Kiss sanity good bye

Chapter one.

The silence was suffocating – total, complete, congealing her words to form a lump in her throat. Her tongue was an overcooked steak in her mouth. She tried to swallow but the trickled of saliva sounded like a choked spasm in the room.

 

The view from the office was fabulous, the wall to ceiling window offering a bird's eye look at the bustling drones of the city. On any other day, Julia would've oohed and ahed with the best of them, but, then again, if it was just any other day, she wouldn't have been there in the first place. In Principal Hiltz office. Wondering if sweat rings were going to form under her armpits.

 

She cleared her throat.“Mr. Hiltz, I am most deeply sorry for what happened to your cat, but rest assured, I did not participate in this… ghastly act of defacement.”She tried to put some sincerity into her voice but only succeeded in sounding like someone from an acne commercial.

 

Mr. Hiltz was not impressed. He leaned back, folding his hands together, staring at Julia with his watery, piggy eyes. “You’re a good student, Julia. No detentions, homework handed in on time…”

“4.O report card,” she added, trying to use the leverage.

“Yes. A good student. So tell me. What happened? ”

Julia stared difiantly back. “I didn’t do anything, Mr. Hiltz. Honest. It wasn’t me.”

“Do you know who did?”

“No.”

 

His eyes latched onto hers for a moment, squinty blue against caramel brown and it was Julia who looked away first.

 

“Very well,” he said, spinning around in his chair. “You may go.”

-.-

"What did the fatass want?" Sienna asked.

Leaves scuttled over the yard, the cool breeze ruffling their hair and leaving a sloppy kiss on their cheeks. Students milled around, chatting and laughing. The hulking presence of the school casted an ever present shadow over it all; looming, ominous, and sinister, it lent a chill of malicious foreboding.

 

Bella shrugged. “He thought I was behind it.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I didn’t do it and that I had no idea who did. Why?” She twisted around to stare at her

 

Sienna was beautiful. Not in the traditional way, not the kind society embraces – platinum blonde, carefully applied make up, mascara attacked eyes and lush pink lips. Sienna hair was jet black, cut short, a version of the Rhianna cut but with more of a flare at the back. Her eyes were black, her makeup thick and primarily consisting of black of bloody red. Julia adored her.

 

“You didn’t do it – did you?” Julia said carefully. A rueful grin spread across Sienna's face. “You – I can't believe you – what were you thinking? Spray painting the cat?”

“The red suited it,”Sienna said, inspecting her nails – a nice shade of bloody Mary - then looked up, smiling. “Plus it looked great with the tutu.”

 

A suppressed giggle slipped past Julia's lips. “I should've known. God, I can't believe I didn't.”

“You didn't tell him, did you?” Sienna said, serious again.

“NO! I would never do that. You know I wouldn't.”

“One can never tell,”Sienna murmured. She was gazing out into the distance, watching the trees sway, the way the light played with their tresses and filtered amidst the gentle, feathery quality of the sky and then back at Julia, who was staring at her with a trance like fixation. Her black lips curved up. “I won't lose you, Julia.”

“Never,” Julia said, snuggling into her leather embrace. She felt a slight pressure on her forehead, and the sighing release of Sienna's lips.

-.-

Julia rummaged through her pocket for change. Her finger met gum wrappers, the newspaper article she had clipped out, a sudoku problem and them the cold edge of a quarter coin. She popped it into the telephone.

 

"Hello?"

"Hey mom."

"Honey! I was just making dinner. How's school?"

"Mom, you can't cook. Last time you tried you set the fire alarms off. Is the stove on? Is there smoke? You know what, just drop everything and order take out. I don't want to put your health or the kitchen at risk."

"I am overwhelmed by your confidence in me." Julia caught a snippet of venom in her voice.

She sighed. "I'm sorry mom. It's just...I worry about you, okay?"

A laugh blossumed on the other end. " I'm supposed to be the one worrying. God, sometimes I wonder if I was good mother to you."

"You were an awesome mother," she reassured her.

"How are your classes?"

"Great. We're learning about Shakespere and Mozart," she said, a hint of irony in her voice. Her mom didn't notice.

"What about the kids there? Are they treating you nice?"

"Yeah, everyone's really welcoming. There's this girl, Sienna - I really like her."

"That's fantastic, honey!"

"Yeah. Listen, I gotta go. It's almost light out. I'll call you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"All right. Love ya."

"Love you, too, mom."

 

The pnone clunked back on the reciever. Julia ducked back into the night. She could hear Sienna's muffled footfalls coming up behind her.

"You have a good relationship with your mom," Sienna mused, and then, added, as if to herself. "I envy it."

"Really? What are your folks like?" Julia said. Now that she thought about it, she thought, Sienna never spoken about her family, only hinted of their existence, before paddling on about the latest fashion rave in Europe.

 

Sienna was silent for a moment. "I...am a disapointment to them. I think they may even resent my very existence." Her voice was hushed. Thoughtful.

"I- don't know what to say," Juliasaid, truthfully.

Sienna laughed - the delicate tinkling of windchimes. "My familys very dysfunctional. I've got a sister, Natalie She's the one they show off at the parties. While I sit in the back, knocking down drinks." Another bark of laughter, this time harsh and bitter. "They want me to get committed. As if I'm the one insane!"

"Sienna - "

"Lets talk about something else. God, I need a hit." Shuffling, then the sighing whoosh of a breath.

"Sienna, its getting late. We should be getting back."

"No," she snapped. "You can go if you want, get your beauty sleep.

"Sienna -"

"No. I want to be alone."

 

Julia sighed. "All right." As she made her way across the slient ourtyard, like a thief in the night, she caught the dying whisper of Sienna's voice, caught it and held it against her breast.

"Tell your mom that I said hi," Sienna said.

-.-

Reviews

[JC]

you've got a lot of talent, look forward to reading more and this again when i am more awake...