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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 10, 2012 22:23:41 GMT -5
 i'm the hero of the story, DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT no one's got it all, no one's got it all, no one's got it all... Nell sat at the kitchen table as Leana took dish duty, piecing together images from magazines. Mostly the old Scientific Americans, and a few other ones, a mass of cells and atoms and nebulae. She should have known better to be trying to make anything in this place, but she needed time to kill since Leana was taking care of the dishes. She'd gotten a lot of the work done today, and she didn't mind that none of the girls in the house would approach her to say thank you, job well done. She didn't mind it, even though Leana voiced her disapproval. The Puerto Rican girl enjoyed conversing in the Spanish language they shared, but she stopped doing that whenever the girls were around. She didn't want them to feel like they were talking about them, even though Leana usually was.
She used the x-acto knife to cut the collage she taped together into a shape, not knowing what it was going to be. She almost considered it a representation of herself, but then remembered that she didn't want to put the pieces together. She didn't want to be like those Kandinsky sketches in the museum, coming together to form the magnum opus. She decided she'd just give it to Leana. The girl lived with her parents downtown, in a townhouse that she invited Nell over. She always complained about it being dirty and cramped, but Nell wouldn't mind. It would probably remind her of her childhood more than anything. Besides, nowadays, she couldn't imagine any place being more cramped than here, with these girls pushed into rooms together. It was rather large for a residence, multiple rooms to fit all the girls, hallways for the ones who couldn't sleep without someone looking out for them, but it wasn't very pleasant either.
An angry yell made her jerk with the knife, nicking her finger before she set it down and exchanged a glance with Leana. She went to the room she heard the yelling from, something about boozes and a bitch, and she immediately went into action when she saw a too-skinny girl holding a folding knife to Shilo's neck, the other hand clutching her shirt. "Hey!" Nell said, before going over to the two girls. It was easy to wrench the girl away, even though she was holding a weapon. The brunette struggled in the cage of Nell's arm, but she peeled her fingers away from the folding knife, closing it against her leg before pocketing it. "Calm down, Jess," she tried to console the girl, even though she wanted to be consoling the victim. "What happened?" she asked Shilo, before her eyes found a bottle on the floor. "You know you're not supposed to drink." She knew Shilo was underaged, besides. Would she snitch on the girl? No, it didn't even matter. Not here, not anymore.
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Post by shilo on Apr 12, 2012 17:09:38 GMT -5
Shilo was sitting in the corner of her room, vodka bottle in hand. It had been a rough day and this was the only way she could guarantee it could get any better. As she rose the bottle to her lips for another sip she tried to forget about the hell that was today. Even though Shi was only 17 she had no parents so teachers had to come right to her with their complaints or concerns. Sometimes it felt like being locked in a white box while voices told you that you weren’t good enough. Especially since this would be Shi’s third time in the tenth grade her teacher really wanted her to move on. Unfortunately that was something her and the academy could not agree on.
As the alcohol ran through her blood and her thoughts became clouded a smile found its way to Shilo’s face just in time for a dark, thin figure to appear in the door way. Shi knew the face, her and Jessica were not exactly friends but they did have a lot in common and had each other’s backs when it really came down to it. Without a word Shilo extended her arm and slid over so the girl could join her. Jess did, she bent down, picked up the bottle and took a sip collapsing on the floor next to Shi. The two just sat there in silence passing the bottle to each other. They didn’t see a point in talking since, as interested as they might have been to hear about the drama in the other girls life, they were smart enough to understand neither wanted to share.
