bruises

[ aurora parker holland ]

day 365

I LOOKED through the plane window as we started our decent.

"Welcome to sunny Los Angeles. It is currently ten in the morning and 76 degrees outside," The intercom lady said.

My parents and I headed out the plane once we had landed and headed to the baggage claim. My shoulders held my backpack as I waited for the baggage to emit out onto the conveyor belt.

I excused myself and headed to the restroom to clean up. I looked into the mirror and adjusted my outfit which consisted of a white hoodie, some mom jeans paired with an off white belt, and a pair of Doc Martins. I rolled my jeans up and splashed some water on my face. I headed back out and to a nearby Starbucks and got some coffee for my parents and a passion fruit lemonade.

I held the drinks in my hand and once i turned around, someone bumped into me the coffee spilling onto my white hoodie.

"i'm so sorry. hold on." The brown-haired, grey eyed guy apologizing profusely.

He took off the black hoodie he was wearing and handed it to me.

"Take my hoodie."

"I'm seriously fine. It's my fault for wearing a white hoodie anyways."

"Are you sure? I can pay for your drinks."

"It's fine." I said trying to leave.

"I'm really sorry."

"It's fine."

I left with my white stained hoodie and my slightly spilled drinks and headed back to the baggage claim.

"What happened to you?" papà asked, trying to contain his laughter.

"Some guy bumped into me. here's your coffee." i said, getting an extra hoodie I had bought from our layover in New Mexico.

I took off my stained hoodie and replaced it with a black hoodie that. I grabbed my suitcase from the baggage claim and followed after my parents whom already had a car waiting for us.

We had just moved from Texas to Beverly Hills due to my parents' work to keep eye on their new company that they have built here in Los Angeles. I was here all along for the ride.

As the car came to a stop, I stepped outside, and breathed in the city smell. I glanced onto our new house and gawked at how big it was.

"Your room is upstairs." Papà said.

I headed upstairs with my luggage and saw that all my stuff was inside my room. Most of my clothes and items were already inside. My skateboard and my surfboard were already inside.

"Hey Mom, I'm going to go get some paint."

"Okay. The money is on the counter. Take the other car."

I headed downstairs and headed to the nearest paint store. I grabbed some navy blue and grey paint, considering that most of my paints were already there, missing a few paint colours.

I went back home and started designing my room. I started painting the walls grey and started drawing on the walls.

After a few hours and a quick milkshake break, I started moving my furniture inside. my room had this loft design, making what seemed like another room that went inside the walls. I placed my bed into the cave like structure and was left with an empty room below.

I grabbed my huge box of pictures and started placing them on the walls which covered about two walls alone. I placed my desk and placed my computer on it along with my cameras.

I hung up my guitar on the wall and i started organizing a bit. I fixed up my closet and my shoes whom I treasured.

I took a sip of my milkshake and sat down onto the fluffy carpet. I changed out of hoodie and put on a band shirt instead, it being about eighty degrees outside. I also grabbed myself a pair of sunglasses and was ready to go.

"Mom. I'm heading out. I'm going to skate down the neighborhood."

"Stay safe."

I grabbed my skateboard and placed my phone in my pocket, earbuds in my ears. I grabbed my new keys and headed out. i started skating down the sidewalk, the cars zooming by. I was peacefully skating down the street until I was suddenly knocked down.

I fell down, thankful that I was slowing down before I fell.

"You again?" I asked standing up from the ground.

"I'm so sorry, once again."

I winced as I glanced onto my arm, it being banged up again.

"Um, I live right here. Want me to clean it up for you? It's the least I can do."

"That would be greatly appreciated." I said grabbing the skateboard and following the guy inside.

"I'm Jonah." He said.

"Parker."

I followed him into the kitchen where he told me to sit down as he grabbed stuff to clean my wound. I saw that a few guys were scattered in the living room messing around with a guitar.

"Shoot." I yelled as the alcohol touched my arm.

The guys perked up at my voice, probably only realizing that there was another person in their presence.

"Jo. who's with you?"

"Parker, why?

"We don't know a Parker."

"I met her this morning."

I heard footsteps coming over to my direction and I glanced over at the four other boys standing in the doorway.

All of a sudden I feel a pair of arms wrap around me.

"What the hell?!"

I pushed the guy off me and looked at him.

"Aurora."

"Zachary Dean."

"I've missed you. When did you move?"

"Missed me with that bs."

"Rora."

"it's Parker."

"Rora, please."

"What the frick Zach. You left me."

"I know Rora but please."

"Please what, Zachary?

"Aurora. I'm sorry."

"Sorry my butt, Zach. Don't even reason with me."

"I lost your number when I moved."

"Then how come Ryan still manages to keep contact with me?"

"Ryan keeps contact with you?"

"He has been since you left. He's been checking up on me."

"Aurora."

"Yes, Zach?"

"Please don't leave."

"Like you left me? Thanks, Jonah."

I grabbed my board and instead of going back home, I headed to the nearest fighting gym.

I wrapped my hands and started punching the bag. After a few minutes or so, the bag fell onto the ground, the chain broken to pieces.

"My bad."

I heard an applause behind me.

"Two minutes to break a punching bag. That's a world record."

I turned around to see a guy probably a couple years older than me.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oh me? I'm just the owner of the gym."

"Sorry about the bag."

"It's fine. Just needs a little fixing."

I took off the wrap and saw that it literally did nothing to protect my knuckles. They were split open and bleeding, some already starting to bruise.

"Jeez that seems nasty."

"I can see that." I said getting my phone out to call my mom.

"Mamà can you come get me? Thanks."

I grabbed my stuff and headed outside the gym. I waited a few minutes and my mom arrived.

"Aurora Parker Holland. What did you do to yourself?"

"I saw Zach and went to the gym pretending his face was on the bag until the bag fell after a couple of minutes."

"Oh okay. you're cleaning your own injuries though."

"Wait, mamà. can you stitch them for me?"

"Fine."

After she had stitched my knuckles, I got a face-time call from Ryan.

"Hey, Parker, what happened to your hands?"

"I saw your brother."

"Did you beat him up?"

"No."

"He deserves it."

"I know."

"So you wanna stream some fornite with me?"

"Ryan, have you seen my knuckles. I can barely move my hands."

"Okay then. I'll stay on the phone with you while i stream."

"Okay."

Ryan and I face-timed each other until about eleven until he had to go to bed.

"Bye Ry guy. Love you."

"Love you too, parker."

I hung up the call and instead of going to sleep. I grabbed a ladder and placed it on the hanging of my roof to get up. i grabbed a blanket and my phone and headed up.

I grabbed my phone and started recording.

"Every breath that I've been taken since you left feels like a waste on me. I've been holding on to hope that you'll come back when you can find some peace." I sang, lyrics coming out of nowhere.

"There must be something in the water. Cause everyday it's getting colder. And if only I could hold you. You'd keep my head from going under."

I stared at the night sky, watching as the airplanes flew past.

"I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind. Big I hope I never lose the bruises that you've left behind. Oh my lord, oh my lord, I need you by my side."

―

word count: 1,499

last edited: January 4, 2019

🎲⛓

𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐫 !