Hey guys. I got writer's block while trying to write a new chapter for downtown train, and this is the product of that lmao. I hope you like it!
Alison lets go of her grip and lets her bag fall to the ground with a thump. Her mother follows her lead, and Alison lets her eyes wander the room. They land on the second bed and lets out a begrudging sigh.
"Looks cozy." Her mother compliments, walking around the room. "More storage than back when I was in college." She adds, running her hands over the set of draws.
"And a bathroom. I used to share one with five other girls." Her mother looks at her for a response, but Alison doesn't. "Come on honey, lighten up. These are gonna be your best years." Alison smiles at her, with an edge of skepticism. She knows her mother means well, but it's not helping.
"You know, your aunt Cindy and I-"
"Were college roomies. Yeah, I know." Alison interjects with unintentional steel. Off her mother's downturned frown, she adds, "I'm sorry Mom. I didn't mean for that to come off as-"
"I know. Listen, Christmas is just around the corner. You'll be home before you know it. The time will just fly by."
"I hope so," Alison whispers though she has a feeling that those months will drag. She looks between the two beds inquisitively, internally listing the pros on cons of both. The one on the left is next to the window and the bathroom. The one on the right has a lamp on the bedside table. She steps toward the one on the left. She momentarily spares a thought for her future roommate, but honestly, she won't lose any sleep over it.
Her mother looks at her watch, then throws Alison an apologetic glance. "I have to go. You gonna be alright?" She asks, stepping over to her. "I'll be fine. Call you later?" Her mother nods then draws her into a brief embrace.
When they pull apart, her mother gives her a warm smile, though it doesn't cloud the sadness beneath it. "Have fun, okay?" She encourages her. Alison rolls her eyes. "Okay."
"See you at Christmas."
"See you."
When she leaves, Alison falls down onto the bed, heaving out a long breath. A sense of somewhat panic washes over her, and she works her jaw. She isn't worried about making new friends, she's got the confidence and charm to do so. It's more of a gut feeling, an unsettling instinct.
She decides to snap out of it, to sublimate her energy into unpacking her things. She starts with her photos, delicately pinning them to the corkboard on the wall by her bed. Truthfully, she chooses to do this first to make it clear to her roommate that this is her bed - to mark her territory.
It's selfish, she knows it is, but she doesn't have an essence of care.
She pauses when she hears someone fumbling at the door handle. She initially brushes it off, but when the person on the other side of it clearly struggles to get it open, she relents and stops what she's doing to go help.
She tries to open the door, but the person on the other side seems to have a grip on the handle because Alison can't get it open. "Let go of the handle." Alison calls out, frustrated. Almost immediately, the person lets go, and Alison swings the door open.
Alison halts and feels her stomach turn into a bundle of knots, prompting her jaw to unwillingly drop.
It's Emily Fields.
It's Emily fucking Fields, surrounded by bags, and her mother, who just waltzes past her into the room. Emily gives her a blatant faux-smile, and her eyes flash with disappointment and muted resentment.
This is uncomfortable for her too, and ironically, that makes Alison more comfortable.
At least their sentiments are mutually in order.
"You're Alison Dilaurentis, right?" Comes Mrs. Fields' voice from behind her. Alison turns, ripping her gaze away from Emily to face her. The woman is glancing at the photos on the wall and Alison forces a smile. "That's me."
"Emily used to talk about you-"
"Mom." Emily scolds, brushing past Alison. Her mother gives her daughter a quizzical look, then shifts her gaze to Alison, holding out her hand, "Nice to finally meet you, Alison."
Alison shifts awkwardly. She politely shakes Mrs. Fields hand, with the scrutinizing glare on the side of her head.
"You too, Mrs. Fields." Alison greets, as politely as she can possibly muster. Mrs. Fields looks to Emily and gives her a tight-lipped smile - as if she's trying to refrain herself from crying.
