wanted to scream, but I just walked to my bed and sunk down on the edge. My door popped open again, and I looked up at Trish with Abel behind her.
“We’re heading out. Don’t party too hard.” She laughed, and I glanced up at Abel, who winked before she pulled the door closed, and I was finally alone.
Once I heard the door to the apartment open and close, I walked to the kitchen and got a glass of wine. OK, it wasn’t a glass; it was a coffee mug, and the wine came from a box. It didn’t matter, because it did the trick either way.
I gulped it down and let the warmth spread throughout my body before I poured another and made my way to the living room. I plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. I hardly ever watched TV anymore, but the house was too quiet when Trish wasn’t here.
I settled on the news and listened to the anchor ramble on about the government until my mug was empty and my eyelids grew heavy. I struggled to hold them open, but I soon gave in, and the anchor’s face was replaced by Brock’s.
“Are you going to sleep all damn day?” Brock whispered in my ear, and I startled awake, wiping my mouth to make sure I hadn’t been drooling. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to make myself look presentable.
“Shh. You’re going to wake my roommate,” I whispered, and pointed the mountain of blankets in the bed across the room. Heather had moved in late last night, and she didn’t arrive silently. It took two of the workers to drag her in here, and they basically left me to calm her down. It took about an hour before her drugs began to wear off, and then she passed out, snoring like a chainsaw.
Brock glanced over his shoulder and smiled as his eyes met mine again. He brushed his knuckles lightly over my cheek, and I knew my skin blushed red under his touch. “You’re beautiful when you wake up.”
“Hardly.” I pulled my covers off my legs and stepped out of bed. The tile was cold under my feet, and I looked around for my shoes.
“What is it?” he asked, as my eyes scanned the other side of the room. I held my finger to my lips and tiptoed to my new roommate’s side, searching around her bed. I crouched and ran my hand under the bedframe. When my fingers landed on my old sneakers, I grinned as I pulled them out and held them up for Brock to see.
“She seems like she’s going to be fun,” he joked, as I walked toward him and dropped my shoes on the floor. I grabbed his arm to steady myself as I slipped my feet into each one. “You want to get back at her? I could piss on her clothes.”
I laughed a little too loudly. “You’d do that?”
“If it made you feel better, I would.”
“Well, it doesn’t. Boys are so gross.” I let go of his arm and walked to the door, stopping to look back at Brock, who was eyeing the mass of blankets that hid my new roomie. “Come on.”
He shook his head and followed me into the hallway. “You can’t just let her get away with stealing your shoes, Bird. She’ll think you’re weak, and it’ll only get worse.”
“I know. I’ll talk to her about it when she gets up.”
“Yeah, talking will solve the problem.”
“What do you suggest I do?” I stopped and turned to face him, frustrated that even in a place like this I was dealing with bullies. Brock reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear, his expression softening.
“Nothing. You’re a good person, Lie. Don’t ever change that.”
I turned and continued toward the front room, where everyone was waiting to be taken downstairs for breakfast. Brock and I leaned against the back of the couch near the end of the line. Robert, a gangly redhead, leaned next to Brock, his freckled arms folded over his chest as he talked to another boy in front of him.
“He looked like he’d been hit by a fuckin’ truck.” Robert laughed as he replied to the other boy and nudged Brock with his elbow. Brock’s jaw clenched, and he shook his head slightly but
“We’re heading out. Don’t party too hard.” She laughed, and I glanced up at Abel, who winked before she pulled the door closed, and I was finally alone.
Once I heard the door to the apartment open and close, I walked to the kitchen and got a glass of wine. OK, it wasn’t a glass; it was a coffee mug, and the wine came from a box. It didn’t matter, because it did the trick either way.
I gulped it down and let the warmth spread throughout my body before I poured another and made my way to the living room. I plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. I hardly ever watched TV anymore, but the house was too quiet when Trish wasn’t here.
I settled on the news and listened to the anchor ramble on about the government until my mug was empty and my eyelids grew heavy. I struggled to hold them open, but I soon gave in, and the anchor’s face was replaced by Brock’s.
“Are you going to sleep all damn day?” Brock whispered in my ear, and I startled awake, wiping my mouth to make sure I hadn’t been drooling. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to make myself look presentable.
“Shh. You’re going to wake my roommate,” I whispered, and pointed the mountain of blankets in the bed across the room. Heather had moved in late last night, and she didn’t arrive silently. It took two of the workers to drag her in here, and they basically left me to calm her down. It took about an hour before her drugs began to wear off, and then she passed out, snoring like a chainsaw.
Brock glanced over his shoulder and smiled as his eyes met mine again. He brushed his knuckles lightly over my cheek, and I knew my skin blushed red under his touch. “You’re beautiful when you wake up.”
“Hardly.” I pulled my covers off my legs and stepped out of bed. The tile was cold under my feet, and I looked around for my shoes.
“What is it?” he asked, as my eyes scanned the other side of the room. I held my finger to my lips and tiptoed to my new roommate’s side, searching around her bed. I crouched and ran my hand under the bedframe. When my fingers landed on my old sneakers, I grinned as I pulled them out and held them up for Brock to see.
“She seems like she’s going to be fun,” he joked, as I walked toward him and dropped my shoes on the floor. I grabbed his arm to steady myself as I slipped my feet into each one. “You want to get back at her? I could piss on her clothes.”
I laughed a little too loudly. “You’d do that?”
“If it made you feel better, I would.”
“Well, it doesn’t. Boys are so gross.” I let go of his arm and walked to the door, stopping to look back at Brock, who was eyeing the mass of blankets that hid my new roomie. “Come on.”
He shook his head and followed me into the hallway. “You can’t just let her get away with stealing your shoes, Bird. She’ll think you’re weak, and it’ll only get worse.”
“I know. I’ll talk to her about it when she gets up.”
“Yeah, talking will solve the problem.”
“What do you suggest I do?” I stopped and turned to face him, frustrated that even in a place like this I was dealing with bullies. Brock reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear, his expression softening.
“Nothing. You’re a good person, Lie. Don’t ever change that.”
I turned and continued toward the front room, where everyone was waiting to be taken downstairs for breakfast. Brock and I leaned against the back of the couch near the end of the line. Robert, a gangly redhead, leaned next to Brock, his freckled arms folded over his chest as he talked to another boy in front of him.
“He looked like he’d been hit by a fuckin’ truck.” Robert laughed as he replied to the other boy and nudged Brock with his elbow. Brock’s jaw clenched, and he shook his head slightly but
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