Author Topic: ``Theres Only Yourself To Blame`` (Read 1,246 times)
aleeca
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 5, 2009 12:53:41 GMT -6 » 		Quote
((So there is no confusion this takes place right after Here Pussy, Pussy... and before anything else))


It had been a long night, and an even longer morning. By the time someone had found Aleece and actually cut her loose she had been passed out solid, practically dead to the world. She didn't know who had found her exactly but she had the distinct impression it had in fact been security like JT had promised. There hadn't been a thing on her to identify her, not even her phone - not thinking she would actually need it.

She had regained consciousness around the time they were pulling her into the ambulance, her focus hazy at best unable to really see anything past the blare of flashing red lights, or the oxygen mask securely on her face. Hell she couldn't even move, but she wasn't cold, that much she could grasp a hold of enough to understand - underneath the scratchy reused wool mix standard emergency blanket, she didn't even put up a fight.

Aleece was much to tired for that. She had been faintly aware of the racket the scene had caused, not sure what time of day but just knowing that the wail of sirens would have drawn a curious crowd. She had been given the immediate care at Sharp Chula Vista Hospital and through the pain relievers she was only somewhat aware of feeling humiliated by it - the fact that they had explained (or attempted to) that the doctors and attending would be using a rape kit, since it was obvious.

She hadn't been able to choke out that it would be relatively useless since she did remember JT had used protection. Just the thought made her skin crawl. At least she could be grateful for something out of the whole thing - she wasn't going to come down with anything that stray had. Now left alone after the police and following campus security had left, frustrated at her refusal to talk, she picked at the tape on her hand that secured the butterfly needle to the vain there, which fed her the required bag of liquids.

Her head was still buzzing from the med even if she was still aching, it was all numb in comparison to what it had been. Aleece itched to remove the I.V. and crawl in the shower - the cleaning down (nothing short of a sponge bath) had done nothing for her - she wanted hot water and soap. Preferably her bed her own bed...and it hadn't taken much to change her emergency contacts long before now - the last thing she wanted was her parents to pull her out.

Despite any of that, she was quite content to sit...and just sit there to do nothing. Not think, not eat the food that had been brought in (with the instructions to eat when she felt she could) and not say a word. Instead she was more then okay with concentrating on the way her head swam, the itch on her face, near her lip, from the liquid stitch...and not much more. Her face she knew had some bruising (and swelling) and that it was probably a nice deep rich red in areas...that there had been some other damage - but she didn't let herself go there. Aleece really didn't think she could at the moment.

« Last Edit: Oct 5, 2009 14:27:24 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 5, 2009 15:02:56 GMT -6 » 		Quote
When he had insisted that Aleece make his number an emergency contact t he had been worried about it's use. Of course that worry dissipated over the course of busy days, but when his cell rang and the voice on the other end of the line informed him that he should come to the local hospital it summoned up that apprehension all over again, with an increased strength to convince him that his idea of driving was going to be dangerous.

Of course that thought came to him only after he hot wired a motorcycle someone left unattended in front of the dorms, and in the shadows his fingers wrapped around the handles tightly as the engined ripped at the air as it was kicked into action.

Breaking several common roadway laws he drove the bike hard toward the hospital, blowing through red lights and weaving through traffic at speeds that not many would be comfortable with off the highway.

Not even thinking of how he would make it back to campus Ari cleaned and ditched the bike in a dark corner of the parking lot and jogged toward the main entrance. The main doors slid open automatically, opening him up to the reception area. After a brief confirmation that he was the one who had been contacted he was given the room number and sent on his way.

From there he began to take in his surroundings, sterile halls, too quiet rooms, quiet churning and beeping of medical machines. The depressed air of the hospital got no better when he found the right room number.

It felt very out of character, but for some reason he couldn't seem to move himself as decisively now that he was at the door. What would he say? How would he say it? One of the things he felt like he should ask what happened, maybe lecture her for being naive, or try and comfort her. None of it sounded quite right as he ran it through his mind.

The door opened before he realized his hand touched the handle. The room felt oppressive, and the weight of his inexperience pressed down on him. He had been trained for so many situations, but once again he was running headlong into something he had no idea how to handle.

Ari closed the door and strode forward, moving to the ugly green chair that was positioned to face the bed. He side stepped it, stood to the side of the bed, and stepped back toward the chair. His knees bent and he set himself down, his elbows on his knees, at a complete loss as he looked on toward the bed that held Aleece, his outward appearance ever the rock of neutrality.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 5, 2009 15:03:28 GMT -6 » 		Quote
((OOC: If this isn't okay and I messed up any plans, let me know so I can modify/delete as necessary, eh?))

[...earlier]

Dagny wasn't there when it happened to know who did what, but she was around later that morning. She was walking her white German Shepherd, Riesling, at the time when it was still dark out and she didn't need anything covering her eyes to hide her identity. It was her dog who found Aleece tied to a tree and when Dagny saw the scene before her, she brought a hand to her face out of shock and didn't utter a sound. All this gave a sick sense of deja vu... It reminded her of when Keith Richards drugged her, assaulted her, kidnapped her, and almost raped her before a lot of creepy stalking happened afterwards in San Francisco. While Valencia was “lucky”, the same couldn't be said for Aleece and it was very apparent. A bunch of questions came up in Dagny's mind... Most of which drawing from her own experiences.

Did she fight back? Was she able to? God, I fought back as though it'd be the last thing I'd do, but I still got kidnapped and stuff... Being drugged and all... Was this done by a stranger? Or someone she knows...? It was stranger for me... I wonder what'll happen to her... Only the sharp folks figured out all that happened to me... But that's because both of us covered our tracks...

Riesling growled impatiently. Dagny knew she had to do something... But she had to be careful too. She didn't want to be involved in a way that'd draw attention to her existence.

If I mess with the crime scene, I'd be leaving more traces of me behind than I need...

