-eyed with the rest of the spectators as I talked to their idol in a way that I was sure would have them running at me with pitch forks and fire. Rian, Zack and Jack however, were staring at me with a look crossed between wonder and shock. I lifted my hand up in greeting to them.
“Ruby? Is it really you?” Rian questioned. Zack and Jack stared on with that disbelief still clear in those all too recognizable eyes. Jack’s mouth was slack with shock, if I wasn’t in such a bad mood I would have laughed about how he looked. I raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow – courtesy of Brianna and her painful methods – I tilted my head to the side as if to say, ‘who else stupid,’.
“Ruby Boobies!” Jack screamed at the top of his lungs seconds before he flew across the asphalt of the parking lot. He was speeding towards me, my eyes widened and I started muttering no, no, no. But did he listen? Did he hell. I really didn’t want to fall back into that puddle but it seemed I had no choice with the speed Jack was running towards me at.
Seconds before we would have collided, two strong, warm arms slotted themselves around my waist, fitting perfectly in the curves, as if they were made to be there. I was yanked into a warm chest, his usual mint scent hitting my nostrils just as the nostalgia hit my brain.
I wanted so bad to wind my arms around him, I wanted to give in and rest my head on his chest as I had many times before. But I hated him and hell would freeze over before I gave into these feelings.
“Alex! Stop hogging her,” Jack complained, shaking me out of my stupor. I pushed myself out of the warmth of Alex’s arms, a sense of satisfaction running through my blood when he stumbled. The fans were still watching, confusion lighting up their faces. Jack turned me to look at him, a pout lay upon his lips and his eyes were wide with excitement. “Ruby Boobies, I’ve missed you.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, shaking my head at the childish man in front of me. I heard feet moving behind me, then a door slam and the sound of a lot of disappointed teenagers. “Worst nickname ever.”
“Looks like Alex has got his panties in a bunch,” Rian commented, turning to the crestfallen fans, an apologetic expression on his face. “Again,” Rian walked over to me and told Jack to go keep the fans happy. Meanwhile Zack nodded to some unspoken question and pulled open the heavy metal door, seconds later he disappeared behind it.
Brianna fluttered over to my side, a spring in her step. She slung her arm over my shoulder and faced Rian with a flirtatious grin, batting her long eyelashes at him. “Hey, I’m Ruby’s best friend,” she informed him in a matter-of-factly tone. “Brianna.”
Rian smiled at her good naturedly, polite as ever. I had to bite my lip to stop from chuckling. Even Brianna, as gorgeous and alluring as she was, would never hold a candle to Cassadee in Rian’s eyes. “Nice to meet you,” he nodded at her then turned to me. “Ruby, you should stay and have a coffee, or you know, something stronger. We need to catch up. All of us.”
I chuckled; obviously Rian still thought I was the same girl they left so many years ago. “No can do,” I remarked, glancing at my phone. A picture of Gracie lit up the screen, those gorgeous green eyes glittering in a way that brought some heart-wrenching memories to my mind. “I have to go see a very special someone.”
“I see, someone finally tamed the rebel?” His tone was teasing. But I was too caught up in the past, when they’d left me to even pluck up the effort to joke back.
I smiled, the smile of a broken woman who’d seen way too much shit in her life. “Something like that. Give Zack and Jack my best.”
“And Alex?”
I nodded to the crowd of girls behind him, some younger than 14 – their parents stood off to the side nursing a cup of coffee. “I don’t think that is appropriate to say in front of present company.”
I walked away, leaving Brianna behind me like I should have done as soon as they came on stage. I heard Rian’s deep chuckle. “Nice seeing you again Ruby,” I heard him call seconds before I turned the corner.
“You too,” I mumbled to myself, and it was true. I was happy to see Rian, Zack and Jack, a small, minute part of me was even happy to see Alex. But as happy as I was, if I never seen them again, it would be too soon.
