Toxic Lips [l.h]

f o r t y f o u r

“Alaska?”

I groan as I roll over to face my closed door. My mother has been knocking on my door for a few minutes now. She is still as persistent as always.

I drag myself out of bed and unlock the door, clenching my jaw and glaring at her.

"It's almost eleven thirty. Get up," she says simply.

"I have jet lag," I say. "It's only like nine to me."

"Well you're going with your sister to get food for tonight. Your grandparents are coming over for dinner."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Why would they want to come and have dinner with their daughter and her soon to be ex husband?"

"That's enough, Alaska. Now get dressed and go meet Elise in the lobby."

I grimace at her and shut the door. I quickly have a shower and run a straightener through my hair. I change into a floral dress and black gladiator sandals. I grab my phone and emerge from my room.

"Elise is waiting in ther car," my mother says from the kitchen.

This was a mistake; coming home. A huge mistake.

I slide into the passenger seat of Elise's car, avoiding eye contact. 

An awkward silence descends as she pulls out of the curb. Elise makes a point not to make eye contact with me and I finally snap.

"You know, I'm not happy about this either," I snap, and she glares at me. "Shouldn't we be in this together?"

She laughs dryly. "In what together?"

"The divorce. We're both unhappy about it, shouldn't we at least have each other?"

"You should have thought about that a year ago," she snaps.

"Mum and Dad weren't divorcing a year ago," I rebut.

"Look, you're the one who fucked up, so don't come crying to me now. I'm only doing this because Mum's been an emotional wreck since they first went to court for the divorce and you've been too busy living ths fucking high life in Sydney to even care."

My jaw drops. "I left because of you!" I shout. 

Elise rolls her eyes. "Don't give me that shit. You left because you're a goddamn whore!" 

"I didn't do it!"

"Oh please. You know I loved him!"

I bite my lip too keep from crying at her harsh words. Elise runs a hand throught her hair as she pulls into a praking space at the grocery store. 

"Let's get this over with," she snaps before getting out of the car. 

My chest aches from our fight. We used to be so close, like best friends. What the hell happened to that?

Oh right. She thinks I did something I didn't do. 

Elise's black high heels click on the sidewalk as we walk towards the electric doors.

I follow her around the store, pushing the cart like her entourage as she tosses different items into it. I sigh deeply, wishing I never even got on the plane here. 

"Go get a jar of raspeberry jam," Elise commands. "They're in the next isle over. I'm going to go and pick out some chips."

Without another word, she pulls the cart out of my grasp and walks off. 

Alone, I walk to the next isle. I skim the shelves for rasberry jam, bringing my bottom lip between my teeth in concerntration. 

I finally pull a jar of red jam off the shelf, reading the label in my hands. I hear someone walk up next to me, and I briefly look up to aknowledge the person.

My blood goes cold and I drop the jar of jam onto the floor glass shattering everywhere.