So she called for help and made herself scarce to avoid further questioning.

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aleeca
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 5, 2009 15:48:48 GMT -6 » 		Quote
((Ooc - naw Dagny its fine =3 I liked it ^_^))


Pale, baby poop green stripped wall paper on the walls. Cheap, inexpensive white blinds framed by even cheaper thick off white burlap material, on the windows. A barely in focus T.V with the basic of basic cable mounted on a stand in the corner, stuck on the local news. The smell of greasy, ill prepared hospital food, with no salt, filled the room.

These were all the things that manged to catch her attention. There was a clock in her line of sight on the opposite wall, the white face gleaning as two black hands moved at turtle pace. The thin red needle counted the seconds - ticking by, gradually lulling into minutes and painstakingly making their way into hours, Aleece sat - becoming restless with each audible tick. She knew that the doctors would be keeping her here over night, they had made that all to clear when she had asked to leave.

Despite herself, she had jerked at the sound of the door sliding open. The muffled noise of the door scrapping along the floor grinding on her ears, like nails to a black board, but it gave her something else to focus on besides the horrible wall paper, or the news man that prattled on about the sunny weather for the upcoming week. She wanted to be surprised that it was Ari who walked through that door, they hadn't spoken in some time, after all, but she realized that it was him that she had changed her emergency contact to on his insistence.

She had thought it had been him acting pretty paranoid at first, making the request that led her to make the choice to just take her family out of the contact data base completely thanks to a bit of hacking, but now...

Swallowing, thickly - dryly, feeling the distinct signs of cotton mouth she watched him close the door behind him before walking over to the bed. The air was heavy like he was looking at someone that had just lost their entire family in some freak accident or something then suddenly was condemned to death. You know those people you just can't help but feel sorry for...

Having been sitting up it was easy to let her eyes follow his form, familiar despite not seeing him, she was at a loss as to what to say now that she was faced with his unwavering expression - the one that didn't give away much. Quite familiar with that look she thought she might have misread his posture as he had come in and she blinked away some of the haze clouding her vision.

"Hey..." she said, not surprised to find that the one word had come out airy, dry and cracked as if the sound needed water to not sound so...pathetic. Aleece didn't attempt at a smile because she didn't feel like cracking one, like she was fine, it was more then apparent that just wasn't the case...

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 6, 2009 13:18:49 GMT -6 » 		Quote
OOC: Ari will likely pay you a visit at some point, or maybe she will come to check up on Aleece? Either way, he'll have a thing or two to ask if you're up for it.

Ari had a built in reflex, a face that betrayed nothing. It had been meant to be a useful tool against enemies it also made an effective shield. What he couldn't decide is if he was shielding himself from her, or the other way around.

Turning his head slightly he noticed a small clear plastic cup, that had slim ice cubes in a slight amount of water at the bottom of the cup. He reached out and grasped the cup, and the other took the spoon that sat in it, and pulled out one of the ice cubes. It was something they did for people who would have trouble swallowing, luckily he wasn't thinking that deeply into it's presence.

Ari held out the spoon toward her, his gray eyes as cold and distant as the ice he was offering. But behind them emotions smoldered as he attempted to make his mind function to such an extent that he could formulate a sentence that wouldn't send Aleece to the corner in a fetal position.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 6, 2009 20:22:19 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Aleece felt a curious stab as she watched the guy now sitting with her, which just happened to be a private room since they had the space to stick her in here. However the longer the silence stretched on the more antsy she got wanting to fidget, shift in her spot...something to dispel the anxious energy suddenly welling up. It was probably all in her head, the compressing of the air around her...suddenly not wanting to share her space at all, with anyone.

The muscle around her eye throbbed, twitching almost uncontrollably as she concentrated her stare on Ari's knee rather then looking at him. Maybe if she had been meeting his gaze she would have seen that he was struggling with what to do what to do at the moment just like her. But she wasn't so she couldn't say she saw that particularly. The smell of the, by now, cold lunch turned her stomach and she lifted a hand, pressing her fingers into the spazzing muscle by lightly massaging it briefly.

Her head was starting to pound again, courtesy of the up close and personal contact she had, had when she was tackled to the ground. Aleece closed her eyes wearily and let the tips of her fingers trail down away from her face, but the sound of pleather creaking caught her attention in the relatively quiet room, despite the T.V. chattering away like white noise. Her eyes cut to the side and saw Ari holding out the spoon with the ice in it, but she didn't make a move to take the offer.

She could tell, now that she was looking at him, that he looked like he wanted to say something despite the cool facade. Here was the guy that had been her first, and not just her second either...and she couldn't find a word to say or the will to move any closer. There was a level of trust between the two because of it, and despite having that barrier there platonic or any other wise - she couldn't find it in her be bitter about it. He was still a puzzle she would like to pick apart - frustrating and intriguing all at the same time, but he had always wanted something but couldn't give back. Where ever that line of thought was going, Aleece didn't know...so...

With a sigh she drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them from under the linen sheets and knitted throw. There was the crinkle of the plastic of the mattress under her slight weight as she did, but she ignored it as she turned her head to the other side, closing her eyes again. "Spill it..." she breathed out, hushed wanting to know what was on his mind. Aleece figured it would probably come out blunt, but carefully thought about...that's normally how it went after all.



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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 7, 2009 8:00:31 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Well it turned out that she didn't want to help her throat, the dry cracked tone was going to be ignored. She looked everywhere int he room except at him, or more precisely, saved him for last. Her gaze added to the weight on his chest, and spurred on further chaos within his own mind and soul. The desire to comfort, the desire to question, and the burning ache to tear away the man that could inflict this insidious act on her piece by piece until there was nothing but a quivering mass of organs.

Ari turned and dropped the spoon back into the cup and leaned back in the chair, his body so stiff that someone could be tricked into thinking that the creaking of the chair was actually his bones protesting against the closeness of his muscles.