Eventually the small bottle was emptied out and neither girl could remember why they were drinking in the first place. As Jessica got up she stumbled towards the beds feeling less then healthy. She took a quick and panicked breath of air before throwing up all over Shilo’s bed and the book on it. Shilo stood up and screamed as she watched the stomach acid destroy the pages of her beautiful book. Shi was speechless and Jessica just rolled her eyes. ”Oh chill, it’s just a book, crazy bitch.” she said, the words slightly slurred. Shi gave the girl a shove spinning her around so they were facing. ”Just a book?! Are you crazy? How do you plan on replacing that?” Jess rolled her eyes and tried to walk out but Shilo grabbed the girls brittle arm not letting go. ”You own me twelve dollars.” Shi said in a clear, cold and surprisingly calm voice but Jessica began to panic and pulled out her blade. She used the arm Shilo had grabbed to pull her in a way that she could get the blade to her neck. ”Say it again, I owe you nothing I need that money! It’s a stupid book!” Before Shilo had a chance to struggle away two girls came in and freed her. ”She vomited on my book.” Shilo explained to Nell. To some people that may have been a stupid reason to fight like they had but for Shilo, her books were all she had. ”And the booze is hardly my fault. I can handle my liquor unlike this crazy chick! Shilo exclaimed getting real close to Jess again. ”Fat ass.” were the words that came out of Jessica’s mouth before she pushed past everyone and headed down the hall to her room.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 13, 2012 4:05:57 GMT -5
i'm the hero of the story, DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT no one's got it all, no one's got it all, no one's got it all... Good thing Nell had a strong stomach, otherwise the vomit would have gotten to her. She noticed the book that had been destroyed, and also knew that she'd be cleaning it all up. Could she salvage the book? She may have been pretty handy with a mop and cloth, but she didn't think she was good enough to save it from the stomach acid. "I'll buy you a new one, all right, Shi?" It really wouldn't be too much. Nell wasn't rich or anything, she didn't consider herself as such even with her fiance, but she did make her own money. Not here, but at the daycare. It was decent enough, and she didn't even think of how she'd probably need a better job in the future to honestly support herself. She didn't like to think of that.
Nell passed a firm stare between the two. "It doesn't matter whether you can hold your liquor or not, it shouldn't be here in the first place." She tugged on Shilo's arm when the girl advanced on Jess, but luckily the other girl stormed out after her insult. Nell went over to pick up the vodka, almost sad that it was empty. She really liked vodka, and drinking always seemed to tempting in this environment. Really, she could hardly blame the girls. Nell left to the kitchen to retrieve a bucket, gloves, and cleaner, explaining to Leana what had happened. "Stupid bitches," she snorted in Spanish. Nell didn't share her opinions on the girls here, but she said nothing. Leana was a nice enough girl, but she was quick with her temper.
She returned to Shilo's room, putting the bucket down, wishing she had a surgical mask or something as she started to work on the vomit. "I know you don't need me lecturing you, but what do you think was going to happen, downing an entire bottle of vodka? Especially with Jess." She wasn't the most stable girl. Nell hardly batted an eyelash as she continued to wash. "I'll make sure that she gets checked for weapons more often. But I won't tell Gaele, not like she'd do much about it anyway." Gaele was the woman who owned the place, Irish and blunt and almost frightening in her broad feature. Nell would end up having to change the sheets, so she didn't focus on them that much. "Are you all right?" she asked the blond, turning a warm brown gaze on her.
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Post by shilo on Apr 13, 2012 18:08:43 GMT -5
Shilo was secretly relieved when Nell showed up. Jess was smaller than Shi, she should have been able to get away on her own but that would just prove what a fat ass she was. With Nell helping her she could convince herself that she may not have been able to get away on her own even though deep down, she knew she could. However, as relieved as she was for Nell she was also angry at the whole situation and unfortunately Nell was there. ”No, I want her to pay back! This isn’t about you so don’t get involved!” Shilo really didn’t want to hurt the girl offering her money, she just felt overwhelmed and was less then sure how to handle it. Normally she would storm off and read but that just wasn’t an option right now.
