Sunset sat stiffly on her kitchen stool carefully sipping hot coffee and sighed a tired sigh. With an arm heavily bandaged and the constant throb in her head, everything in her body ran slower than she would have liked. Doing small mundane things like making coffee took its toll. She sighed again after taking one last gulp of the beverage and set the cup down. Her weak hands flexed to ease the trembling muscles.
Sunset had woken up curled under a blanket on the couch that morning, and had the worst experience in her life. She felt like she had been hit by a train multiple times and left on the tracks. She was physically and mentally exhausted. At first, Sunset didn't remember falling asleep on the couch. She had been in bed before then. But as the memories of last night came back she felt herself stuck in a predicament she didn't want to be in. She had told someone things she never wanted to tell anyone, because speaking about it only brought back horrible memories. And the worst part about it is that she told herself.
She groaned quietly and glanced at her phone on the counter. So far, there were no texts from anyone. She had kind of expected a message to pop up from Shimmer about last night, but surprisingly there was nothing. Maybe she had scared her away. Sunset chuckled and shakily raised her mug to her lips, but as she swallowed the coffee and strained to put it back down, she paused. Something about that thought made her frown. She really hoped she hadn't. As much as she hated to admit, it was tiring being alone and there wasn't much she could get done in her current condition.
Carefully sliding off the stool, Sunset walked over to the couch and sat down slowly. Running a hand over her neck, she worked out the knot at the nape and messaged the sore skin. Sunset grimaced and cursed her bad fortune. She knew she had taken some damage, but this was painful. She growled in irritation. Performing normal activities put a lot of strain on her body. This wasn't exactly how she wanted to spend her Spring Break. For the good part of a week or so, she was doomed to lay around her apartment with nothing to do or anyone to talk to. Sunset sighed. It wasn't like she had plans in the first place, it was just the fact that the freedom she had to change her mind and go out on the fly was no longer an option. Something about losing freedom made her feel even worse.
"Dammit! If only I had my magic..." Sunset hissed as she rubbed a particularly sore area and gave up. "Stupid humans and their non-magical world!"
Bzzz! Bzzz!
Sunset glared at the phone that hummed on the counter. She watched it rattle on the laminate surface, moving away from its original spot slowly.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
She groaned. Sunset had just sat down and everything... Begrudgingly, she got up, waddled over to the counter, and snatched her phone up.
"What do you want?" she grumbled.
A familiar voice answered her back,"I call to check up on you and this is how you answer me?" 'What do you want?'"
Sunset rolled her eyes and snorted, "Oh hey, Shimmer."
"Don't you 'oh hey' me. Do you even check the caller ID before you pick up?"
Sunset smiled. Shimmer was so sassy. "Eh, maybe. Maybe not. What're you calling about?"
There was a pause on the other end. Sunset's smile quickly disappeared as she waited for her response. She crossed her fingers in hope that she wouldn't recall the events from the night before. Showing vulnerability to others was not something she was ok with. There was no way she would ever speak of it.
"Um, hey, Sunset? About las--"
"NO."
"...What?"
"No. Let's not talk about that..." Sunset sighed heavily. Crossing your fingers never worked, anyway.
"...Well, ok...I'll be dropping by afterschool so, um...Just so you know," Shimmer ended awkwardly.
"Alright."
"...bye..."
Sunset listened to the soft white noise of her phone as Shimmer hesitated. Of course. She should have expected this. All the silly pauses and hesitant speech. Her tragic backstory has scared her away. Sunset waited a few seconds before biting her lip. She could hear the chatter of teens on the other end of the call and the familiar click of heels, but Shimmer was still on the other end saying nothing. Maybe Shimmer was waiting for her to say something that could break the sudden awkwardness or maybe she herself was thinking of something to say. Either way, it looked like it consequentially became a guessing game of who'll hang up first.
"Hey, Shimmer...I just want to say..." Sunset let out a tired sigh before she continued. "Thank you...I know you're worried but I'll be fine over break. You don't have to come over. Road rash and a few cuts isn't a big deal."
"But your head!" Shimmer shouted suddenly. Startled, Sunset moved the phone from her ear. Her doppleganger paused before clearing her throat, no doubt embarrassed by the outburst.
"Your head," she said more evenly," When we fell, you hit your head. There was blood."
"I'm not bleeding now so--"
"B-But what if it starts again? Then you'd need someone to check on you."
"I don't think it's going to randomly decide to gush red just to spite me, Shimmer. Really, I'll be fine."
"No...I'm coming to see you afterschool. Now rest. Don't do anything stupid." And with that she hung up.
Sunset frowned at her phone. That Shimmer. One moment she was herself, the next awkward and timid, and finally she became a motherly figure. She shook her head. Only to grimace from the resulting lightheadedness and feeling of nausea. Her doppleganger must have some kind of personality disorder.
Sunset turned toward the hall and slowly made her way to her room. She got under the covers of her bed and placed a hand over her pounding forehead. Shimmer was right about needing rest. Sleeping on the couch wasn't exactly very comfortable and left her feeling more battered than she should have felt. Sunset rolled on her side and wrapped herself in a cocoon of blankets. Within a matter of minutes, Sunset felt her eyelids lower, heavy with the need for sleep. As she slipped into a deep slumber, a small smile crossed her lips.
That girl...what would I do without her?