Marionette by T.B. Markinson

Author:T.B. Markinson [Markinson, T.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: T. B. Markinson
Published: 2013-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Thoughts pounded in my head. Who did I have in my life? I couldn’t face the weekend in my dorm room, pretending. I didn’t want to fake liking Tom. I didn’t want to act normal. What I wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry, kick, scream. I couldn’t do that at school. At school, I wore my frivolous college girl hat.

I grabbed my bag and started to throw in some clothes and a couple of books when Minnie walked in.

Giving me a wide berth, in case I accidentally heaved her into my bag, she assessed the situation quickly and asked, “Are you going out of town?”

I wanted to say, “What the fuck do you think?” Instead, I mumbled, “Yes.”

“Is everything okay?” She looked nervous.

“Yeah, I’m just running late.”

“Oh.” Minnie’s relief spread throughout her body.

I was amazed by how quickly she could relax.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” I said.

“Okay. I’m heading home as well. I’m sure Karen and Jenna will hold down the fort for us.” She smiled, apparently not noticing my look of derision. She was such a simpleton.

The drive to Jess’s wasn’t fun at all. Not once did I cut someone off, which angered me. I wanted to weave in and out of traffic. I needed the excitement to make me feel alive, to get my heart pumping.

When I walked into Jess’s apartment, she was taking a nap on the couch. Groggily, she lifted her head up and smiled. “I wasn’t expecting you this evening.” Her voice was thick with sleep, as if she’d been asleep for hours.

“I’m sorry that I woke you.”

She motioned for me to come to her. “Don’t be silly. This is the best way to wake up.”

I sat down heavily on the couch.

“What’s wrong, Paige?” She popped up next to me and wrapped me in her arms.

“Nothing.”

Casually, she wiped my tears off my cheeks. “Ah, sweetie. I don’t think it’s nothing. But if you don’t want to talk, that’s okay.”

I nestled my head into the crook of her neck. “I’m just so tired, Jess. I’m so tired.” My eyelids felt like steel traps, forcing themselves shut. Before I knew it, I was drifting off to sleep.

When I snapped my eyes open, it was dark outside and Jess still held me in her arms. At first, I thought I had been asleep for just a few minutes, but the clock informed me otherwise. Two hours had passed.

Jess felt me stirring, kissed my forehead, and asked, “Are you hungry, baby?”

I realized I was ravenous. “Yes.”

“Good! I discovered this Mexican place recently and I’ve been dying to take you there. Let me shower and we’ll go. Would you like to hop in?”

The thought of warm water oozing over me enlivened me. I used to love baths, but now the thought of lying in a tub disgusted me. I briefly remembered the bloody water, and trembled.

After showering, we walked to the restaurant. It was only a fifteen-minute walk and the chill in the air helped wake us both.

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