Nell’s next comment brought her back down to earth a little. Shi knew she was totally right and it made her feel bad. She felt bad for drinking, and for freaking out. Once she realised that she felt bad about feeling bad since it made her feel like a spoiled brat. ”Shit, Nell I’m so sorry I’m just.. Mad.” Shilo admitted after the girl had left, looking to the ground in humiliation. As Nell left, she slumped to the floor looking at the mess through her blurred vision. It was a shame she couldn’t remember exactly why she had drank in the first place since she felt bad for drinking. She couldn’t even remember if it was worth all this.
When the older girl returned with a bucket she grabbed a cloth and began to help with the clean up. ”In my defence, it was a small bottle and I did share it.. Even though that may be a point in your favor. I like my booze, you know that. It happens to be a beautiful, wonderful thing. Besides, Jess and I don’t normally fight. At least not like that, we look out for each other, sharing booze and smokes. You know?” Shilo nodded looking more relieved when Nell said she would do a better job of checking Jess and the fact that Gaele wouldn’t find out. Shilo could not afford to be kicked out, she would have nowhere else to go but the streets. Shilo looked at Nell and her warm gaze and couldn’t help but let out an awkward smile. ”Yeah, I’m a lot better now. Thank you so much Nell, I would hug you but were cleaning up vomit.” Shilo laughed looking at the mess. She really did feel a lot better now.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 14, 2012 2:18:20 GMT -5
i'm the hero of the story, DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT no one's got it all, no one's got it all, no one's got it all... Nell had quite a bit of experience in dealing with anger. She was engaged to Joshua Dale, after all. Their peaceful coexistence was helped by the fact that she was a patient and calm person. Her solution when someone was angry? Keep her mouth shut and wait for the flames to die down. The girl had left, the fight was over, that was that. Nell shook her head, the knife a burning presence in her back pocket. "Don't worry about it," she told Shilo. It really wasn't a big deal. Nell had been more concerned about her life. Sometimes she wondered how much stress one person could be put under, but then remembered it didn't matter. She didn't really matter at all, it was these girls. It was Shilo, who was stuck here. She didn't pity these girls, she empathized with them too strongly.
Nell smiled softly when the girl started to help. Even the little things touched her. But then she started talking and felt something pull at her heart, something not pleasant. "Yeah, booze is good, until you wake up with the mother of all hangovers and no recollection of what you did after drinking," she said. Nell could attest to that. She only had Josh's word for the one time she got drunk around him and she could only remember certain things. Topless making out, ahoy. "The alcohol only works for so long. And you're young, mija, you worry me." She wasn't particularly fond of drinking, and Shilo was young, even though not that far behind Nell herself. Not as young as when Nell first started drinking--no, that was a lie. She didn't start drinking that young, it was a one time thing that she didn't know whether to regret or not. It was in the past.
She moved the book, realizing there was no salvaging it, and that Shi probably wouldn't want it anyway, and put it in the bucket. "No problem. Didn't want her to kill you or anything." Shilo's awkward smile was met with some awkward joking. "And yeah..." She looked at her gloves. "No need to hug grimy ol' me." She stripped them off and put them in the bucket too before starting to strip the bed. "What book was it, anyway?" Nell inquired. She would go and get her another one, there was no question about it. It was just something she naturally did. A little worried, she asked, "Was it special?" She'd gotten pretty upset about it. Nell had a few things she was sentimental about. One of them was on her person. She wore her engagement on the chain that her St. Christopher medallion once hung from, but only when working here. With her father's betrayal, she had removed the actual pendant.
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Post by shilo on Apr 14, 2012 18:58:51 GMT -5
Shilo could connect with what Nell was saying. She didn’t drink often but when she did she went way overbroad. ”You worry too much” Shi had never seriously considered the idea that others were worried about her. She did have a few friends but worry implied care and being friends did not always mean you were close. It was hard to worry about someone you didn’t care about. ”I don’t know where you find the patience and heart for so many people. Is there anything that you won’t do for someone? Have you ever just thrown in the towel on anything and given up? “ Shilo had never seen Nell in any negative light. She always seemed happy to help. Shilo understood that was just the way earths were and being a thunder, she was not but she still couldn’t quite wrap her head around that much kindness. The girl was on the floor helping her clean up vomit from a situation she had had no part in, it seemed almost unnatural to Shi.
