little bird

“Oh, that’s not something you need to worry about, because I wouldn’t suggest that,” he didn’t like getting drunk, so he wouldn’t suggest it, though if the person wanted to get drunk, they could, but he wouldn’t. “How about, bowling?” he asked her. “It’s all good, you’re not a buzzkill.”

               “Is that an invitation?” The young woman could almost muster a smile, though an unsteady one at that.

“Do I? Because if she was the one to impose said curfew than I’m going to have to disagree on that.” She pointed out with a smile on her lips. “Oh.” Henry spoke lowly, staring at the girl for a while. That was something that has never crossed fer mind, a worry she’d never share. “Well, cons of being human in a place like this, I guess.” She added with a tilt of her head. “When I was your age my father prohibited me and my twin to go out after dark because it wasn’t fit for a lady, the neighbors would talk. Not because of worry of our safety..”

        “No, no, it’s self-imposed. My mother has very little say in the matter.” The opposing corners of her lips twitched in jest. It felt crazy that the fragility of her mother still stung when tangible in small talk. “It’s crazy how times change.” Scarlett admitted, never having been an avid fan of history, but lending her ear out once or twice during select classes. “The people here have seen wars and revolutions and...they’ve lived. The craziest thing that’s happened to me thus far was ordering one burger at McDonald’s and getting two.” She could almost laugh, though it was at the mockery that was her endeavours in comparison to her peers’. “It’s trivial, really.”

“Of course I know you didn’t go to the parties. I asked often, but I could never trick you into going. You weren’t missing much though. They mostly got busted up by the cops anyway.” She only went to get back at the mean girl that called her weird by association to her sister. “We can play chess, and throw some tequila in, but you’d have to teach me how to play because I’m at a loss. Honestly we can crank some music and have a girls night in. I miss cranking music because my neighbors are awful and need to turn down their hearing. They’re always complaining. A policeman even came to my door about a noise complaint…Scar these super hearing beings need to quit.” Even though she was one of those beings with what she deemed super hearing.

        “I’m glad to hear I wasn’t missing out.” There was an unravelling humour in Scarlett’s tone. It was born from the reluctance to go out, anywhere for that matter, a product of her mother’s alcoholism. “I’m up for that,” she shook her hand absent-mindedly, getting used to the idea of a girl’s night in as the conversation unwinded. “I can’t say I envy you there, Lex. That sounds...that sounds rough to me.” Sympathy bled from her syllables, something, in a town full of her natural superiors, came few and far between. “I---” Pause. Any words she had plummeting to the ground. “I know, and I know I can’t empathise but...hey, there must be some perks?”

Anya gave a soft snort. “I’m an expert at advice giving,” she said. She thought about it for a minute before smiling and shrugging. “Hey, sure, why not?”

         Scarlett mirrored the woman’s smile, but with only half the authenticity. There had always been an inner turmoil, a self-depricating, niggling part of her that questioned the genuine qualities of her fellow human, or in this case non-human, behaviour. “I’m so glad you said that.”

“Not too much fun? What counts as having too much fun?” Ezra couldn’t help but grin at her.”Exactly how long do you wanna forget about your curfew?”

         “I don’t know...an hour? Two? Maybe I’m being a tad strict on myself.” She began to shrug her shoulders, regretting voicing her indecisiveness. “What would you suggest, sir?”

“I can almost hear my sister telling me to get out of the house, so…do you mind if I tag along? I don’t really mind where we go. It would be fun to spend some time together outside of work, don’t you think?”

          “I couldn’t think of anything better. As much as I love making a good ol’ fondant with you; there always call for down time. What have you been up to? You know, giving the snow and all.”

“Yes, that makes sense. Though I must admit the social scene has not been my forte for quite a long time. I usually prefer to relax in the comfort of my home with a good book.”

           “Books?” She cooed, attention sparked. “I don’t suppose you want to join a two-person book club do you? I haven’t yet found somebody to share my fascination with some silly ol’ text on paper. To be fair; I haven’t looked too hard.”

“Oh, I understand completely. dear. You deserve to have a good time, I’m sure. Where are you going?”

        Her nose wrinkled at the tone of the other woman, her features contorting. “I don’t know...where are you going?” There was a lack of authenticity in her voice. She enjoyed solitude, moreso than company at times. But the notion felt too filthy for her chaotic mind to handle.

When he heard (and seen) what the next few nights would hold for their quiet little town, Charlie had scoffed and mumbled something incoherent about it being “lame” to himself. As someone who had never quite done things the normal, usual way that most would, he took this as an opportunity to continue his habits and not actually go there. They would do something else. Something better.

Of course, he had to keep in mind that the petite girl, stood from her window like a princess locked away in her tower, might not even trust him. Despite saving her that night, he sensed something from her that he so wished he hadn’t; fear, uncertainty, scepticism. Perhaps, he would have to save her again. Save the princess from her tower of mistrust.

“King Charles has arrived.” His smirk was laced with confidence yet a small part of him felt otherwise. Obviously, he was nervous, it had been too long since he had done this. Though, that didn’t show, that never showed on his face - the look of someone who didn’t know what they were doing. He folded his arms over slowly, leaning back against his bike that he was certain was going to fall over any minute now. “You’re a cliche, too.”

“Ever been on a bike before?”

