(no subject)
Jean sat in her room after Rachel left, looking around herself and trying to see her new life through another's eyes. The sparsly furnished room, the lack of personal belongings, and the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts was not a good start. No wonder the girl had seemed so worried. Standing, Jean walked into the bathroom, stripping off her clothes as she went. Flipping on the light, she stared at her reflection in the full length mirror, analyzing it as though it belonged to a stranger. Which was almost the truth. It had been so long since she'd looked in a mirror, that her reflection startled her. Her flame red hair was dull and tangled. Her skin was far too pale, and her ribs could be seen quite clearly. Dark smudges rested beneath her eyes reminding her of how little she had slept recently. No wonder Rachel had looked concerned. She looked like hell.
Turning to the bathtub, she filled it almost to the brim, as hot as she could stand it. Sliding into the water, she rested there for a moment, letting her hair float out around her, before sinking beneath the water's surface. Jean stared at the bathroom ceiling through the two feet of water abover her. There was something comfortable in this. She was quiet and empty, even if just for the moment. When her lungs began to burn, demanding fresh air, Jean finally surfaced flinging her hair out of her face and drawing in deep breaths of the steam. She felt better. Better then she had in a while. Perhaps it would be alright. She could just find something to distract her for the time being, until she found something else. Anything else.
After lingering in the water until it turned cold, Jean left the bathroom to curl up on the edge of her bed, staring out the window. She needed something new and interesting. A cause, an idea, just something different that was hers alone. Something she hadn't shared with Scott. Not for the first time she wondered if coming back to the School had been such a good idea. But she would make do. She always did. A phoenix always rises from the ashes of the bridges she's burned.
Turning to the bathtub, she filled it almost to the brim, as hot as she could stand it. Sliding into the water, she rested there for a moment, letting her hair float out around her, before sinking beneath the water's surface. Jean stared at the bathroom ceiling through the two feet of water abover her. There was something comfortable in this. She was quiet and empty, even if just for the moment. When her lungs began to burn, demanding fresh air, Jean finally surfaced flinging her hair out of her face and drawing in deep breaths of the steam. She felt better. Better then she had in a while. Perhaps it would be alright. She could just find something to distract her for the time being, until she found something else. Anything else.
After lingering in the water until it turned cold, Jean left the bathroom to curl up on the edge of her bed, staring out the window. She needed something new and interesting. A cause, an idea, just something different that was hers alone. Something she hadn't shared with Scott. Not for the first time she wondered if coming back to the School had been such a good idea. But she would make do. She always did. A phoenix always rises from the ashes of the bridges she's burned.