Shilo helped strip the bed as they both laughed awkwardly. Shilo thought about the book as it was asked. It was an old book, one she hadn’t read in years. ”It was called Stone fox. Really old, I had to read it for school back in the 5th grade but I loved it so much I went out and bought my own copy. “ Shi could remember hiding under her covers crying as she read the book by flashlight. Sad books allowed Shi to forget about the hell of her own life for a while and focus on someone else’s pain. ”Not really special, it’s not like it was to kill a mocking bird or anything but I have had it for a while. If you can even find a copy it would be nice to get it replaced but if not it’s no big deal. “ Shilo had tons of books, it’s how she survived as a kid, she would just need to choose another one of her collection to focus on right now.
”What kind of books do you like? “Shilo asked going over to a chest by her bed. ”There the only thing I spend my money on, you know other then food. If you ever want to borrow one just ask. I have a bit of everything in here“ She left the lid opened and gestured that Nell was welcome to have a look through the chest of books if she wanted to. They were almost done cleaning the mess and Shilo was desperate to keep the conversation going. She was still a little shaken up and dizzy from what had happened.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 14, 2012 20:07:29 GMT -5
i'm the hero of the story, DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT no one's got it all, no one's got it all, no one's got it all... Nell laughed a bit. Shilo's statement was too true, really. She was a mother hen, she could imagine herself pecking at everyone around her, making sure things were in order, that they were all right. The question was a strange thing to consider. She thought nothing of what she did. "I...no, I guess there isn't anything I wouldn't do." She shrugged nonchalantly, another little laugh. "I don't think about it, really. I like people." It was strange, how uncomfortable it made her to think about what she did for other people. She couldn't honestly describe it. Maybe it was because she never really thought about it, and it was strange having Shi make her think about it. Not terribly unpleasant, but having other people realizing things about her that she wasn't even aware of unnerved her. Because she knew it wasn't only because Shilo was perceptive.
She was interested to hear about the book, one she never heard of. When she mentioned it being something she read in the fifth grade, Nell felt that tug of longing. I wonder what fifth grade is like... She never let herself linger on things like that too long. Especially because she couldn't just ask Shilo without the girl thinking she's a freak. "That really stinks though," she said, her eyes furrowing as she thought about the fact that there was some sentimental attachment. "To Kill a Mockingbird, do you have it?" Nell read a lot, more than one might expect from her. Even she had books that she was really attached to. Like Kafka's Metamorphosis. It was something she had to buy for herself so she could read it over and over.
Jeez, a question about herself. Nell shrugged, her usual awkward sign of being...well, awkward. It was not easily picked up on, considering she went on easily enough after. "Everything, really, I can't discriminate. College right now has me focusing on philosophy, a lot of Kant and Nietzsche. Psychology and history, too." She sometimes flipped through her textbooks and read those, like the good old days. "And what are you into?" She was more interested in hearing about Shi than talking about what she liked. "The written word is like food itself, I guess. For the mind." She tapped her skull. You're spending too much time with Josh. After all, the most important food was food. She flashed a genuine smile at Shi. "Sure thing, thanks. I have a lot of books myself, if you're ever interested in...everything." Josh had his library, and she had her own collection, ranging from Hemingway to Homer. "Wanna go to the laundry room with me?" It was cramped, but she really liked Shi's company. A shame, considering they couldn't talk in school.
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Post by shilo on Apr 16, 2012 21:20:56 GMT -5
Shilo listened to the earths laugh. It was honest and real unlike so much of what today was built of. Shi thought about putting Nell to the test. Asking her brutal truth or dare questions and even more painful would you rather questions but there was no point. Shi honestly believed in her mind that Nell would jump in front of a train if it meant saving a little kid. Weather that was true or not was a whole different story but Shi held Nell in the highest regard and really envied her compassion at times. ”I can’t even understand it sometimes. I don’t even think I’m capable of that much nice.”
