OPEN STARTER ————— main street , close to town square .
deeps breaths are mixed with the trembling of her voice , naturally saccharine with perturbed undertones reciting the lines of one of her favorite poems ——— “ i took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart . ” these moments were not uncommon as of late , circumstances calling for them . she was trapped with nowhere to go , they all were . but toby was still one of the unlucky ones , restricted by natural barriers to even return to her home . did it still even exist ? would it be dangerous to wander back to it through all the overgrowth ? “ i am , i am , i am , ” the words continue , slowed and just for her to hear while fingers grasp at trash littering the ground . the moon was shining bright in the sky , guiding her path down main street for her to gather any garbage left behind by the others in town . this unfortunate situation was no reason to start carelessly discarding things that would only harm the planet . they had angered the world already , haven’t they ? better to keep the peace now , in her opinion . “ i am , i am , i ——— oh ! ” toby stands up right at the sight of another quietly in passing , their presence catching her by surprise . she nearly dropped the bag of litter in her hand but managed to keep her balance enough to swing her other hand around to clasp the opening . “ that’s … gosh , that’s embarrassing . sorry , i’m sorry . did i startle you too ? ” toby avoids their gaze when her cheeks burn up , focusing instead on tying the top of the bag .
toby is not her first choice for a friend, though clara far from considers her one. the other is gentle and kind, off-putting to her starkly contrasting personality. it stirs something within her - could it be envy? or maybe something far uglier, it’s hardly a thought she wishes to explore further. sometimes she sees glimpses of others within the girl: friends from childhood, an uncle or an aunt, though most times it’s her mother. that same kindness. she finds it almost unbearable.
the smile that touches her lips does not reach her eyes, it’s a nicety born of survival - of keeping this alliance intact because for her they’re far and few.
‘ you know, i always took you for a plath girl. ’ clara muses, her recognition stemming from years of bullshit literature courses in high school she thankfully never had to pursue further. when will this ever benefit me? she often wondered - funny how education can turn a profit in the strangest of ways.
she waves off the apology, opting to squat knees to chest, scouring the pavement and gathering a few stray wrappers herself. ‘ it was a little sad seeing you pick up after all those idiots by yourself. ’ the lack of responsibility that plagued many of the current inhabitants within west ham did not go unnoticed by clara. ‘ mind if i help? ’
