There are reasons why I'm sort of late with this chapter: none that actually qualify as reasons to be late for. But that's just how it is sometimes, I guess.


Chapter 31

Dollhouse

Eddward had not been happy, being forced to stay home from school for a day, but that was nothing compared to when he learned that his sister had both thrown out the majority (if not all) of his clothes while cleaning his room and decided he'd stay home the next day as well. 'So that he could rest up' she said. Oh! And she had also contacted school to inform them about it and asked if she was allowed to stay home with him to look after him – to which they had said 'yes'. Marie had been a great help keeping him "put", but eventually she had to go home and deal with her own life. Mel made sure to thank her before she left.

The next day, Mel discovered that her brother was still not happy with her and the decisions she had made while he wasn't "available". Understanding how he may be upset that he doesn't really have that much to wear anymore, she did make up a plan while she threw out most of his clothes to get him new ones the very next day. Not entirely understanding why he would be upset to be home from school to rest up, she changed the plan for the day slightly and decided to bring him along to get some new clothes for him, figuring that it may be the only way for her to make sure he won't try and "escape" back to school when she's not around to stop him. Never before has she seen someone be so obsessed with school…

Though she hates going to malls, there really aren't any other places around here where they can go to buy clothes… sadly. It's not like she feels claustrophobic or anything like that, it's just that it tends to echo when there are walls for the many, many sounds to bounce off of… the many, many sounds of people talking over each other, kids screaming and crying, the never ending music that's everywhere and always different when you go between stores. People being impatient and obnoxious, crowding everywhere simply because they can, getting in the way and knowing it…

You promised Edd you'd get him new clothes… you promised Edd you'd get him new clothes… you promised…

Edd remains by her side from the moment they walk through the entrance, a grim expression plastered onto his face, only giving her short sounds of annoyance for answers whenever she asks him something. Oh, sweet puberty. Killing a sigh from the fourth failed question, she decides to just let him follow her, leading him wherever he may or may not care to go. She doesn't know; she's too tired to ask again and get nothing for an answer… and the never ending sounds of everything…

Giving up on engaging with him, she simply walks into a store she finds interesting and starts looking at the different garments on the hangers and mannequins. She can feel his frustration grow behind her, probably as he realized she's not looking for clothes for him "anymore". Hearing him huffing and puffing from anger and annoyance behind her is just enough to give her a minor migraine or two. Eventually she runs out of patience. Turning around without a word, grabbing his hand and dragging him out from the store, she ignores all the stares they might receive, ignores his complains. For being such a goodhearted kid, he sure knows how to test your boundaries and patience. Good god, it really is puberty, isn't it?

Dragging him out the entrance they came from, she lets go of his arm in a motion as if she's throwing him out, tossing him away from her. He turns around with a shocked expression on his face, obviously, but it soon turns sour and his eyebrows knit themselves together at her.

"What was that for?!" He snaps at her.

She glares at him for a moment. "That was for not being able to behave in a public place like a decent human being."

"Wha-?! Like you're one to talk!"

"I am one to talk." She tells him, standing straight with her eyes focused on him alone, yet aware of the people in the background, "Because unlike you I know how to behave like a decent human being in a public place."

"I beg your pardon!" He's shocked and insulted. "For your information I know plenty of how to behave yourself in a public place! I do it all the time at school!"

"At school – a place you are familiar with and recognize the people walking about, good as bad, and you know how to get by and how to deal with the worst of days. Your second home one could say."

"…Wh…" He doesn't know what to say. "I know how to behave in a public place! You're the one causing a scene!"

"Oh, I am, am I? Then tell me this; what was with the snappy attitude and grunting in anger the second I turned to check your approval of something? Does that seem like the behavior of someone who knows how to behave at all?" She crosses her arms, irritation growing stronger. "Need I remind you that we are here for your sake? To get you new clothes?"

"Yeah, well… why did you suddenly stop then?" He stomps with his foot, trying to gain control of the conversation. She can't give him that, "If we're here for my sake, then… then why did you start looking at stuff for you instead?!"

"Cuz' it's kinda hard to help someone who refuses to be helped." She says, voice cold, leaning forward to get to his level. "Some might even say it's impossible." He huffs and puffs again but doesn't come up with anything to say, so she decides to cut him off. "So, in honor of both of our "wishes", and to teach you a little lesson that your behavior is not appropriate in a public place, I'm going back in and you're staying out here." With that she turns around and starts walking back in, not allowing him a moment to complain about it. Instead he puffs some more.