Through all the mass of questions, desires, and the seething undercurrent of righteous anger he could only think of a single sentence to utter. Ari cleared his throat, it was tight, the weight from his chest urged him to keep his mouth shut and save the precious air that was barely squeezed into his pained lungs. His voice was tight and crisp, emotion leaking through the cracks in his shield that she had worked so hard to form.

"I'll be whatever you need."

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aleeca
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 8, 2009 9:52:47 GMT -6 » 		Quote
With her head turned away from Ari, it was easy to hide a cringe at his words. Whatever she had been expecting out of his mouth it hadn't been quite that; a lie had been prepared on her tongue before he ever even spoke - half expecting him to demand who it had been.

"Remember Aleece, this is our lil secret. Tell on me chica, and next time..."

Turning her face into her knees she seemed curl up even more, hunching her shoulders even more as her arms tightened. She felt her throat burn and close off almost instantly, her face heating up as her breath turned somewhat shallow as she tried push it all off. Aleece didn't need him to be anything to her at the moment...what she needed was a damn shower and to be out of here.

She needed time to think - suddenly feeling the almost unbearable crush of everything bearing down on her. Suffocating. Sucking a breath, audible like a hitch in her breath Aleece picked up her head from her knees shaking it as she turned, tugging her legs over the side of the hospital bed. However, her somewhat hasty movements caused her legs to tangle in the blanket…and all she could do was grow more and more frustrated, at herself, at the stupid blanket…

Aleece had read once that there were several stages of dealing with trauma: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance she figured she was just about at the point of anger – having skipped over denial all together – knowing it had happened. Pausing, she took a deep breath, her back turned to Ari and her throat still feeling pin needle thin, she knew her eyes were stressed red and glossy. With a cough and a sigh she tried to relieve the ache in her throat and before she was even sure she could pull herself together she pushed the blankets away from her with a little more self-control in slow deliberate movements.

The noticeable shake in her fingers giving her away nonetheless. Aleece sat on the edge of the bed for a moment longer, her head ducked duck that tremble in her fingers not just staying in her hands, seemingly working its way up to her arms and sit in her stomach. It made her nauseous all over again. There was the impulsive urge to just remove the I.V from her hand herself since she had taken to scratching idly at the tape again but she left it.

If anything Aleece prided herself on being steadfast, a person of relatively strong convictions even if she didn’t share them – she usually found a solution and answer by herself. But nothing had prepared her for this. Rolling her eyes up she closed them and swallowed heavily again, planting a hand beside her hip and looking to the side, unfocused really as she spoke.

“No one knows about this right? I mean other then you…”

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 8, 2009 11:16:31 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari was increasingly feeling as though he had invaded some sort of personal space that he shouldn't have. That annoying 'bubble' people claim is a persons comfort space, invade it and you make them uncomfortable, about a foot or so around them, that bubble. It felt as though around Aleece it had expanded several yards, and that she was retreating from him to escape his presence and redefine her comfort zone.

For a pair who had been intimate it was a bucket of ice water poured into the inside of his skull, left to drip down one link of his spine after another. The sensation being useless to someone he cared about, while they were in such unimaginable pain, was enough to make the inexpressive teenager to lock his fingers and squeeze them together until they felt numb from lack of blood flow.

"Campus security reported finding you, police and an ambulance were called. No one knew who you were until you got to the hospital, only staff knows, they have a confidentiality clause. There is only three people who know. You, myself, and..." Ari let his voice drift off as his teeth locked together and ground.

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« Oct 8, 2009 18:54:55 GMT -6 » 		Quote
At the sound of his crisp, but low voice filling the uneasy silence that had gapped even wider between them, grown thicker she felt something loosen a bit. If there was one thing she could trust about Ari it was his straight forward nature…most of the time. Nodding slowly she decided to completely disregard the tail end of his comment, JT’s threat still pounding a silent reminder in her head. She wasn’t giving up anything in that regards, not to Ari…not to anyone. Even if she didn’t know his name she had his face probably permanently sketched in her head…and if that wasn’t good enough he was on her laptop – from when she recorded him beating the crap out of that cop...

Password protected and unreachable - except only to her.

Flicking her eyes over, out of the corner of her dark brown eyes she caught sight of Ari’s leg, his arm – saw that his hands were folded tightly in front him. Straightening her head she looked back down at the titled floor in front of her, the faux marble pattern in the same tacky coloring that matched the rest of the room in even little measured out squares. When she spoke it again was out of the blue, her thoughts jumping randomly from one point to another.

“Can you bring me some things? A change of clothes, and my laptop?” She didn’t bother telling him the door had probably been locked by her room mate or ask him if he could even get in there…Ari had proven a few times in the past to be able to do just that. “I have a duffel under my bed and my laptop case should be…”

For a minute she scrambled to try and remember like it had been to long since she had seen it, but really it had been less then twelve hours ago. “Um…its next to my dresser.” She finally pulled the information out of the muddle mess swimming around between her ears. She needed something to keep her busy through the night because she doubted that she would get to be able to sleep unless they gave her something to knock her out. She didn’t have anything to wear tomorrow when she would be discharged and while that could wait she was going to get clean as soon as she could one way or another. Her skin was still crawling and her muscles crimped as the edge of her meds wore off…she needed a long hot soak so bad.

“Also,” she breathed out, withering a bit unable to fight the fact she was tired, physically or otherwise. “My phone is on my desk, and in the top drawer there is a disk, its not labeled just in a clear case…can you grab that as well?”

Her voice was still scratchy, still hushed and probably conveying everything on her mind in just the tone. Aleece knew she was a pretty easy book to read.

« Last Edit: Oct 9, 2009 18:12:18 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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« Oct 11, 2009 14:08:56 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari raised his brow slightly as the thing she asked of him wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. But he didn't really know what he expected from the start. Instead of questioning it he started a mental checklist of the things she was asking him to bring back.