“For the millionth time Mom, I’m sorry.” I was getting angry. I was tired, hungry, pissed off and all I wanted was to get my daughter and go home. But no, my mom had to lecture me that I shouldn’t have stayed out so late, that I had responsibilities. I knew that! It’s not like I wanted to stay. I bit my tongue on the stream of angry retorts that wanted to spill out. “I couldn’t get a taxi, I had to walk.”
She sighed, running her dainty hand through her greying hair. “I know that darling, but she was crying an-.”
“What?” I exploded; the final strands of the rope on my control sprang apart much like Jack on the stage. “Why was she crying? What happened?” I asked frantically, already shoving myself off the sofa and rushing through the memory filled halls of my childhood. Pictures of me at various stages of my life adorned the walls. Normally I stopped and stared at them, wondering how life passed me by so fast but today all I had on my mind was my daughter and the tears she had shed.
Mom trailed after me explaining, “Nothing happened dear. She just missed you.” I felt as if a piece of my heart broke in two as soon as those words left her lips. I shouldn’t have left Gracie, I let Brianna drag me out and I was so selfish that I let her and now my daughter had been crying because she missed me.
I opened the door to the pink room that had once been mine, finding Gracie curled up into a ball on the small bed. Mr Snuggles – the teddy I had bought her two years before – gripped in her arms in a tight embrace. I walked over to her, tears filling my eyes as I looked at my innocent five year old. I bent down, brushing the dark hair off her forehead bringing her angelic features into display.
I scooped her into my arms, the weight of her in my arms more comforting than any alcohol. She shuffled around in my arms trying to get herself comfortable. Her small ones slid around my neck, her legs slipping around my waist and her head burrowed into my neck.
“I’ll see you on Sunday for dinner Mom,” I told her before I walked out of that house faster than you could say All Time Low.
“Don’t call me that,” I spat out, my voice coming out so harsh that I didn’t recognize it. I was trying to keep a firm grip on my emotions here, but it felt as if the rope was snapping strand by strand every second his eyes were on me. “Only my friends got to call me that and as you most definitely proved, you are no friend of mine.”
Brianna was looking on wide-eyed with the rest of the spectators as I talked to their idol in a way that I was sure would have them running at me with pitch forks and fire. Rian, Zack and Jack however, were staring at me with a look crossed between wonder and shock. I lifted my hand up in greeting to them.
“Ruby? Is it really you?” Rian questioned. Zack and Jack stared on with that disbelief still clear in those all too recognizable eyes. Jack’s mouth was slack with shock, if I wasn’t in such a bad mood I would have laughed about how he looked. I raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow – courtesy of Brianna and her painful methods – I tilted my head to the side as if to say, ‘who else stupid,’.
“Ruby Boobies!” Jack screamed at the top of his lungs seconds before he flew across the asphalt of the parking lot. He was speeding towards me, my eyes widened and I started muttering no, no, no. But did he listen? Did he hell. I really didn’t want to fall back into that puddle but it seemed I had no choice with the speed Jack was running towards me at.
Seconds before we would have collided, two strong, warm arms slotted themselves around my waist, fitting perfectly in the curves, as if they were made to be there. I was yanked into a warm chest, his usual mint scent hitting my nostrils just as the nostalgia hit my brain.
I wanted so bad to wind my arms around him, I wanted to give in and rest my head on his chest as I had many times before. But I hated him and hell would freeze over before I gave into these feelings.
“Alex! Stop hogging her,” Jack complained, shaking me out of my stupor. I pushed myself out of the warmth of Alex’s arms, a sense of satisfaction running through my blood when he stumbled. The fans were still watching, confusion lighting up their faces. Jack turned me to look at him, a pout lay upon his lips and his eyes were wide with excitement. “Ruby Boobies, I’ve missed you.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, shaking my head at the childish man in front of me. I heard feet moving behind me, then a door slam and the sound of a lot of disappointed teenagers. “Worst nickname ever.”