"And what's stopping me exactly from leaving and going back to school then?" He calls out to her.

She stops briefly, turns around and looks back at him. "From here?" She asks. "If you know the way, by all means, if not, then good luck I guess." Turning forward and walking again, she waves over her shoulder to him. "Just know that if you get lost I most likely won't be able to find you. So if you don't want to risk it just wait out here till I'm done. Otherwise I'm somewhere in here if you get bored of waiting. Just make sure to behave if you want to find me."

Seeing her walk back inside, getting out of sight, leaving him behind outside in the cold… surrounded by strangers… surely she can't be serious?! And how dare she claim he doesn't know how to behave!? What has he been doing for all of his existence then? Played pretend? Frowning deeply, he shoves his hands into his pockets, making fists as hard and tight as he can. The air is getting cold and he can see his breath as he keeps running the scenario through his head; the options he has. She really does know that he has no idea how to get from here to home, let alone to school… so the option is just wait outside, or go back inside and hope that he can somehow find her… but how is he supposed to find her in an ocean of people? Maybe there's a security guard he can ask for help?

Sighing, he swallows his anger for the moment and puts his pride to the side as he walks back inside. The warm air blowing from above hits him in the face the moment he steps through the entrance's door, then he's left in the big building looking back and forth, searching for a familiar face that hopefully hasn't traveled too far. A burning feeling in his neck makes him feel like he's being watched, a feeling he really doesn't enjoy. Glancing around, he soon finds that some people give him looks as they walk past him, but nothing more, nothing else. His eyes eventually land on a figure standing in a corner, leaning against the wall, hands resting in the pockets of their leather jacket. They're looking straight ahead of them… straight at him. It takes a few seconds of slight panic as they start walking towards him before he recognizes the face he was looking for, walking slowly up towards him, having waited for him apparently.

Mel doesn't say anything to him as she walks up to him, just looks at him with an emotionally upset and tired expression, an expression that tells him that she wants to be anywhere but here. Does she not like malls? As if on cue (or whatever the saying/expression is) a child screams loudly somewhere in the malls many stores, the screams echoing down the entire building, and Mel's entire body visibly tenses up and she closes her eyes hard, almost as if she's in pain.

"Mel?" He asks, all of his anger and frustration forgotten… for the moment.

"Let's just get this over with." She mumbles.

Confusion spreads across his face. "What?" Don't all women love shopping malls?

"C'mon." She tells him, motioning for him to start walking. "You're the one who needs clothes, not me. Lead the way."

Following her command he starts walking, making sure she remains by his side at least. He looks up at her from time to time, trying to read the expression of both physical pain and mental exhaustion on her face. "Are you okay?" He asks.

"Nope."

"You're not?" He almost sound surprised. Reaching out he grabs her hand, attempting to pull her to a halt. "Then why are we here?"

"Because you need something to wear, remember?" She pulls him with her.

"Well… yeah… but I still have some garments left in my wardrobe to wear." His voice sound uncertain yet certain at the same time somehow.

She looks at him. "Summer clothes? In the middle of autumn, soon to be winter?"

"Well… still."

"Let's just get this over and done with." She rubs her temples, trying to sooth the migraine a bit. "The sooner we get done the sooner we can go home."

He scans her face again. All the signs of pain that he can find are real from what he can tell… and yet she's determined to help him out like this. It... it makes him both upset and… not it actually just makes him upset to see her like this, just in different ways for different reasons. He doesn't tell her though, seeing how she handled him acting out a bit without even saying anything. Though thinking about it… acting out like that is not really good behavior, is it?

Scrunching his nose and pouting with his lips as he realizes, he can't help but curse her a little bit for being right to correct him like that. It just hurts a little differently when it's not coming from your parents, you know?

Looking down and seeing the expression on his face, she can't help but ask. "What's wrong with you?"

"…I don't like being in the wrong…"

She just looks at him. "Nobody does… and it doesn't always feel good to be in the right either so." Shrugging as she talks, she speaks her mind. "Life sucks and then you die." All she receives is a groan from her company.


Song: Dollhouse – Melanie Martinez

My sim in the Sims 4 became friends with the grim reaper. Later on, when he died of age, his grandson had to cheer grim up because he wouldn't leave. He just kept crying in the mirrors over and over, mourning the death of a friend.