Shilo dug through the trunk of books as she mourned the loss of her old one. From the piles she grabbed a fair sized pink book with a picture of a tree and a bird flying through the night sky. The basic bold lettering read To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. She tossed the book to Nell. ”If Jess had vomited on this she would have paid with her life” Shi said in a far too serious manner. The book was already in less than perfect condition; it looked like it had been read one too many times. ”You can borrow it if you want. As long as you be careful with it, although I’m sure you will.”
”That’s cool, I’m into basically anything too, as long as it’s not horror.” There was a book or two that Shi had been looking for but it had been so long ago she couldn’t even remember the name of it. Shi smiled at the offer and nodded leading the way out the door and down the hall. ” have you ever heard of a book about this teen guy who accidentally drowns his crush and crush’s boyfriend by pulling them off a rock into crazy rapid water that eventually drowns them? The actual book is his fight with it in his mind, at least from what I remember. I read that one in the fourth or sixth grade.” Shilo spaced out thinking as she slowly walked down the hall.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 17, 2012 21:11:36 GMT -5
i'm the hero of the story, DON'T NEED TO BE SAVED IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL RIGHT no one's got it all, no one's got it all, no one's got it all... Nice? Is that what Shilo thought of her as? This surreal feeling wouldn't go away, and she wondered how Shi came to that conclusion. The Earth graduate guessed anyone would be caught off-guard by the opinions of others. "I'm sure you are," she said, because Shilo was an intelligent girl. "You just have to keep in mind that we're all the same. And we want the same things, really." She loved people, but not only because she understood that they were all connected. The differences and the stories and everything that made people, people made her want to know more and be there for them. Help them in their stories. "I'm sure you have the capacity." The girl was a Thunder, but that didn't count for everything. Thunders could be nice. She even apologized to her for getting snippy, even though she didn't have to. Most of the Thunder she did know, however, were douche bags, but that was because her family was full of Thunder elementals on her father's side. She was sure that it was a culmination of things.
Nell caught the book, her hands now bare, and flipped through the pages, almost tempted to smell the book but wondering if that would be too weird. Every book had a different smell because they've been different places, some good and some bad. She remembered certain books from her childhood that she liked the smell of, her father's Principles of Biochemistry book and the only book that ever really belonged to her that used to be her mother's, one of Eastern European fairy tales. She listened to Shi's words, feeling her pacifistic side sigh at such a notion. But she smiled and tapped the back cover with her hand, the ring on her finger making a metallic sound. "Yeah, I think I will borrow it, I know I don't have my own copy and it's been a while since I've read it," she said. "It'll probably have more an effect now that I'm older." That usually happened with books. Animal Farm made a lot more sense once you realized the history behind it. "It sucks, though...with your books. Have you had anyone mess with them?" These kids weren't the most well behaved people, probably do to the fact that they didn't have parents.
Immediately when Shilo responded, questions immediately formed in her mind about it. "Why not horror?" She led the way to the laundry room, walked through the kitchen and noticed that Leana was sitting at the kitchen table, foot propped up on it so she could paint her toenails. Shilo spoke about the book, and she blinked listening to it, her mind clicking together to try and figure out if it sounded familiar. Luckily, she had a decent enough memory. Nell pulled open the door and started on the business. She had never done laundry when she a kid, her mother had to pay someone to do it for them. She could remember some of their faces, they were some of the only people who she really had contact with in her childhood. Finally she answered Shilo, "Do you remember the title? Because it sounds familiar, but I don't actually know if I read it or not." The water in the washing machine drowned out her voice a little as she put the blankets in, moving to check the dryer and finding a few clothes in there.
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