The rain had slowed down to gentle taps on the window and to a quite slow rhythm.
Gracie: Stood alone in the kitchen, the right foot on toes. She looked at her right hand where all the cuts were.
Small but multiple cuts on her fingers and forefinger that she got while reckless and carelessly picking up the shards.
And there was another set of matching cuts on the palm caused when she squeezed her hand too hard with the shards.
She leaned on the counter, hands on her face covering herself, eyes closed and elbows to support herself. Her shoulder stiffened as her nails dug into her face and tight scratches on her cheeks.
"It stings…" whispers to herself.
[Stupid. So stupid– I broke the plate. I bled everywhere. And I scared her again... What would I say to Miss Alina? I can't let her see this]
Silence…
Forced her finger further deep into her own skin, and her hands shook. [... Am I… Resisting…?]
A long, ragged sigh escaped and her shoulder went loose.
Another moment of Silence…
She stops forcing herself to get hurt and her hands shifted from her face to cup her jaw. Leaving marks on her forehead and next to her eyes… And claw like marks on her cheeks.
[No, it doesn't matter whether I tell her or not. She'd know… Maybe she already does.]
The thought was a cold punch to her gut. She hit her forehead on the back of her hand and stood still, [Come on, clean it up now!]
In a hurried motion she walks to the other room and takes a broom from the corner of the room. While walking back to the spot of the possible broken shards.
… While walking back to the spot of shards, her vision blurred due to frustrated tears and she smashed her left toe on the doorframe.
"Augh! Fuck!"
She stumbled forward and the sudden jolt of pain was unbearable, got up and kicked the wall by her right…
THUD
"Ow!"
To Akeno.
Akeno: Sitting on the couch she flinched at the clear sound coming from the kitchen. The rain hid nothing. "Now what?"
She looked towards the direction of the kitchen [Did she again hurt herself…?] Look down at her bandaged feet. [Since the morning I met her she's constantly being helpful to me and yet I did nothing for her…]
[No… She pushed me away, she doesn't need me… But she's hurt. I can't just sit here… But what if she pushed me again?]
The slow drops of rain continued outside but the taps on the widows were ignored and overshadowed by the screams inside.
Gracie: Sitting on the floor both legs crossed and knees close to her chest as she pinched both the toes.
"Why now…?"
The broom had dropped and rolled a bit more distant than her. [Get up. Get up! I have work to do—] Continues massaging her toes.
???: "Um, Gracie…"
Gracie: She didn't have to turn around to see who it was, she didn't recognize the voice but knew the tone. "What?"
Akeno: "Are you hurt…?" [Oh no. Why did I ask that? Anything except that would've been better.]
Gracie: Stops rubbing her toes and slowly turns towards the voice and looks up to see Akeno standing by the door frame. Her lips twitched.
Akeno: "I see…" The way Akeno said it only made Gracie grind her teeth even more. Akeno got on her knees and got close to Gracie. [Don't think much of it please.]
Gracie: flinched due to the sudden closeness. "Hey, what are you doing!?" her voice got sharper as Akeno got even closer.
Akeno: "H–helping." her eyes widen by the sudden sharpness of Gracie's voice [Don't mind it! She's like this anyway–]
Gracie: "What you're trying to do isn't help." Try to back off but Akeno only gets closer.
Akeno: "I will if you let me." doesn't realise how close she is.
Their closeness wasn't intimate but was unusually close for someone who had just known each other for a day. Maybe half a day.
Gracie: "And why would I?" Her cheeks flashed a bit pink which overshadowed the nail marks on her cheeks… They weren't visible either way.
Akeno: Points a finger at Gracie. "Because this morning you helped me and bandaged my foot. And now you let me help you."
Gracie: "N–no– Yea but you were injured!" She leans back.
Akeno: Leans forward "And now you're injured."
Gracie: Speechless…
Akeno: "Hm, say something."
Gracie: "..." Her eyes wander around and everywhere except towards Akeno as her cheeks warmth rises. "First of all! You're too close."
Akeno: gets flustered when Gracie tells her that and leans backward. "S–sorry I didn't notice." Her lips apart trying to get her words. [I hadn't realised I was that close… Now what do I do?]
[Did I really get that close for a moment? I really ruined it all together, didn't I? Tch.] Akeno bit her tongue.
Gracie: While Gracie was still… slightly blushing. [Come on, we've just met like… This morning!]