Page 6 of Make Me Pretty
I balk, mouth falling slack. “Bill, what the—” The door closes. “What the hell going on?” I say to no one but,apparently, myself.
Not even a minute later, the door opens, revealing Elise clad in her blue and white scrubs. I smile slightly, ignoring Bill entirely. “Hey, doc.”
“Not a doctor,” she responds fondly.
“Yeah-yeah, whatever. What’s up? I thought I was all good to go. Been here all fucking day.”
She nods. “You are, I’ve brought your discharge papers.” I glance down, noticing the stack in her hand. “I’m going to go over them with you, and then, we can head home.”
I blink. Again. My mouth falls open. “What?”
“Elise Baxter is a state-certified caretaker. We talked at length when I showed up. She’s fostered before and volunteered for emergency placement. I made some calls, pulled some strings. You’re going home with her.”
My eyes bounce back and forth between Elise and Bill, stunned. I swallow the ball in my throat. “Are you serious?”
Elise smiles down at me. “Very. It’s not often I find myself in a situation to be able to help. Thankfully, it’s never really been necessary, but today, I knew what I had to do. And you deserve to sleep somewhere you feel safe.” So much is left unspoken as she smiles down at me. Soft and knowing. But she can’t—couldn’t—ever know.
I feel oddly exposed. But the idea of staying with Elise—a stranger who stayed with me through the long, early hours of the morning and throughout the day, who comforted me when she didn’t have to, who went above and beyond what is considered a requirement of her job…
Maybe there really are good people in the world. Though, I’m certainly not one of them, and she’ll see that soon enough.
“Well, here we are.”Elise parks the car in front of a lavender house, surrounded on either side by houses of similar stature painted red, white, and blue. I peer out the passenger window, staring at it in disbelief.
Wow, God bless fucking America.
I wish I could roll my eyes, but they’re too swollen, and I’m just grateful I’m going to have a roof over my head—at least for today. Everything hurts. I’ve never felt so close to death before—and let me tell you, I am not a fan. Though right about now, I’m not much of a fan of living, either.
“Do you need help?” I swallow at her kind words. She’s been nothing short of amazing and generous since the moment I hobbled into the emergency room and she took me under her wing.Motherlyis the word that immediately comes to mind—not that I even know what the fuck that means. But if I had to guess, it would be this—her.
As fate would have it—not that I believe in such mercurial things like fate—but when it comes to Elise… she has to be a Heaven-sent angel or some shit because there’s no way any human walking the earth is this good. Or that I would even come close todeservingit. But to say I’m grateful is an understatement. I’ve never had anyone… care about me before. If that’s even what this is.
“No, I’m good,” I respond, minutes later, but she doesn’t press, just waits patiently.
“All right, well, come on. My son is home, so you’ll get to meet him first thing. I’ll grab your bag.” She reaches into the backseat and pulls out the only thing I own—a small, ratty backpack filled with my lighters, a change of clothes, some old, scratched CDs I can’t listen to but refuse to get rid of, a tattered copy of “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous—the only book I’ve been able to keep, despite its missing cover and torn pages—and a single polaroid photo, yellowed and faded with age.
My muscles tense to take it from her, to ensure she can’t keep my things from me, but consciously, I don’t think she will. It’s still a bitch to fight against the very instinct that’s kept me alive.
“I know I should’ve said it earlier, but thank you.”Fuck, why’s my voice all weird?
The silence that follows is loud.
“No need. I’m just glad it all worked out.” And then, she opens her door, letting in a wave of cool, autumn air. I starethrough the glass, out at the neighboring houses. I’ve never been in a place so fancy before. The lawns are all neat without a single piece of trash. Cars are lined perfectly in their drives. Hell, there aren’t even any shitty kids toys in the lawns.
Pushing the car door open takes more strength than I realize, but I manage through gritted teeth and bated breath. The walk to the front door drags endlessly, Elise walking by my side slowly as if waiting for when I inevitably ask for assistance. But even with my body screaming and protesting against every step I take, I manage on my own, avoiding the cracks because who am I to spoil old, useless, childhood superstitions?
Although… maybe I should step on a crack. My mom deserves at least that.
The front door creaks open, and someone steps out, but all I see is their black and purple sneakers through my downcast gaze, and my blonde hair flicking back and forth in the low breeze. Between bypassing cracks and fighting back the urge to vomit, I can’t lift my head.
“Hey, Ma, how’s everything?” a voice cuts through the ascending night. My feet stop on edge of a crack in the gray sidewalk with a loud thwomp.
A vast array of warm colors slowly descend on the horizon, basking the world in all shades of gray.
“Oh, well, it’s getting there. It’s been a long day, so I’m sure Abel is ready to sleep in a real bed. I know I am.” She laughs lightly, clasping my shoulder with the gentlest touch. I tense away from it at first before leaning in, letting myself enjoy her warmth.
What’s the right thing to do? What’s wrong?
“Abel?” My name is repeated, low and tense. My ears prick. Holding my breath at the base of my throat, I lift my gaze. My eyes rove over long legs, a fit torso clothed in a tight, white tank top with broad shoulders, up to a nice, elongated neck and adimpled chin below a pouty mouth, the cutest button nose on tanned skin, and two golden-green eyes staring down at me with a sharp focus.