Making the checklist didn't distract him from reading the undercurrents of her words. She was distracting him from asking favors, getting rid of him without flat out telling him flat out. It was somewhat disheartening, but he couldn't bring himself to voice his disappointment.

"I'll go pick it up."

Ari pushed his hands into his knees, pushing himself to stand. He only gave her a moment or two to stop him before he left, and did not leave parting words for her. Once in the hall he went to the nurses desk, tapping on the counter to get their attention. After asking what meds she was being put on he suggested that they help her get some rest, as he was worried she wouldn't do well without him around.

Afterword he would go about getting her the things she asked for.

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« Oct 12, 2009 17:47:52 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Aleece kept her eyes drawn to the floor, she didn't move at the sound of him agreeing to get the things she had asked for. She knew he got the hint even if she wasn't being direct about it, everything in her posture, and tone (when she spoke) screamed wanting to be left alone for a while. Not even the sound of the chair creaking as he relieved his weight from it drew her attention - and those couple of minutes that yawned between them seemed stretched unnecessarily long before he decided to finally leave all together.

In true typical Ari fashion he didn't say anything on the way out, not that it offended her, quite the opposite actually. Anything he would have had to say would have seemed rather empty at this point, to her at least - so she was glad for him just leaving like he did. She was grateful that he had shown up and was willing to humor her for a bit...she just wasn't ready to talk about it (and probably wouldn't be for a while)...so she hoped that he wouldn't think to much of her current attitude.

Shifting finally, after a few more minutes of not moving after he'd left, Aleece worked her way back onto the bed - pushing the covers away from her with her feet slowly in sluggish movements before settling back. From the slightly inclined position she was in it was it was easy to get comfortable, turned slightly to her side and her head lulled away from the door toward the window in her room.

The light that filtered in between the stark white blinds illuminated dust particles, causing them to disappear and reappear as they floated in mindless patterns. Aleece wasn't sure how long she sat there, but having no relative concept of time right then it hardly felt like any time at all before her door opened again. An attending nurse came in, clucking about something - nattering on about the still full tray of unappealing food left before moving onto some other small talk as she checked her vitals.

Politics it seemed was considered small talk for the moment - current events, all of which couldn't seem to disinterest Aleece more. She turned her head though to focus on the short somewhat portly woman with the black square bob hair cut, decked out in light pink scrubs with patch work heart patterns running amok on the fabric. She was also sure that there was some fuzzy gray and white cartoon bunnies, cutely holding on or peeking out from behind them.

Dolores, her name tag read.

Almost transfixed, she stared, when she woman turned her back to Aleece bending over to fiddle with something on one of the machines she was currently hooked up to. The material seem to stress as she shifted, the ill fitted outfit making the pressed pattern move as she did and she had to force herself to blink and look away before she could embarrass herself or Dolores.

"Now we'll be adding a benzodiazepine drip to your IV," Dolores said in a way that suggested she was attempting to dumb it down for Aleece and using a contraction of the words we, and will made it sound like those fuzzy bunnies were real. Even if she didn't know what that drug was it was easy to pick out that it was going to make her feel good...or well enough to sleep more then likely. She was sure that the nurse was trying to explain more now what the drug did, but all she caught was the instructions to count backwards from twenty.

Aleece had no problem starting off, but somewhere around eleven...or was it eight, she felt her eyes getting heavier then they were before, the pain reliever, sleeping aid, what ever slinking its way through her system fairly quickly. Before she could remember reaching one she was out like a light. Pitch black miasma weighed thickly on her senses, blotting out everything quicker then she wanted it too.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 16, 2009 17:46:13 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari had left cautiously, now that people knew his face and a select few even had the contact name he had put down. If someone could connect his face with a name there would be a significant increase in the likelihood of being caught if he took any vehicle but the one he showed up on. But he wouldn't be able to bring it back safely.

If he had a better grip on his emotions he would've been able to think up something clever for when he came back, likely in a yellow cab, but for the moment he felt as though he was going to have a hard enough time picking a lock, let alone think up some complex lie that wasn't built into his muscle memory.

When he left the main entrance and slipped into the shadows he felt more comfortable, no longer feeling eyes on him. People were still cautious in such densely populated places, which is why he usually would wear a hooded sweatshirt so he could avoid the untrained eyes. But it wouldn't do him much good on a bike anyway, so all the better until he headed back from the school.

Slinging his legs over the bike he heard a faint click from behind him. It stopped him cold, the instinctual fear of being caught sending a chill to prickle his skin. While he reached down to turn on the bike he turned his cold eyes to the left, attempting to see if he could catch the source of the noise from the mirror.

What he saw was less then encouraging, it was a security officer. He could tell because the black of the .38 special glowed orange for a moment while the man lit a cigarette. Before he would notice that there was no key in the ignition Ari pushed the toes of his boots into the ground and rolled it backward and angled the wheel appropriately, blocking the man's view long enough that he could kick the bike to life again.

Ari ripped out of the parking lot fifteen miles an hour faster then he should have, slipping into traffic a little too closely, wanting to get back as soon as possible. Although that was going to happen only after he sneaked into the girls dorm, unlocked her door or convince Kira to let him in, and then gather up a bunch of crap that was a simple excuse to get rid of him.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 18, 2009 20:09:01 GMT -6 » 		Quote
It was hard to pull herself out of a drug filled sleep - the heavy, stuffy sensation it left on her senses making her struggle somewhat to even open her eyes. It made her want to instantly give up when she felt herself being lulled from the confines of nothing, naturally from the unnatural slumber. If it had been Aleece's choice she wouldn't have even gone to sleep at all so it made her even more drowsy, and somewhat sick to her stomach to have to go through the process of waking.

