A/N Thanks for the lovely reviews!
Anything is worth doing if I'm doing it for you.
Carla perched herself on the end of her bed, pulling her knees up under her chin and wrapping her arms around herself. She finally allowed herself to cry, letting her tears fall as guilty sobs shook through her body.
Carla spent years building up a life for herself, using her sharp tongue and feisty wit to protect herself from the world she lived in. She'd learnt long ago that life would throw everything it could at you just to watch you fall down on your knees. She can pinpoint the exact moment she had realised this.
Carla curls herself up into a ball behind the sofa as glasses crash and smash above her. Loud voices shout from just in front of her, some words she doesn't even understand. "She's six years old!" she hears her brother call. But it is her mother's reply that crumples her heart. "And you think I'd care if she drop dead right now?" More voices are added to the mix as she wraps herself up tighter, her thin frame easy to hide behind the old, dirty sofa. She grips her teddy tightly in her arms, it catches her tears as she fights to keep quiet, scared of her drunken mother acknowledging her presence. She spots the broken Barbie doll sprawled in the opposite corner, the hair mangled and a leg missing. It didn't even have clothes and it was the only toy Carla had ever owned, except from the teddy Michelle had given her during their first week of school. It's then she realised the cruelty life held and it was then that she finally accepted that the fairy tale princesses that danced across her best friend's wall were exactly that; a fairy tale.
Now she had become the person she had spent so many years hating, trying to avoid. She'd become her mother. Her chewed people up then spat them out, leaving them as broken as she was.
She uses her unwounded arm to fiercely wipe the tears from her eyes, smudging mascara across her puffy cheeks and along the sleeves of her top. She yanks the suitcase off of the bed with a bang and with a deep sigh she opens her bedroom door.
Michelle looks up at Carla, her state mirroring Carla's. Her warm eyes brimming over with glistening tears.
"I thought you'd have gone after what I said to you"
"You must have a very low opinion of me Carla" Michelle's voice is stronger than she expected it to be, especially as she pulls herself up from the sofa in such an unsteady manner.
"I don't 'Chelle, what I said I-"
"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the fact you thought I'd just let you walk out of my life probably never to be seen again. At least alive anyway"
"Don't do this Michelle"
Carla pulled her suitcase behind her as she picked up her bag and held her passport tightly in her other hands. With a last gentle look at Michelle she walks over to the door. But Michelle is quicker and instantly she is by the door, blocking Carla's exit.
"Michelle move"
"Not a chance"
Carla lets go of the suitcase as she tries to reach past Michelle and open the door. Seizing her chance Michelle grabs the passport from her hand and tears in straight in half.
"You're not stopping me. I am going." Carla punctuates each of the last of the three words with a breath.
"Over my dead body"
She tries to fight past her again and in a rash moment of madness, Michelle grabs the top of Carla's arm. Instantly her eyes glaze over. Her body freezes as she realises that Michelle isn't going to let her go. She feels trapped, suffocated. She's back there in that night, pinned painfully against the door.
"Please let go of me" Carla whispers, her eyes darting from Michelle's eyes to where her hand grips her arm. She immediately does, realising the huge mistake she has made.
Carla can't stop the sobs from shaking through her body as her flash back finally halts and she stares a horrifed Michelle in the eye.
"Carla? I'm so sorry, I-"
Carla takes a deep breath and then gingerly leans her head against her chest. Her whole body almost collapses against her and Michelle holds her weight, once again stopping her from falling. They both slide down again the door, Carla flopping against Michelle's embrace. Carla doesn't cry any longer, she just lies, her eyes open and fearful. It is Michelle that silently sobs, once again feeling a crushing guilt.
Hours later and Carla had long fallen asleep against her friend, mentally chastising herself for letting down her walls but relishing in their closeness.
They still sat in the same position, Carla's legs entwined with Michelle's her head resting against her chest. From the side of them, Carla's phone rang loudly in her bag and Michelle quickly reached over to answer it.
"Peter? No it's Michelle. Can you come over soon as please? There's something I need to do"