       Being so far removed from the high school shenanigans that most adolescents took for granted - Scarlett saw the town’s event as an opportunity. To wear nice dresses, to dance with cute boys and well--- to live. She didn’t care much for the tag-along idea of love, how it grew in unwanted places--- but nor was she opposed to it. She’d seen it bloom tenfold, and flourish. But she’d also seen withered petals of failed attempts falling to the ground - but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Her eyes rolled in a hyperbolic manner, head shaking at the audacity of his grand proclamation. “Oh!” She exclaimed, playing along. “I see, you’re my knight in shining armour?” Her eyes scanned the horizon he’d washed up on, the vehicle to his side catching her eye. “And...I suppose that’s your noble steed?” Her tone almost derogatory, the young woman fiddled with the hem of her dress, mimicking the nervousness sewn into his expression.  “No! And I have no intention to start now. What happened to...you know...good ol’ fashioned walkin’?”

A date was a concept that Charlie himself hadn’t delved into for a good couple of years, now. High school hadn’t exactly taught him much which meant he was left to acquire the skill of being a charming, handsome and compelling man himself as he left his teen life behind. Easy enough. He hadn’t exactly done much of that the past couple of years, his excuse being that “he enjoyed being single”, but he was ready to try again. He didn’t like lying.

His bike, the vehicle that took him here, there and everywhere, was sat parked outside Scarlett’s apartment, having come to a stop there. The melodic whistle that escaped his lips filled the air whilst he put the brakes on, quick to hop off so he could catch her attention, hoping she’d at least hear him. “Valeska!” He called, cupping his hands around his mouth. It was a concept, as of now, that he was willing to delve into again. 

              Hollow Grove had opened a multitude of doors to Scarlett. What she’d been denied during her high school years, what with the envelope of self pity she dwelled in, and her prolonged absence of all high school ‘essentials’ - she finally felt human. It was ironic, really. What with her neighbours being everything but. Despite this, she hadn’t been exempt from the usual, if not grizzly, trials and tribulations that came with life not spent as a hermit. The liberation infused with legacy had often filled her lungs with smoke--- it was hard to stomach the pressure. Legacy. It had been etched into her mind. She handled it with the discipline of a soldier. It was all that remained. Engulfed in a bubble of panic, her own reflection distorted through the tears clouding her vision, the sound of her own name awakening her from a dazed panic. She wiped the hairspray-induced remnants flood from her cheeks, hurrying to the window in her usual, late fashion. Lifting the pane skyward, her expression narrowed at the sight of, who may have been one of her only friends, the insufferable werewolf who had, for better or worse, saved her. “Charlie?” Disbelief sewn into her features, confusion laced into her tone. “You’re such a cliche.” The corners of her mouth upturned in what could only be described as a half smile. “Ever heard of knocking?”

   “Listen, are you thirteen? Is this grade eight? Who’s going to enforce the curfew? If you want to go out we go out and have fun with no time limits.”

                  “I made...” A fractured pause, “I made a stupid promise to my dad, okay? I don’t intend to break. You can’t run a bakery without a good night’s sleep. That’s what he always said. Or at least, he would if he was here.”

“I don’t think I do,” Luna said, brows furrowed as she tried to solve the riddle. “If you have a curfew, we can just set an alarm for when you want to go home? Then you can forget about it until then.”

             “It’s--- it’s more of a work thing.” Frantic movements accompanied her solemn words. “I say the two of us go out tonight. You’re right--- that’s smart. You’re smart, Luna.” There was a stand-offishness blended into her tone. She didn’t like it; but her mind was elsewhere.

“Why on Earth do you have a curfew, Scarlett?” Henry looked at her in utter shock. “Those are very specific demands, kid. You either have fun or you worry about curfews.”

     “You sound like my mom.” Scarlett acknowledged, head still hung low. “I mean--- I guess.” A nonchalant shrug. “It’s a safety thing. I have no means to protect myself if I’m out past nine. At least then I have the light on my side.”

Alexa had to laugh at the specific restrictions that Scarlett had put on herself. “So we can’t get wild? But we can have mild fun. But you have a curfew, which is what again? Scar, I don’t know if I do know. Because this sounds like trying to get you out for a high school party or something.”

                  “I never went to high school parties though, Alexa.” Scarlett admitted almost begrudgingly. “Besides, can’t we just play chess or something? Throw some tequila in there. Sounds better than a ‘wild’ night out to me.”

“Define too much fun,” he wasn’t sure what she meant by that, maybe she meant not getting drunk, which was fine, since he didn’t like it either anyway.

              “Not remembering it in the morning.” Scarlett perused through her thoughts, counting on her fingers as she did so. “Anything dangerous. Anything ill-fated.” Staring at the digits pointing skyward - she grimaced. “Man, what a buzzkill and we haven’t even begun.”

“There are too many parameters here,” Ria said, popping a macaron into her mouth. “You’ve confused me. Do you want to have fun or no?”

             “Yes.” Scarlett offered a hearty smile, doing her best to remain positive in light of the state she’d seen her mother in since being homebound. “I just...it feels wrong. I’m here, doing my father’s work and my mother’s besides herself drunk, the house is littered with empty bottles and....it’s wrong, you know?”

Genevieve nodded.  “I understand, Scarlett.  What sort of thing do you want to do that won’t go too late for you?”

          “I’d like to go out for a drink.” Head low, a sombreness coating her words. “I haven’t gotten to use my ‘I’m 21 but look about 16′ card in a while.” Her words left as a muted whisper.