skinny || h.s. au [Rewrite Now Up!]

sixteen

Harry notices Marley's absence the moment class starts and she's still not there.

He's been worried about her. Tried a few times to get her attention in class. But she would always ignore him.

And then her skin. It looked even more pale than normal the past few days. Some may write it off as she had the average cold. Harry wasn't so sure.

But now, as thier teacher drones on and on about uninteresting topics, he stares at the empty chair of her normal seat. And worries.

Maybe she is just sick. Maybe Harry is overthinking it.

Or maybe she passed out again like she did in his driveway. And what if she did while walking to school?

Harry nearly jumps out of his chair, grabbing his books and walking to the front of the class.

The teacher looks startled and immediately stops his lecture. "Harry, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I--umm... family emergency." He says. Doesn't wait for a response before walking out of the class.

The whole room is a little bit confused as they watch the door swing closed behind him. A few students laugh. But he's too far down the hall and too preoccupied to hear or care.

He's probably exaggerating the possibility of her being in harms way, but he can't sit in class without her. He needs to know she's okay. Even though they haven't spoken in days.

Four days, to be exact.

It's been four days since Marley has talked to Harry.

It's been four days since since Marley has swallowed anything more than a glass of water.

And it's been four days since Marley has heard from her brother.

Jax left. He left his sixteen year old sister to fend for herself. But she would suppose she had sort of been doing that before.

Marley isn't sure where he found money, or if he even took any with him. But he left her a note. Six words.

Don't come looking for me. -Jax

And she tried not to feel. She tried so hard. But now she is really alone. She has no one but Maria.

Who, naturally, is quite ecstatic. But holds in her excitement for the sake of Marley's already hyperaware emotions.

"What should I do?" Marley asks her. Sits on the floor in her kitchen. Trying not to be a broken mess of cheap glass and fake flowers.

You do what you've always done. You find odd jobs like babysitting to pay for the electric and the water. Except now there's just us to worry about.

"I guess but..." Marley bites her lip as she feels her eyes sting. She can't cry. She can't, she can't, she can't. "He was all I had left of my family."

You have me. We have each other. That's all the family we need.

"But what if something happens at school? And they have to talk to a gardian?" She reasons.

Just don't let anything happen, then.

Marley looks at the clock on the stove. Sees she has already missed the bus. "Is it even worth it to go today?"

As long as you make up for the missed gym period...

"I will. After a nap, though." She pushes up off the floor. Stands a bit too fast. Feels a bit dizzy before moving toward the stairs.

But in an hour, you're going for a jog.

"I will, I will." Marley mumbles as she takes the creaky stairs at a slightly sluggish pace. She just feels so tired today.