She had a slight chill that seemed to cause an unshakable tremble deep in her muscles almost like they were in her bones, and she knew it was from the rather strong pain reliever/sleeping aid. The further out of sleep she got and closer to being able to open her eyes proper - the more she felt like she was going to shiver right out of her own skin. Despite the blanket and sheet around her she was down right cold. Her teeth were chattering, literally and her eyes parted hesitantly as her head lulled to the side.

The next thing she noticed was her throat and mouth were bone dry, making even swallowing hard, that her head was pounding, and her shoulder twinged - be it from the fall she had taken or the fact she had more then likely been in the same position for God only knew. Her whole body was stiff and sore, causing her to moan quietly...somewhat scratchy. Shutting her eyes again, not able to keep them open, Aleece stilled, not wanting to move again as she tried to brush off the unwanted side affects of the medicine.

She could feel her face completely now, swollen and aching; the pain low in her abdomen causing her jaw to clench and a hiss to leave between her dry lips. Frustrated tears sprang instantly to her closed eyes and she sucked in a deep breath to keep the crushing emotions at bay. Aleece didn't want to think about that right now, and if at all possible not for awhile, not until she got her head screwed back on right.

It took a few minutes to get the feeling to pass - the completely and utterly helpless position she found herself in - before she opened her eyes again her hands moving up underneath the blanket to pull it around her even more. Her washed out features made the dark circles under her eyes stand out even more and it was then she noticed that the light that had been spilling into her room from the window was now gone, the curtains drawn, cutting off the view entirely. Now, low florescent lighting flooded the space of the hospital room, the T.V. had been cut off leaving the screen black and the room...noiseless, save from the sound of the machine off to her right, beeping softly.

It was night time, and it seemed because she she had been asleep that dinner had been passed right over her. Which was fine with her. The smell of the greasy unappealing food didn't clog her nose or turn her stomach, agitating it anymore then it already was. Last but most importantly she was almost embarrassed to find that she really...really needed to use the bathroom. But she was going to be damned if she was going to call on Dolores with her busy printed scrubs, again.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 19, 2009 23:01:37 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari didn't have much trouble ditching the bike back in it's original place, leaving it with only a half gallon of gas gone to show it had left. Knowing he had plenty of time seemed to do nothing to slow his hurried pace. He was uneasy leaving Aleece by herself at the moment, and he only left to respect her wishes.

He jogged, with a restrained haste, to the dorms. This night he didn't need to hide his presence. If anyone questioned him he could simply tell the truth, as much of it as he was comfortable with. But only one person saw him, ando nly for a moment, and he was not questioned or stopped.

Wasting no time he tapped lightly on the door, curious if he could rouse the woman on the other side. It didn't seem to make it, and so he made use of his skills to enter the locked room. It wasn't something that was absurdly difficult, but he slipped into the room a little too slowly for his comfort. However once inside it was easy enough to find the items requested, and packed them away in a gym bag that would make carrying them back all the easier.

Slinging the bag carefully over his back he set to the long task of marching back to the hospital, expecting that he would need to spend the cash in his pocket on the cab fare to bring Aleece back to her home away from home.

It took him some time to make his way home, but it gave her time to rest without his presence as well as enough time to reset his expectations. No longer could he attempt to woo her carelessly into a relationship. Nor could he allow himself to be too flippant with his temper, he did not want to frighten her away from him while she was in such a state.

But even when he put the bag to the side of the bed and sat down in the ugly chair to the side of the bed Ari was an empty shell of questions and anger, bottled inside a case of flesh that had a breaking point that needed only the proper outside stimulus to summon the raw emotion.

This was likely why he was so sensitive to how uncomfortable Aleece looked as she slowly came out of her drug educed sleep, some hours later. His own eyes were dark and his brow low, tired from watching over the room for much of the night. There was still a few hours until dawn, and he had hoped she would've slept past morning. Preferably dreamless.

"Need something?" He asked with careful tone, certain he would startle her as she had not yet noticed his form in the dark, even if he was close enough to reach out and touch her. Something he had a surprising urge to do, as he had not yet so much as embraced her in some time.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 20, 2009 7:56:46 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Like a straining rubber band under too much pressure Aleece sort of snapped at the sound of Ari's voice - jerking slightly at the unexpected sound. While it was familiar, the low timber, the fact was that she hadn't realized how late it was, the fact that he had gone and come back - the darkness giving her no clue of the time. Her heart seemed to patter in an unhealthy rhythm for a moment before settling down but slight scare was done, weaving the short burst of adrenaline through her muscles and making her give a tired sigh that she almost choked on.

Over her physical discomfort at the moment she was distinctively aware that she really didn't want to be in the dark, but her lips on that particular matter were sealed shut. She...had never been scared of the dark and she wasn't going to let this incident put such a noticeable crimp in her personality. Things were definitely different at this point so she didn't want to give way to more change...

Aleece realized quickly that Ari had asked her a question and her mind was drawn back to the fact her bladder felt like it was going to explode. "Bathroom," she managed to murmur out as she struggled to sit up noticing that her bed had been lowered to lay flat, making the movement that much more awkward and difficult. She seemed to struggle with the blanket, the I.V, and getting her limbs to cooperate with her.

She wondered, not for the first time if the damn intravenous line was all that necessary at this point. It hardly seemed so because her hand was sore and probably bruised from the needle being wiggled around in her vein, and when she looked over to where the small rubber tube ended, the bag hooked onto the stand beside her bed she noticed the thing was empty.

Aleece was starting to get frustrated all over again by the time she sat up properly but she did manage, sort of regretting moving now, but damn...she really had to pee. "Miedra..." she hissed to herself as she lifted a hand to her face, not really thinking as she scrubbed away the sleep left lingering caused by the medicine but instantly flinching away from her own hand. With a half yawn half sigh she ran her fingers back through her hair and grimaced at the feel of the dark strands. They were...well it felt nasty - for lack of a better word.

