Page 49 of Play Dirty
Yet it’s the mundane that I cling to.
“June?” I walk into the dark dorm, and small sniffles come from the bed. “Juney?”
She doesn’t stir, just brings the blanket above her head, pretending to be sleeping. I move towards her, pulling the blanket just enough to slide in and cuddle in bed with her. Maybe she didn’t want to talk, but I know she’s awake and definitely crying. “Whenever you want to talk, I’m here.”
The burn of my eyes forces me to rub the tears from them. I place the palms of my hands into my eyes, letting out a deep groan, my brain struggles to piece together whatever the fuck was happening to June. After moping for a bit, I shower and order something to eat while I wait for Tatiana to arrive.
I plop back into my bed, tucking my arms beneath my pillow. I am lying in the dark when my phone goes off beside me, the screen illuminating the dim space. My stomach flutters as I grab it, surprised to find a picture of Tatiana facing off against Nico. Their bodies stiff, Nico’s facial muscles are tight as he takes all the blows I’m sure she’s delivering. Tatiana's long, tight curls hang down to her waist, the front pushed back by a wide black headband.
“Ughhhhh.” I groan into the pillow as I smash my head into it. Hoping to possibly deprive myself of oxygen so I can no longer breathe. When there’s a knock at the door, “Who is it?”
Nothing.
Only another soft knock.
I use my elbows to prop my body up and look at the door handle as it tries to turn. “Who is it?” I ask again. Still, no words, just the insistent jiggle of the door, “Tati?”
Slowly, I get out of bed and walk towards the door, trying not to freak the fuck out when something crashes, then there's a scuffle, like someone falling amongst the small garden June had set up. My heart beats frantically inside my chest as my hand slowly moves to the handle, and then I push the door open.
And I scream.
“Fuck, Shi,” Tatiana groans, “too loud.”
“What the fuck? Was that you?”
She narrows her eyes, and her eyebrows come together. “Was what me?”
I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself. Clearly, I’m losing my mind. But when she steps inside, my eyes zero in on the footprints left over a mound of dirt, before I notice the disturbance.
“What the fuck?”
I move towards the small patch of grass, June’s fairy houses are destroyed– stomped into nothing. Bending down, I pick up the small, shattered pieces, and tears prick the corner of my eyes. Why would anyone do this?
“Shi,” Tati mutters from behind, “Look up.”
Slowly, I look up at the grey painted bricks and read the spray-painted words on the wall.
‘Dead girls don’t talk.’
My eyes instantly blur; the only thing I can fucking think of is calling Asher or my dad. “What’s going on?”
Tati steps forward, already on the phone calling security.. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” With that, she steps to the side, and I hear her demand that security come and figure out what happened. I focus on thecrushed pieces of wood that were hand-painted by June, one of the only pieces of her art left with me. I bite back the urge to weep, marching inside, I let out a scream.
It’s all too much..
I let it all out before walking towards my phone to call Asher.
“Hi, this is Asher. You know the drill.” His voicemail. I try to call dad, but he doesn’t answer either. From inside, I can hear Tatiana talking to the security guard who happened to stroll by, and then I hear Brad.
Wait, Brad.
Walking towards the door, I catch him hiding his hands in his pockets. Green eyes darting between Tati and the guard, Mr. Jaime. “I saw a girl with long black hair. That weird girl, Michaela.”
Michaela.
“She wouldn’t do this,” I say, pointing at the glaring red letters. He just whistles. “How about Nico? Your friend told him off today.”
I look over at Tati, who gives me that,it could possibly belook, but no. There’s no way. I look at June’s fairy garden and my eyes blur again. Not from tears this time but from the memories that've been threatening to claw their way to the surface since I stepped outside.