"I'm so proud of you, Emmy." She says, cupping her daughter's face. Emily gulps back what Alison guesses are tears, and takes that as her cue to give them a moment.
She surreptitiously steps out of the room, then walks down the corridor, pushing past other students. When she's seemingly alone, she leans against a wall. Her breath's come out in short bursts, the air is tight, and her chest is replete with utter anxiety.
Alison almost swears she's dreaming. What are the chances, that she would end up becoming roommates with someone she wished she'd never see again?
To be fortuitously dealt this one shitty card from a seemingly fantastic deck.
Once her breathing has plateaued, she ventures back to the room on shaky legs. She lets her mind drift back to the moment she and Emily first met.
The library is Alison's only place of solitude, the only place she can escape from the likes of Noel Kahn, and Jenna Marshall. Here, she can read books by George Orwell and Margaret Atwood without being sardonically scolded for it.
She barely registers the librarian warning students that they only had fifteen more minutes until class; completely engrossed by the words of Jane Austen. She ultimately decides to put the book away, with reluctance, knowing full well that if she starts reading again, she'll be late to class. She sinks into her chair, and watches the clock on the wall, letting out a sigh.
She shoves herself to her feet and begins to wander the aisles of the library, deciding inwardly what to read next. She stops in her path when she sees a girl eyeing up the Charles Dickens section of the shelf, piquing her interest. Alison regards the girl, finding herself admiring her beauty. In a quick-fire decision, she walks over; so that she's standing to her right.
"You should try Great Expectations," Alison suggests, watching for the girl's reaction. The girl almost balks, then seemingly considers it. "It's his best work," Alison adds. The girl flashes her a grateful smile and grabs the book from the shelf. She inspects it, flipping through the first couple of pages before looking at Alison.
"Thank you." The stranger tells her. Alison lights up with pride, and introduces herself, "No problem. I'm Alison." The girl shuffles slightly, and her lips tug upward.
"I'm Emily."
Alison enters the room, feeling agitation wash over her when she sees that Emily is still here. The brunette is sat on her bed, drumming her fingers on her thigh in a mindless staccato, something that Alison notes the girl has a trenchant for when she's feeling nervous.
She sits on the bed opposite Emily and watches her with rumination. The brunette seems to notice, because she lifts her gaze to Alison's, giving her an almost surly glare. Alison begrudgingly decides to momentarily put aside her differences, sighing inwardly in anticipation.
"Maybe-"
"Don't." Emily interrupts; her eyes flashing dangerously. Alison doesn't speak back, she doesn't move. Clearly, there's still a lot of anger on Emily's part. "You've done so well ignoring me this past year, I'm sure you can continue to do so for another." Emily spits. The hurt is present in her voice, and guilt begins to resonate within her.
"Just- Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. I sleep early, so don't be loud when you come in. And don't bring any guys back when I'm here." Emily's presumption hit's Alison in the gut, and she wonders if the girl truly knows her at all, or if she ever did.
It pisses her off, and she decides not to hold back her initial reaction.
"Fuck you, Emily." Alison fires back, shoving herself onto her feet. Emily stands, and heads toward the door, but is stopped when Alison blocks her path and stands in her space. The corners of Emily's lips twitch, and Alison burns with wicked pride.
A knock at the door ends their standoff, and Emily lightly shoves past her to answer it. Alison turns to see who it is, and very near screams.
Paige Mccullers.
Fucking brilliant. "Wow, you gotta be fucking kidding me." Alison scoffs, to which Emily throws her a chiding glance. Paige shifts awkwardly at the door, and Alison spares a bit of sympathy for her, especially for what she's about to say. She walks over to Emily and stares her dead in the eye.
"If I can't bring anyone back, neither can you." Emily slightly flinches at that. She clears her throat, cowering and stepping back. Alison uses that as an out, leaving the room pissed off for the second time today.
Anyways.. This was a spur of the moment kind of thing. If you want me to continue then let me know in the comments, or on tumblr bitteremison. :)