There wasn't much keeping her from reaching out a hand and hitting the call button for the nurse so she could demand a shower but she was having a time of just trying to get up to relieve herself. Embarrassingly enough and while she was more then capable of walking on her own her senses were still fogged up thickly and pain was thumping quite heavily in almost every part of her. Along with all that she was stiff and felt like curling back up, okay with not moving.

« Last Edit: Oct 20, 2009 12:48:33 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 20, 2009 8:13:39 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari didn't mean to startle the girl, but there wasn't muh he could do to soften that blow. If there was he would've thought of it, surely, but in the end it was dark and she was high strung. No one could blame her for being jumpy.

When the murmured answer touched his awareness he had to stop and think a moment. She was probably stiff and sore, and drowsy from he meds clearly enough. It didn't take him long to pick a course of action. It wasn't a hard decision, and he gave no thought to how it could be at all awkward.

Overlooking that little niggling thought he stood and rounded the bed steadily. Ari reached his hands out, slowly as not to startle her, and put a hand on her hip and her back. Seeing how hard it was for her to sit up he imagined she would need help walking as well, and so he pulled her toward him, not going quite so far as to embrace her, but instead to nudge his shoulder under her arm.

Reaching out with the arm that went across her back he grasped the IV line, not having noticed that it had been empty for some untold amount of time. It rolled noisily as he helped her, strong enough that he could keep quite some weight under his own strength while he helped her into the bathroom. It wasn't as though that he needed to sit in the bathroom with her, just help her to a seat and politely make his leave, which he would do once she seemed steady.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 20, 2009 13:21:34 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Like everything else in this situation, despite awkwardness - she shouldn't have been surprised that Ari had taken upon himself to help her, to the bathroom no less, but still do something for her. She knew by the way he dragged her up off the bed that her weight was no problem and she was left with letting him do all this silently, no complaint or struggle. Of course she knew that he wasn't going to force her to do something she didn't want to do, that much gave her peace of mind despite not knowing what to make of her muddled brain at the moment.

Aleece even allowed herself to lean on him as her bare feet scuffed across the cold smooth tile, the silence broken by the damn rattling of the I.V stand rolling after them. She was still shivering, and thinking it was entirely to cold in this room for it to be all because of her coming down from the meds. It seemed that pride and self sufficiency had no place in this situation at the moment and with each slow step she was glad that he was there to help or she would probably still be laying in bed, needing to use the bathroom but refusing to call a Dolores clone.

Her fingers tightened on his shoulder, curling over the muscled part while the silence gaped between them, yawning darkly and much to dangerously for her own good. It gave her time to think, something she didn't want to do. That minute it took to get to the bathroom she was allowed to realize just how low this was making her feel and she was more then tired of the roller coaster ride of emotions she was being put on. In a short twenty - four hour period...it felt like she had been at this over and over in her head for years.

Like a broken record, pretty much, and she just wasn't sure where to start to make it stop. Well most would certainly say try talking, but she was a little to unwilling to go there for the time being. The only thing that was for certain was, don't think about it and you won't have to worry about it. It didn't matter if she was going to be forced into doing just the opposite some time later for...now it was working. And that's just what she did - instead focusing on the overwhelming, bring you to near tears way she just had to go.

Coming to the tall door of the bathroom on the other side of the room she pulled her arm down and reached for the door frame, thinking she would be fine from there on out. "Thanks," she said quietly to Ari, turning enough to relieve him of the IV stand. Pulling open the door Aleece was able to have a small battle with everything to get it in the much to tiny bathroom and do what she had to do. All the while unable to help think that that shower looked really inviting.

When she was finally resting in front of the sink with both hands against the smooth sides she looked at herself properly in the mirror and grimaced. She looked like death warmed over. Cutting her eyes down she lifted a hand to turn on the hot water and set about washing her hand, and despite the small bandages, splashed her face with the nearly scalding liquid then ran her wet fingers through her hair. Not bothering with looking at herself again Aleece made her way back out and made her way straight back to the bed, groaning a little as she settled onto the mattress.

She was hardly tired now, fighting most of the lingering affects with pure stubbornness and getting used to them. "Did you get my laptop?" She asked Ari as she turned to sit up in a comfortable position (something that wasn't at all that easy to do) as she adjusted the head of the bed into a more upright position. The nosy mechanics grinding on her already shot nerves.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 20, 2009 16:00:08 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari chose not to stand next to the door, and instead went to the bag that he had brought and pulled it up from the ground and rested it on the seat of his chair. He thought she may want to get out of the hospital gown, he had been in one himself and he could to attest to the lack of comfort it had on the mind.

When the door opened he turned and looked to move over and help her back to bed, but he saw clearly that she was capable, and he suspected that she would prefer to regain some sense of self. In any case she made it back to bed and he stood to the side of it still, nodding when she asked if he remembered her well used laptop.

Ari pulled the laptop out of the bag carefully, putting it on the small shelf that is meant to be used for food. He rolled it over her waist and left it there. The charger was also in the bag, but he suspected that it was fully charged. All the same he plugged it in, not having said a word for some time.

But gathering his thoughts was something he did fairly well, he didn't spend much time wasting his words, and he was usually quite good at picking them carefully. The thought he had involved a sum of cash that he stashed away for potential trouble, in case he had to go underground or make an emergency trip. But now the emergency seemed to require him to stay in one place.

"I have the means to attain an off campus apartment if you would feel more comfortable with the two of us there." He spoke, the timber of his voice strong and confident. By comfortable he meant not only the emotional comfort of distance from the destructive school, but also the the physical comfort of knowing he could watch over her safety as they slept.

« Last Edit: Oct 20, 2009 16:01:01 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 20, 2009 17:44:04 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Even if Ari wasn't talking, he was acting very accommodating to everything she had asked for, needed at the moment, and managed a half attempted smile at him when the laptop was set up in front of her. While she could have gotten it done herself she say about as much as he did at the moment...nothing. Instead she opened it and hit the power button above her keyboard as he went about plugging the power cord in, noticing that she wireless air card was still stuck in the side.