“Looks like Alex has got his panties in a bunch,” Rian commented, turning to the crestfallen fans, an apologetic expression on his face. “Again,” Rian walked over to me and told Jack to go keep the fans happy. Meanwhile Zack nodded to some unspoken question and pulled open the heavy metal door, seconds later he disappeared behind it.
Brianna fluttered over to my side, a spring in her step. She slung her arm over my shoulder and faced Rian with a flirtatious grin, batting her long eyelashes at him. “Hey, I’m Ruby’s best friend,” she informed him in a matter-of-factly tone. “Brianna.”
Rian smiled at her good naturedly, polite as ever. I had to bite my lip to stop from chuckling. Even Brianna, as gorgeous and alluring as she was, would never hold a candle to Cassadee in Rian’s eyes. “Nice to meet you,” he nodded at her then turned to me. “Ruby, you should stay and have a coffee, or you know, something stronger. We need to catch up. All of us.”
I chuckled; obviously Rian still thought I was the same girl they left so many years ago. “No can do,” I remarked, glancing at my phone. A picture of Gracie lit up the screen, those gorgeous green eyes glittering in a way that brought some heart-wrenching memories to my mind. “I have to go see a very special someone.”
“I see, someone finally tamed the rebel?” His tone was teasing. But I was too caught up in the past, when they’d left me to even pluck up the effort to joke back.
I smiled, the smile of a broken woman who’d seen way too much shit in her life. “Something like that. Give Zack and Jack my best.”
“And Alex?”
I nodded to the crowd of girls behind him, some younger than 14 – their parents stood off to the side nursing a cup of coffee. “I don’t think that is appropriate to say in front of present company.”
I walked away, leaving Brianna behind me like I should have done as soon as they came on stage. I heard Rian’s deep chuckle. “Nice seeing you again Ruby,” I heard him call seconds before I turned the corner.
“You too,” I mumbled to myself, and it was true. I was happy to see Rian, Zack and Jack, a small, minute part of me was even happy to see Alex. But as happy as I was, if I never seen them again, it would be too soon.
“For the millionth time Mom, I’m sorry.” I was getting angry. I was tired, hungry, pissed off and all I wanted was to get my daughter and go home. But no, my mom had to lecture me that I shouldn’t have stayed out so late, that I had responsibilities. I knew that! It’s not like I wanted to stay. I bit my tongue on the stream of angry retorts that wanted to spill out. “I couldn’t get a taxi, I had to walk.”
She sighed, running her dainty hand through her greying hair. “I know that darling, but she was crying an-.”
“What?” I exploded; the final strands of the rope on my control sprang apart much like Jack on the stage. “Why was she crying? What happened?” I asked frantically, already shoving myself off the sofa and rushing through the memory filled halls of my childhood. Pictures of me at various stages of my life adorned the walls. Normally I stopped and stared at them, wondering how life passed me by so fast but today all I had on my mind was my daughter and the tears she had shed.
Mom trailed after me explaining, “Nothing happened dear. She just missed you.” I felt as if a piece of my heart broke in two as soon as those words left her lips. I shouldn’t have left Gracie, I let Brianna drag me out and I was so selfish that I let her and now my daughter had been crying because she missed me.
I opened the door to the pink room that had once been mine, finding Gracie curled up into a ball on the small bed. Mr Snuggles – the teddy I had bought her two years before – gripped in her arms in a tight embrace. I walked over to her, tears filling my eyes as I looked at my innocent five year old. I bent down, brushing the dark hair off her forehead bringing her angelic features into display.
I scooped her into my arms, the weight of her in my arms more comforting than any alcohol. She shuffled around in my arms trying to get herself comfortable. Her small ones slid around my neck, her legs slipping around my waist and her head burrowed into my neck.
“I’ll see you on Sunday for dinner Mom,” I told her before I walked out of that house faster than you could say All Time Low.
Notes
Hey guys, thanks for the comments! I love you all.Let me know what you think? <3
Maddie.
MORE PLEASE
3/25/14