due to mature theme, parental discretion advised

Monday, February 12

I remember how cold I felt.

Even now as I think back on it, I can remember...

My body was stiff, my fingers creaked when they moved, my eyelids were dry, the inside of my nose too.

I had felt like a dead animal left to freeze dry overnight.

And perhaps I would have been, because the electricity had been turned off and dad insisted that we didn't need it. That we could just bundle up instead. That we needed to be strong.

It was bullshit though and even he knew it, because he'd much rather spend the money on beer instead.

I cried a little while I was laying in bed, freezing in the cold winter weather.

And that's when I heard it. The quiet tapping of fingers against my window. Confused, dazed, and dried out, I got up and saw Irene's face pressed to the glass. She was smiling.

It was -5 degrees outside, but she was smiling.

And I was writing a list of scoldings to whisper shout at her in my mind as I got up and threw the window open, "Irene, what the hell are you thinking?! Do you know what my dad's gonna do if he sees you here, he's gonna kill you--"

I was interrupted by the feeling of fingers in my hair and pair of lips smashing into mine. I didn't want to enjoy it. I didn't want to hesitate. Because she used to always do this. Kiss me to get out of trouble. And of course it used to always work.

She pulled away and put her cool hands to my face, worry etching a line between her eyebrows, "why's your face so cold? You look freezing, and you're the one inside!" I brushed her hands away and stepped back from the door while she clambered in, "keep it down would ya?" I muttered but she only snorts, "you're dad doesn't hear Jack shit and you know it, especially when he's piss drunk. You gonna tell me why it feels like a meat locker in here"

I shrugged, "dad didn't want to pay the electric bill. Can't argue with a psychopath." With a sigh of defeat I slump my body onto the bed and pull the blankets over myself. I can feel Irene standing there watching me, wondering what to do, and for a moment I believe that maybe she just left, but then the mattress dips behind me and I can hear the sound of boots being quietly taken off and set on the floor.

I try not to smile as I feel her heat wrap itself around me when she slides under the covers with me. Her arms are now around my middle and her breath fans out across my neck. This is nice... I can't help but think to myself. We stay like that for a while, just laying there taking each other's body heat. But it's not enough for her. It's not enough for me. It's never enough and I find myself turning to face her, getting comfortable in her arms. She smiles and I can remember feeling my heart melt. I can remember feeling like she was the most perfect thing I'd seen in the world.

I remember kissing her.

And grinning like an idiot because I could kiss her.

And I whispered this little thing, "will you stay with me forever, Irene? Can we always be close like this?" And she hummed and smiled and inched closer, nestling her nose against mine and whispering back, "I'll always be here. I'll always be yours. You're the only one I need cirrus. You're the cloud I'll always look for..."

And now as I sharpen my machete in my room on that same bed that hasn't moved from that spot in the past two years I can't help but look at where we had laid and think one word:

"Liar"

(A/N hope you guys enjoyed this little scene. I didn't want to make this one too long because I wanted it to just be short and sweet but with an ominous tone in it. It gives background to the characters and a sense that Irene and Cirrus used to be really close. What happened? What drove them apart?)