Aleece was sure that the hospital had a wi-fi connection...maybe more then likely usually there wasn't a place that didn't. Touching the slim silver and plastic casing of the card she watched it blink ready from red to blue as the laptop powered up and the program started. She was about to connect, perhaps bring up the saved clip of a few weeks ago with the incident involving the cop where it had taken place in chula vista when Ari did speak up. It wasn't the fact that he did...but what he said.

It wasn't a question really...more like telling her but with the option of her turning down the offer. To be at all honest at this moment she didn't know what to say in return. Her thumb moved along the mouse pad mindlessly as she really thought about it.

Would she feel comfortable going back on campus to stay there? Probably not...

Did she know that Ari could handle his own, and more then likely her? Certainly...

But she didn't know what she was doing now to say for absolute sure what she would want to do later. It was tempting at the moment though. But why was he being so damn nice? She hadn't much shown much faith in the guy...what with as soon as he had disappeared for a little while...hooking up with someone else. All in all it made her feel like a down right bitch. She certainly didn't want him to waste his money on her like that...or his efforts when now more then anything she couldn't be any more unsure of herself.

Aleece certainly didn't want to use the same line she had last time let me think about it. How unfair would that be of her? Vastly. Giving a slight nod she closed her eyes briefly as she settled back against the bed, looking smaller then she really was.

"No change of address though..." she said, again quietly. It was ridiculously easy to find out that sort of information if one had the means, and it was surprisingly how easy it was to get your hands on it. Just like she was going to do now...or soon to put a name to a face. One simple program, a few hours and you had enough useful information on a person - no exceptional hacking skills needed. In any case it was her way of agreeing that what he proposed was best. And she opened her eyes to look at Ari still waiting on her answer.

Aleece could figure out the details later when she was able to, but for now she knew where a majority of his intentions laid. Or assumed she did.



« Last Edit: Oct 21, 2009 9:06:43 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 21, 2009 7:27:57 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari didn't understand the gears that he had turned inside Aleece's mind. For some time he had been quite kind to her, and even though he had found need to find some time away from her he came back exactly when he was needed. Instead of forcing her into a relationship, or pestering her, she simply made his intentions clear and continued to treat her normally. He had no idea of the guilt that caused in her, nor that it played in his favor.

"I would also suggest that you keep the new address private." He said with a nod, knowing just as she did how simple it would be to track her. While he did know that it would be all too simple to find their residence, he almost lamented her knowledge of it. Using her as bait would be distasteful, but it would have been one way to potentially put two bullets in the chest and one in the head of her rapist.

Ari wasn't sure when he would find the opportunity to play out that fantasy. But for the moment he needed to be more focused on picking out a well defensible apartment, as well as a few other things that would make it that much easier to assure various security and comfort standards. Starting with the fact that it would likely need a large couch, as he wouldn't presume to share a bed with her, and an extra bedroom would be a waste.

Standing to the side of the bed, his arms crossed as he sunk deep into thought, he would look the picture of strength. A pillar that could weather the ages and bear much weight. And he was taking on quite a lot of weight as of late, though he would tell no one of his burdens.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 21, 2009 9:46:13 GMT -6 » 		Quote
If anything she was glad that he seemed to agree with her that the address should remain private. Of course she noticed that Ari tended to be a somewhat overly cautious person, though...that first time they met, it couldn't have seemed more opposite. Despite the events that had occurred after, being thrown into the pit and her run in with the headmaster and Ari's disappearance shortly after all the repercussions...she could tell he was a calculating sort of individual.

Idly, Aleece tapped her thumb against the mouse pad, her eyes sliding from Ari to her computer screen. Now that she was awake, and able to shake off most of the lingers side affects she was still being clogged with, she wanted to see what she could get on this guy, but not with her current company in the room. She didn't want to assume he would go as far as to do something foolish on her behalf, but Ari just seemed to be seething at this point - never mind the cool, untouchable demeanor he was putting on.

Looking back at Ari carefully, her eyes half lidded, shadowing any intent he might could get from just looking at her she let out a small breath, "have you eaten anything? Or have you been here all night?"

She had seen at the right hand corner of her computer screen on the task bar the clock read 4:37. So she had been knocked out for some time and it would be no surprise if she actually asked for some food. Though, she had no appetite at the moment and the idea of actually eating turned her stomach somewhat. It would give her a few minutes because now she was itching to know a name. No, she needed to.

"I think...I should have had some money in my computer bag," she said carefully, trying to remember if she had stuffed a few bills in the case once when she had stopped off at a coffee shop to grab a cup off campus. "I mean if you want to find a vending machine...to grab us something."

Aleece doubted that the cafeteria here would be open and serving food so it was the next best thing. Maybe a cold served tuna sandwich and a bag of chips perhaps even a coke would satisfy; she would even eat a little to keep him from being to wary of her aims at the moment. What she suggested wasn't exactly far fetched either...she hated the idea of actually trying to choke down what ever tasteless dish they would serve her next, which was why she had left the food untouched when they had brought it the day before.


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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 21, 2009 10:06:46 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari was pulled from his thoughts by a quiet voice to his side. Aleece was looking up at him quietly, asking if he had eaten anything, or been there all night. He didn't intend to make her feel guilty, but when he wasn't required to hide the truth he would tell it flat out. "I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch, I've been here most of the night."

Really the ball of acid in his stomach he had written off, he was too focused on other things. The reminder of food made his stomach churn uncomfortably, but in the end he really didn't much care for food. It wouldn't settle his discomfort for long, but then again there was a noticeable hint in the suggestion, the same that was there when she asked for some of her things.

This time he allowed a small upward shift of his brow, feeling a bit more put off by her round about way of kicking him out for a little privacy. He leaned down over her and raised a hand to her forehead, brushing some hair from her eyes. Behind the icy gray hues were a simple request for honesty, being directly honest with his hushed timber. "Be direct, I will respect your wishes."

