.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

CHAPTER FOUR

iv. holly's annoyance

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HAPPY GIGGLES FILLED THE GIRLS QUIET BEDROOM, sat on the carpeted floor with a small plastic bin filled with spools of threads and beads in it. Her fingers braided at the bracelet she had began making, her hair flopping in her eyes and causing her to scrunch up her nose in annoyance before sucking in a deep breath and blowing it away.

She was on the last one, the other three she had already made laid neatly on the side of her. This was the first time she ever made one of her bracelets, for someone. They've always been for her, to decorate her wrists and donned on her ankles. She's never given someone one of them and that's what makes it all the more exciting.

Her tiny fingers carefully making sure each and every thread is tied in perfectly, she begins to end off the bracelet - hoping that it was large enough for Bill's wrist. She wasn't sure why but it was so easy to start his friends, make Eddie's and Stan's and Richie's. But, when it came to her to creating his she couldn't seem to decide on a colour scheme, worrying he wouldn't like it or that he'd think she's odd for even making one for them.

As she was making his, she decided that she wouldn't give them straight away. She'd wait first, hang out with them for a full day at least and then, maybe, she'd give them. If that didn't work out, she'd simply just keep the bracelets for herself. It wasn't like she'd be complaining either way.

Just about done, she ties the end off. A satisfied smile on her face as the door of her bedroom is thrown open. Her head snapping up and seeing her sister, hand still on the doorknob as she stared down at her younger sister. "Do you ever stop making those?" She asks, rolling her eyes before walking into the room and plopping herself onto April's neatly made bed.

April looks up at her, the way the pillow flopped over and sheets crinkle. Scrunching up her nose she responds. "They're fun to make," She shrugs, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she begins cleaning up the mess she had made on her carpet.

Scoffing, Holly rolls her eyes once again, sitting up. "They're fun to make!" She mimics. "You don't even give them to anyone. You just hoard them in your jewelry box," She goes on, falling back into the bed exasperatedly.

Getting up the the floor, April sighs. The plastic box of her bracelet materials in her hands. She moves towards her desk, placing it down and neatly straightening it out. "All the same," She shrugs, going towards her bed and straightening the blanket which was now crooked because of Holly. "Why're you in here? To annoy me?" She presses, squinting her eyes as she tugs at her sisters foot.

Holly shakes her head. "Precisely," She responds, kicking her foot at her sisters thigh lightly.

"You'd suppose I'd be the one annoying you," April sighs, desperately wanting Holly to leave her alone already. Their relationship was odd, it wasn't that they didn't get along, per se. It was more so that... That they were just so different. Holly and her bitter pessimistic views and April with her jolly giggles and grins. They loved each other nonetheless — just like every other sibling relationship.

Shrugging, Holly sits up. "Well, Apes," She begins, using the nickname that the young girl despised. "What's your plans for the summer?" She asks.

April adjusts her feathery bangs and puckers her lips. "Friendship bracelets!" She says, a joking pout on her face as she shifts on her bed.

Holly rolls her eyes. "You're a fucking loser," She shakes her head, crawling off the bed and onto the creaking floor. "Shouldn't you of made any friends?" She goes on, slapping April's shoulder softly.

"Perhaps, I did. Perhaps, I did, Holden," April winks, putting her thumbs up in a teasing way before Holly rolls her eyes once again and stalks off to her own room.

♧

April went through the last day of school in a breeze. She ended up staying in her home room so she wasn't able to see Bill or Eddie or Stan or Richie at all today. She found herself skipping through the halls, carefully pushing passed her peers and keeping herself far from Gretta and Henry.

Sure to use the entrance barely anyone used, she listens as kids chatter and bicker through the halls. A sigh escapes her lips as she pushes the door open, leaving the school which weighed down so much of her happiness. By the time she exited, it must've been around 3:45. Fifteen minutes after school ended, the boys must be at the bike rack already, she thought to herself as she trudges through the grass field and towards the designated meeting spot Bill had told her about. 

She keeps a small smile on her face as she walks, keeping her head down too. Scared that she'd run into Gretta, getting another earful about how she had no friends or Bowers, who would just tell her she's stupid and annoying and that's why she hadn't got any. Their words were cruel and harsh and they dug into her skin. But, April Ambrose had always told herself to take things with grace. If they wanted to be terrible, it was on their conscience. If they wanted to be horrible, they simply lacked in faith. They were people April would refuse to be like. They the type of people April would never be like.

Lifting her head up and fixing her hair, she sees the boys she had planned to meet up with bunched up in a group, the Bowers gang walking off towards Belch Huggins car. 'Christ. When do they stop?' She thinks you herself, shaking her head as she stops in her tracks, hiding her face in her hair - waiting for them to drive off before hurrying towards the boys.

They were adjusting their bags and mid-conversation when April approaches, shyly and tucking her hair behind her ears. "Hey," She says, walking up behind them.

Turning back in shock from the sudden appearance, they look back to her. April smiling at them softly. "O-Oh, hey. April, w-were you waiting for us at the b-bike racks?" Bill sputters out, stumbling over his words more than usual as he hurriedly begins to straighten out his shirt and brush through his hair with his hand.

She shakes her head. "I was just heading there now. Was Bowers giving you guys trouble?" She asks, words slipping off her tongue smoothly while fiddling with the multi-coloured bracelet on her wrist.

"No-" Bill starts, shaking his head hurriedly before being cut off. Embarrassed at the thought of her knowing about all that Bowers made them entail. He wasn't sure why though. It was public knowledge that him and his friends were bullied and it wasn't like she was embarrassed of telling them what Gretta had done yesterday.

Richie leans towards her, nodding his head and completely contradicting Bill. "Fuck, yeah he was, pushed us onto the fucking ground and licked his hand then put it on Big Bill's face," He explains, laughing slightly at the comment about Bill as he nudged Eddie and Stan with his elbows.

Grimacing, Stan rolls his eyes. Eddie sighing quietly as Bill continues to shake his head. "No, t-that's not true," He says, shrugging his shoulder casually before adjusting his backpack straps and beckoning his friends to follow him towards the bike racks.

Walking in front of them, he couldn't help the way his cheeks burnt red in embarrassment at Richie's comments and reminded himself to yell at him later. In private. Not in front of April. He wasn't sure why he wanted to impress her so bad. All he knew was that he did. He wanted to be her friend - She was just so happy. So bright. She was like Sunshine. Ah, that's it! She was Sunshine. He didn't even really know her but it felt like she was his own personal Sunshine. She just seemed to brighten everything up. And, you see, to April Ambrose, Bill Denbrough was just the same.