I'm so excited. I walk around and around the big glass counter, looking for the perfect one to get. I can't wait to see the look on Alice's face when I give it to her. My cheeks grow red just thinking about it. The sales woman walks over and smiles, "can I help you sir?" she asks and it feels weird being called "sir" like that, so different from "freak" or "emo scum", or any of the other things they called me at school.
"Uh, yeah, um, can you help me pick something out for my girlfriend for her birthday?" i ask and she leads me further down the counter, near the corner of the room. She asks about Alice, to be polite and make conversation I guess, but also to make it easier to choose.
"she loves music and writing, singing and dancing. She's got the most beautiful smile and moves with such grace. She loves the color blue, turtles, pandas, and my band My Chemical Romance. She makes some of her own clothes and they look stunning on her, well made too." I go on and on, blushing at times, chuckling at others. she opens the glass panel in front of her and pulls out a necklace.
"How about this one?" She says. It's sterling silver and has no charms on it yet. "You can add her initials, something for your band, a gem of her favorite color or her birthstone, and a turtle or a panda." we add the charms and put it in a velvety box, wrapped with ribbon and tied with a bow. "I'm sure she's going to love it. You must really love her, the way you talk about her, it shows. She's a lucky girl." She tells me as i pay and make my way out of the store. Alice is going to be so surprised.

---

When I get back to the room, Alice is curled up on the bed, tears streaming down her face. Mascara is smeared on the sheets and her hair is matted. I drop my shopping bags on my duffel bag and sit down next to her. "what is it baby? What's wrong?" I ask her and she violently shakes her head; her whole body is shaking. She sits up.
"She doesn't even miss me. Mom doesn't even care. I was right to leave! All this time I thought that this would be an eye opener for her, that it could show her just how bad that things have gotten. I thought that if I wasn't there to be her target, she'd have to rethink everything and change. She'd never start to turn on Henry; he's always been her life. He has no idea..."
She says between sobs and i pull her closer to me, wrap my arms around her and whisper, "it'll be okay. Don't you worry. It'll get better."

Notes