And with that he straightened his posture, rolled his shoulders in such a manner that was clearly meant to stretch them, and left the room quietly. He would go and find food from the cafeteria, as it would be much more palatable then the food that they brought directly to the patients, although he never bothered to wonder why beyond the simple fact that doctors desired better food.

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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 21, 2009 13:17:58 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Aleece was slightly startled at the fact he saw right through her, though like everything else in the last twenty - four or so hour period she shouldn't have been. So when he leaned over her she closed her eyes lightly, pressing her lips together at what he had to say, but saying nothing. Left feeling somewhat chastised, she lifted a hand to scratch faintly at her temple before running her hand back through her hair. Well she couldn't have honestly asked for him to leave in such a untactful way, at least this way her request had some substance to it and it didn't have to be for any other reason but then she was hungry. She liked the military policy - don't ask don't tell.

Hearing the door click closed Aleece reached out for the bag on the chair next to her bed after she connected to the internet. It took some effort to actually be able to reach the it and fish out the CD in the clear case but she managed. Sitting back with a small huff she pulled the laptop off of the tray and settled it right on her legs when she pushed the thing out of her way. Opening the drive on the side of her thin computer she set the unmarked disk in in the tray and pushed it closed. As she listened to the small motor turn in the internal mechanics - letting it read and bring up the starting program to use what was on there she started to do some digging the easy way.

Obviously this guy must have been some sort of resident in the local area. She doubted he was a tourist by any means. He seemed a little to...local. Not to mention the simple fact that he was able to get on campus, something reserved for facility, students and hired workers such as security, so on. So he would have to have some sort of record, be it with the police or perhaps the county directory. It didn't matter who you were...online you were always traceable. In a digital age you were virtually profiled...every little thing. Sure, sometimes the information could wind up being useless but even now no matter when you were born records were being converted to be kept online and surprisingly for the public view.

So, she started checking the county directory, knowing the Collective wouldn't have any records such as registration and such open to the public. Aleece was sure she hadn't been at it any longer then a good ten minutes before she saw something caught her eye. Though it was kind of hard to tell and she might have missed over information by merely skimming, and after widening her search out from San Diego County, she was sure she would get something. She had more then a couple windows open at the moment, for the county birth record listings in Riverside, Imperial, Orange and Los Angelas.

It was quite easy to admit she was looking for someone that would fit the profile of the guy she thought she knew. Someone around her age, so probably born anywhere from 1989 - 1991, but no older then nineteen and no younger then sixteen. Aleece was taking a long shot by saying he was a student of the collective because he very well might not have been, but he looked much to young to be hired help and she didn’t want to think it was that easy to get in on to school grounds. So it cut her search down to the years between 90' and 91. On the disk in her hard drive now she would be able to dig a little deeper with the program written up on it and help her along faster, a sort of helper as it were.

There it was though, the picture she had screen caped from the video file recorded off her phone then saved on her computer running a search on the face while she tried to find something the old fashion way, but getting no where fast...not with the amount of pressured time she was running herself under. Her program was effective and quick pulling information off the internet quicker then she could look and giving her sources she could follow as they came up, when then came up...or rather if.

Letting out a careful sigh Aleece ignored the deep cramps and the pounding in her head in favor of continuing, that was until her program finished its searching. She rolled the pointer over one of the first links that were given somewhat surprised to find schools name in the url. With a pinched look she clicked it but didn’t have to wait long for the limited access of his file to pull up: Joshua J.T Treborn. Attending John C. Fremont High. D.O.B June 2, 1991. Age 17.

‘Seventeen?’ Aleece thought to herself with no little amount of disbelief. He was only a year older then her and a junior. Quickly she pushed down the top of her computer, instantly putting everything in sleep mode and disconnecting her internet with the action. Now she really knew she wasn’t going back on campus she had managed to catch the fact there was no history, she’d need to get her hands on a computer at school in one of the offices – either would be likely to have something about J.T saved there…Maybe get Ari's help getting in.

If she wasn’t able to find anything else out on her own she knew a few people, could call in a couple favors by going down the rabbit hole.

« Last Edit: Oct 21, 2009 13:20:05 GMT -6 by aleeca » Back to Top  
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``Theres Only Yourself To Blame``
« Oct 21, 2009 15:38:12 GMT -6 » 		Quote
Ari had left the room, not taking the cash he hadn't been convinced was even in the bag, he had enough of his own. When he moved through the hospital he noticed that the patients may have all been asleep all the nurses were preparing for when they would wake up, as well as doing rounds to replace IV's.

Avoiding the elevator he went to the staircase instead. It was basically built into his personality, and it could be seen as rather odd, or simply dismissed as paranoid. But there was so many tactical reasons to avoid elevators in favor of stairs. More room to navigate, you aren't trapped in a single place, and statistically you would always be safer with your feet on solid ground.

Once he walked his way to the cafeteria he had rid himself of his unhappiness over being asked to leave indirectly. It didn't take much for him to calm down, it wasn't any big thing, it was just systemic. If she was indirect with him about something so simple as needing some space or time then what would happen when bigger things happened?

The food there, as he had made a mental note of earlier, was of better quality and variety then that they would bring up to the bedridden. Having the foresight to bring money was also a wise thing, as it was also a good deal of money. Sighing he took the small ammount of food back to the room.

Having taken the time to walk up and down the stairs, as well as through a short line after picking out all the items, it would have given her roughly ten minutes to be by herself. Once outside the door he tapped his knuckles against the half closed door and then after waiting a few seconds slipped in turned to show the food he had brought up for the two of them.

Of course her's was a slice of chocolate cake and milk, while his own was a salad with a pack of ranch dressing laying on the top of it. "I assumed you wanted the cake." He said dryly, going to sit at the edge of his hair next to the bed, ready to offer the clear plastic case to her.

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