Monsters & Fairytales (12 page)

I get my hopes up too much. This is why I avoided people. I expected the world from them, complete strangers. Still though, I was only human; a teenager, at that. My heart craved affection. The feeling of someone else around me that wanted to be around me sent my stomach into butterflies. He was forced here in this world, but that didn’t mean stuck at my side. I had to get close to him again. He was cleaning up much faster than I was. I had to hurry to catch up to him.
             

He was already halfway through with the floor. I looked at the couch and gave up. Tossing my bag on the counter top, I opened up a new one and walked over next to him. My heart fluttered. A tiny smile crept up his cheeks. I felt my face get hot. My eyes couldn’t move from his. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack from the butterflies inside my gut. I forced myself to lean away from him in hopes my eyes would catch the hint. Suddenly there was a sharp pain in my upper thigh. I dropped the bag and looked down. There was a giant shard of glass sticking out of me.

“Mira!”
Sebastian shrieked.

“I’m okay.” I lied.

Oh God, what do I do? There is a piece of glass sticking out of my leg. I need to get it out. I reached for the glass and braced for the amount of pain I would be in when I pulled it out. Then I felt a hand on top of my free one. I
peeked
my eye open and looked. It wasn’t a human hand. It made me feel better and I knew that was why he did it.

“Don’t. It’s easier if I do it.” He said. “Can you walk?”

He started lifting me up. I kept my leg bent. I was so close to him. My heart was going crazy.

“Probably.”

I kept my eyes at the spot where our hands were touching. I mean, I didn’t want to look at how much blood was coming out and that was a perfect distraction. My thoughts got to me and I chuckled. I had thought earlier that all that was missing was some blood and it’d be a murder scene, and here I was, oozing blood.
             

Sebastian helped me into the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and got a washcloth from the shower. I thought about the first aid that was under our sink. There might be bandages in it. Sebastian had been listening because when I turned around he was rummaging through it. I grinned. I hopped over to him again,
then
tried to get up on the counter. My leg muscle twitched and I cringed in pain. 

“Here, let me.” He said dropping what was in his hands.

I watched him reach his arms underneath mine and gently lift me up on the counter. I barely even felt his hands grip me. I guess I wasn’t surprised really with how strong he was.

“The bandages…can I take this out now.” I said.

“Patience.”
He smiled.

He bent over me and I closed my eyes. I felt a slight tug on my leg and shot my hands out onto his arms. I wrapped my fingers as much around his biceps as I could and started squeezing. He was going to pull it out now. Oh, it was going to hurt so badly. I braced myself for the worst of it. Nothing was happening though.

“Sebastian?” I asked.

“Mirabelle?”

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

Why was he taking forever?

“Fixing it.”
He chuckled.

“What?”

I opened my eyes. My hands were still squeezing his arms. I grinned when we both looked at them and then let go. Trying to see what was happening, I followed his hands. But then I saw the glass was in the sink already. How did he? Oh, it was really bloody. My leg had to be really bad.

“Oh, how bad is it?” I asked.

“It is okay. I got the glass out. I’m trying to fix you, but it does not want to work.”

He sounded aggravated and I found that adorable. The words registered and I had to take a double look at him.

“What do you mean it won’t work?”

“I cannot stop the bleeding.”

He was starting to panic. If he were panicking, it couldn’t be good. I sucked it up and looked. There was blood all over the counter. He had a towel under my leg to try to minimize how much was getting on the floor. My sweat pants were completely ruined. Then I realized what he was doing; he had his right hand on top of my thigh and his left was on the bottom, he sort of tried to push the wound closed. I watched him hold it there for a few seconds then let go. Each time he let go more blood oozed out. It stung as if I were getting stabbed all over again.

“Sebastian, I am not a material item, I am human! You can’t fuse me together by will power. I need to have a doctor fix me up or let my body do it naturally over time.” I said.

I grabbed his hands and stopped them from squeezing my leg anymore.

“How do I help?” He asked.

I could tell he really hated feeling helpless. I was back to thinking he was adorable.

“Seeing as how I don’t have insurance, all I can do now is wrap it up.”

I looked at my leg again and tried not to freak out. I needed to evaluate just how bad this actually was versus how bad my phobia was making it. If it was something that needed to be cleaned in depth and not just by my splashing water, I’d deal with the stupid hospital and their million questions.

“You, step out.” I said.

I was going to have to take off my pants. I couldn’t see anything without an extra pair of hands holding the slit in my sweat pants open, but I really didn’t want Sebastian seeing me squirm. My only option was taking half my clothing off to be able to wrap and clean the wound. Sebastian could not be in the bathroom during any of that.

“Are you sure? I can help!”

“Yes. Go.” I rushed him.

He tried begging but I kept cutting him off. Finally he stepped out and I closed the door behind him. Now it was the difficult part. I stood up on one leg and sat on the edge of the bathtub. With as much ease as I could handle, I carefully slid my pants over my hips and maneuvered the right leg around the wound. Then I plopped them in the tub I had been filling with hot water; maybe there was hope for them.
             

Looking down to my wound, I saw the blood was running down to my ankle. I quickly moved the rug out of the way to avoid messing that up, too. Now the process of sanitizing and containing the blood could start. The first aid kit was on the counter, out of my reach. I didn’t want to move again, but it was either that or
get
Sebastian back in here. Nearly falling backwards, I managed to yank a towel down. Now I needed to accomplish standing and throwing myself against the counter all in one motion. Hopefully the pressure from my weight against it would keep the bleeding at a minimum.
             

