"How did you get here in the first place?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her as her crying was reduced to sniffles.
Looking straight forward with his hands in his lap, he explained, "Well, I was watching the Cheerio practice after school because I have to wait for Brittany to drive me home every day. She's a nice girl, but she stopped liking me as much when she found out I wasn't a leprechaun. When practice was almost over, I left the gym to go use the restroom, and the last thing I saw before the blindfold was put on was a bunch of guys from the hockey team. They dragged me outside and threw me in what I think was a van. For the whole ride, two of them were holding me down, and when I tried to get away, one of them punched me square in the eye. I reckon that's why it's turned the color it has. I don't think he was trying to hit me in the eye, but rather I turned my head at just the wrong second. The next thing I knew, I was being tossed out of the van. I took the blindfold off and found myself at what they call a crack house. I really thought the crack people were going to kill me, but when I started talking, they let me go because they said I made their brains hurt or something. Since then, I've been wandering around looking for something familiar, but I've had no luck so far. The hockey guys took my wallet and phone, so I really don't know what to do."
She stared at him with her mouth open, horrified for multiple reasons. Even though she hadn't completely understood everything he'd said, the parts she did understand sounded awful. She leaned forward to get a better look at his left eye, and she covered her mouth when she saw that the skin all around his eye was dark red and swollen. She wondered how she had missed it before.
"Should I call the police? Or a doctor?" she asked, having no idea what to do. "Or… or maybe a makeup artist? I know a really good one who could cover that right up for you…"
"Ah, no thank you. It was just a harmless prank. I'm fine, really," he said casually.
"Harmless?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I don't take it personally. They're just the type of people who need someone to pick on to feel good about themselves, you know? Plus, I think I can pull off this red-eyed look, don't you think? You seem to be pulling it off quite nicely," he said with a smile.
"Excuse me?" she said, pausing her search through her purse for her phone.
"Well, because you were crying, your eyes are partially red, and that mixed with the white and then the blue of your irises reminds me of the colors of your country's flag."
Wiping at her eyes self-consciously, she said crossly, "You're very confusing. That was both charming and offensive."
"Was it? I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be either. I do love your country, even though it doesn't seem to love me back some of the time. What is your name?"
After marveling at how quickly he would change subjects, she said, "My name is Harmony. You probably recognize me; I'm the Gerber baby."
"No, I don't," he said bluntly, unknowingly bursting her bubble a bit. "Harmony is a lovely name, though. I think it suits you."
"Do you, now?" she said dryly, going back into her purse to continue her search for her rhinestone-covered cell phone. "And your name is?"
"Rory. Rory Flanagan. I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Harmony."
Suddenly, Harmony started crying again.
"I'm sorry!" Rory cried, his voice getting a little higher with panic. "I don't have to be pleased to meet you if you don't want me to!"
"No, no, it's not you," Harmony squeaked as she pulled her cell phone and a torn envelope out of the bottom of her purse.
Just seeing the envelope that held the wretched letter inside of it again made all of the emotions, namely rage and sorrow, come rushing back and pouring from her apparently flag-like eyes. She tossed the phone into Rory's lap and then turned her face away.
"Just… hurry up and call someone to come and get you, okay?" she managed to get out before erupting into another fit of sobs.
"I don't know anyone's number because I don't have many friends, and the few I do have, I just have their numbers in the speed dial, so the only number I remember is my mommy's in Ireland, but I don't think she'd be of much help right now," Rory rambled to Harmony in one long, difficult sentence.
"You're like a lost, Irish puppy!" Harmony exclaimed, looking at him once again. "What am I supposed to do with you? I don't even know what to do with myself!"
"I'm sorry," Rory apologized again, looking contemplative. "Do you need a hug?" he suddenly offered brightly, as if that would fix everything.
"What? I barely know you!" she said indignantly, not even sure how she could still speak while she was crying so hard.
"Do people in America only hug people they know?"
"Do people in Ireland go around hugging people they don't know?" she asked hysterically.
"Yes," he answered while nodding. "All the time."
"Are you even human?" Harmony asked, genuinely unsure of what was wrong with the far-too-nice-to-be-normal boy next to her.
"I'm not a leprechaun, if that's what you're thinking," Rory answered defensively. "I'm done being a leprechaun."
Harmony had nothing to say back to that assertion, so she just gave in with an exasperated sigh and hugged the strange Irish boy, not knowing what else to do when her world was falling apart.
I exaggerate because Glee exaggerates. :D
If you have any questions or comments (or concerns?), leave me a review or PM me. Thanks!
-Skye
