sky_so_blue (sky_so_blue) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-07-23 19:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | 04-06-2017, claire, claire and skylar, skylar |
Bad News
Who: Claire and Skylar
When: Morning
Where: The greenhouse
When Claire woke, she was still at Gabe’s, having been unable to find the desire or courage to return home to sleep. Thankfully Ms. Bloom had been understanding of it, considering the circumstances. Claire was still feeling numb, and grief stricken, but she knew there were things that needed to be done.
So after returning home, and avoiding Ren’s room all together, Claire showered, dressed and grabbed her umbrella to head over to the greenhouse. She was exhausted and knew she wouldn’t be attending school, or even work, that day. There was no way Claire would have been able to concentrate, or even get through the day without crying. No, she wanted to stay home, curled up under a blanket until she could actually feel something again.
Stepping into the greenhouse, Claire lowered her umbrella to search for Skylar. “Hello?”
Skylar had seen the wolves. That was some scary shit. Thankfully it was really only from the window and he was safe, but yeah, scared out of his mind. By the time dawn had come, he’d been awake most of the night. Once he was sure it was safe out there, he was in the greenhouse in nothing more than boxers, a slightly oversized tshirt and a pair of boots. Working helped, his pot plants beautifully maintained in a manic fit, but once he was done he was having far less luck in the rest of the greenhouse, which wasn’t anyone else’s fault but his own. And the argument he was having with himself. “It doesn’t work that way!” A pause. “I know! I’m not stupid, but at the moment this is the best I have! What more do you want from me? I’m running off nothing but dumb luck!”
He didn’t hear Claire, but that was also because he’d just kicked a bucket, hard, out of frustration with the ghosts in his head, sending it clattering in the direction of the door and covering up what she was saying.
Wincing at the sound of the bucket that was sent flying across the floor, Claire paused in her steps, wondering if maybe she ought to come back later. It sounded like Skylar had company, but Claire knew once she left, she wasn’t sure when she would have the time or energy to return and it didn’t seem right to simply send him a text. Breathing in deeply, Claire stepped forward again to find Skylar herself. When she caught sight of him, she did her best to ignore that he was in his boxers. But there didn’t seem to be anyone else with him, which was a bit confusing until she realized he could have been talking to himself. “... Hello?”
Skylar whipped around when he heard her for the first time, not expecting someone other than himself. Letting the internal argument go almost too quickly, he smiled at her. "Oh hey, didn't hear you." He noticed the bucket and went to claim it back picking it up and holding it against his chest. "What's up?"
"That's okay," Claire said with a faint smile before it faded completely. Smiling felt a bit foreign to her at the moment. And she wasn't exactly sure what to say next. God, but she just wanted to get it over with, and without breaking down into tears again. "I needed to come by and talk to you about Ren. Do you have a minute? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Mention of Ren brought out a frown in Skylar's features. He'd been worried about the girl and Claire here like this might not be a good sign. "Sure, but I don't know where she is," he told her, setting down the bucket upside down so she could sit and grabbing himself a step stool to sit on.
Claire didn't really want to sit, but she did it anyway, not wanting to be rude. Sitting on an upside down bucket wasn't the most comfortable thing, but Claire didn't plan on being there very long. "Um." She had to pause briefly to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "Ren was one of the.... with the wolves." Claire paused again, hating the way her stomach churned. "She was attacked by one. Ren didn't make it."
Skylar listened, frowning more as Claire spoke. It took a long moment before what she was trying to say really sunk in and he processed it for what it was. Ren was dead. Just like Jay. “Whoa...” he wound up saying, running his hand and making it stand up even more. “Damn. That’s heavy.” He looked at the girl in front of him again, watching her before leaning in more. “Are you Claire?”
Heavy was one word for it. Claire wasn't sure she would ever get over it. Gabe wasn't doing any better. She breathed in and out slowly before willing her damp palms on her denim clad thighs and nodding at his question. "Yeah, that's me. I just... thought you should know, seeing as how she worked here for awhile. There will be a funeral, if you want to come. I just don't know when yet."
Skylar reached out for her hand, holding on to it in both of his even if his were a little dirty. “She said nice things about you.” Which she had. Of course there had been that weird bit with kissing the guy that Claire liked, but that wasn’t something worth bringing up at this point was it. “And sure. If you want me there, definitely.”
It both helped and hurt to know Ren had spoken about her. Claire knew it would have been just as painful to lose Ren even if they hadn't fought beforehand, but she knew maybe there would have been less guilt. Claire didn't know what to say, so she nodded, trying to smile again but failing. "I'll send you a text and let you know the details once I have them. Uh, but I guess in the meantime, just be careful."
"You too," Skylar said with a nod. "Be careful." He jumped up, completely forgetting he wasn't wearing pants. "Actually, I can walk you home. Just in case." And he had a feeling he didn't want to be in the greenhouse for now. Not knowing that his part time employee was dead. That was unsettlingly.
"Uh." Claire stood, glancing over him quickly before she blushed. Had it been under any other circumstances, Claire would have burst into laughter, and then gone home to tell Gabe about the greenhouse guy, wandering around in his boxers and boots. "You're... I mean, it's okay. You could get sick, walking me home with no pants on."
"I could...what?" He asked, then looked down and frowned. He'd forgotten pants. "Right. Well. Yeah." Skylar tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it lower, even if he wasn't really showing anything. "Be safe then?"
Unable to help it, Claire's lips twitched into a faint smile again when he tugged his shirt down. "I will. I'll let you know when I have... details about... yeah." Exhaling softly, Claire turned away and headed outside, ready to get back home where she could curl up in bed and avoid the rest of the world.