Up and against the counter, I felt a warm dampness
ooze down my leg. Yep, I was still seriously bleeding. Well, standing around watching it wasn’t going to stop it. I had to hurry. I needed to get the box open and prep the bandages. How was I going to accomplish this alone? Why was I so stupid? I didn’t understand how I kept managing to do things like this! I knew the glass was there, I even warned Sebastian about it! And, yet, I sat down and didn’t even look. I was such an idiot.

“Please let me help now!” Sebastian said opening the door.

“No!”

I kicked the door shut as quickly as possible. Somehow I had a feeling it wasn’t fast enough. I saw him which had to mean he saw me. Oh God, he saw me in my underwear. He saw me, he saw me,
he
saw me. How humiliating!
             

My heart started racing. It was hard to breathe. I was going to pass out. I needed to calm down. The bleeding had to have clotted by now. I just wanted to be back in the living room cleaning like nothing had ever happened. Well, actually, I just wanted to have never wrecked the living room. Wait, no, if I were wishing for things then I wish my mom was still here; both of them. My head got heavy. I could feel each beat of my heart. Focus. I’m fine. What was I doing?

I leaned away from the counter and gently tossed the blood soaked towel into the sink. I didn’t seem to be gushing blood anymore. I took that as a good sign. Cleaning it as quickly as I could without moving; I didn’t want to move any further in case it’d break the clotting, I awkwardly cut up gauze and placed it on some tape. After placing that tightly over the wound, I started to
wrap it, but the wound was too high up my leg. I searched the kit for something else and found a giant bandage. That seemed more logical. With it attached to my leg, I checked the mirror. The wound was in fact completely covered. There wasn’t any blood anywhere either. Well, none that was wet and fresh. 

“Mira?”
Sebastian knocked.

“Patience!
Learn it!” I hissed.

It wasn’t his fault, I didn’t mean to snap at him, but he was out of control. I needed to clean the bathroom. There was blood all on the counter and floor. My clothes were soaking still, but I could worry about those later. Now with everything cleaned up, I needed to worry about getting pants on.

“Sebastian? Are you in the living room?” I asked.

“No. Do you need me?” He yelled back. Where was he?

“No, no. Just go to my living room and stay there.” 

“Okay.” He said.

Counting to ten, I cracked the door open just enough to be able to look out. A part of me wasn’t sure that he was capable of waiting on me. I imagined him standing right there in front of the door, eager to help in any way. I couldn’t see him at all. Taking the chance, I bolted into my room and slammed the door. Turning around, I jumped and screamed.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled at him.
I backed into the corner and crossed my legs.

“Is this not the room you inhabit?”

He looked around my room to point out how it was mine. I got that. What he didn’t get was that I was standing there, hunched over, to cover up the fact I was pants-less.

“The living room is where we just were, where all the feathers and mess are.” I said.

“I do not get your need for anger. If I am with you, I can help you.” He said.

“I don’t need your help right now.
How many times do I have to say it!?”

I flew my hands up then quickly placed them back over my lower section.

“Sorry.”

He lowered his head the way Spike did when I scolded him. I didn’t care right then. I was so horribly embarrassed.

“Go.” I said opening the door.

He walked step by step out of my room, taking his sweet time to make sure I wouldn’t change my mind. Ugh, I had no idea how I was going to face him now. It was bad enough he sort of knew I had a crush on him, but now he saw me half naked?!
             

No.
New thoughts.
Getting dressed.
I opened my closet and, of course, it had already been emptied. I was freaking out. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off. Sebastian had me so flustered. I needed to think and just breathe. Where was that outfit I had earlier for taking Spike to the park?
             

Wait, what day was it? I started freaking out all over again. Everything seemed to hit me like a brick. I remembered waking up as if that day had never
happened, but then I remembered it all at the same time. How was this possible? Now I had a reason to talk to Sebastian again. Where were my clothes?
             

Searching through everything, I finally came across some solid gray pajama shorts in one of my drawers. Those would have to do. I couldn’t find a top. However, I noticed that there wasn’t any blood on what I was wearing, so technically, it would work. I rushed out of the room on a mission. 

“Okay.” I said when I walked back out.

“Sorry again.”

He stood up in a rush. The entire living room was clean and packed.

“How long was I
...
”

I pointed to my room and looked at him curiously.

“I just wanted to make it up to you.” He said with a smile that made my heart melt.

“Make what up to me?”

I was shocked. Not only did he clean everything, but he did it to make it up to me. I was the one being rude.

“For letting me spend the night. I felt this was a small start to repaying you.” He whispered, smiling again.

“Well, I really didn’t have a choice, but thank you.”

I hated to act like I wasn’t grateful, but I didn’t want to lose track of what was important, so I rushed right to it.

“Look, Sebastian, there is something I need to talk to you about.”

“You are not happy with this? I should have done more?”

“No, no. It’s fine. I really appreciate it.”

I walked around the couch to face him. He took a step back from me and narrowed his eyes. He was greatly
offended,
he had good reason, too.

“Sebastian, please. I’m sorry. My brain is distracted.”

Clearly we’d have my conversation later. Right now all the focus needed to be on what he had done for me. I was okay with that. I’d have him for all of tomorrow to discuss why
this day
kept happening over and over, even if it was driving me nuts.