"Dude, have you been watching the news?" Jessica was sprawled out on our rickety dorm room's sofa, watching the television intently.
"Yeah, a little," I took a seat next to my roommate, forcing her to move over and make room. She did, but not without huffing slightly, though her coppery brown eyes never tearing themselves away from the screen.
We get along alright I suppose. She's not someone I would go out of my way to hang out with, but she's fine.
"This is nuts, this is all fucking nuts," She shook her head, sending her bleach blond curls bouncing across her freckled face.
I nodded absentmindedly, staring blankly at the screen showing pictures of what some were calling an "alien spaceship" that had crashed into South Africa last week. Most call it a hoax, but strict government regulations and censorship laws emerging made it seem a little suspicious. Something was happening, but no one knew what.
"I think it's a conspiracy!" Jessica declared, obviously knowing all the answers. She stood up to stretch, reaching over to my desk and turning down the volume.
"Yeah? How do you figure?" I followed her example and headed to our cabinets in the corner of our room, opposite side of where our beds rested.
"Well duh, there's no such thing as aliens! This all some big thing scientists have cooked up to try and get more funding." Jessica creaked open the seemingly ancient cabinets where we stored extra snack food and began pawing through the barren shelves.
"I dunno…maybe" I replied, not really taking interest in her conspiracy theory having already heard it from the Pope's mouth this morning.
She must have missed my signs of disinterest, or not cared because she continued to inform me how this was all just fiction, just like those theories about "monkey people" evolving into people.
Did I say we get along fine? Scratch that. She drives me crazy.
I grunted every so often out of politeness as I looked over her shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of something to eat as well.
Jessica grabbed a bad of chips before seating herself back down on the sofa, continuing to talk.
I looked on my side of the cabinet that was painfully bare. The scrap ends of a jar of peanut butter, a third of a loaf of sliced sandwich bread, and an orange that seemed to cave in slightly on one side.
Looks like peanut butter sandwiches again.
I cringed; mentally sick at the thought of eating peanut butter yet again, but I had slept through breakfast so it was my own fault really.
"Kerri, are you listening?"
I looked up at Jessica who drowned disapprovingly at me, obviously thinking it my obligation to listen to her.
"Yeah, sure."
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she continued eating the chips in a surprisingly delicately fashion. She sat on her bed, turning the television back up to a louder volume and started texting on her little pink phone.
I looked up every so often as I slathered peanut butter on the stale bread, pressing the other halve on top to complete to sandwich.
Frantic people overcrowded the streets in London while riots in Paris were getting to the point where police officers had to tear gas the crowd in hopes of quelling the hysteria. People were actually getting injured.
The world is changing, that's for sure.
I munched on the sandwich as I took a seat on my bed on the opposite side of the room, closer to the television. Jessica seemed to lose interest all together, texting so furiously that her fingers blurred together. She had bragged to me once about winning some sort of texting competition. I had no idea things like that existed; I would never win that's for sure.
I made a face as the peanut butter clung to the roof of my mouth. I swallowed repeatedly trying to pry it loose, but it stuck like cement.
It's odd. When I turn on the television, all I see is hysteria and chaos. When I look outside, there is nothing. The streets are more or less abandoned and the only sound to be heard is the deafening silence of a world gripped with uncertainty.
Everyone seems so monotone, so dull. Even the days are drearier it seems, but then again it is April.
I dug around the twisted mess of blankets, trying to find the remote. I gave up after a few minutes and popped the last piece of sandwich into my mouth before leaning forward and shutting the miniature television off manually, ignoring the peanut butter that smeared slightly from my fingertips onto the button.
I swallowed the last bite with difficulty as I yanked my beat up cell phone out of my pocket.
11:30
I have half an hour before English. I brushed the crumbs off my shirt onto the floor, glad that Jessica didn't see. She'd throw a fit. I hopped off my bed and let myself into the small bathroom Jessica and I share. It's a little run down, but Jessica had made it look at least a little better by covering every convertible surface with a scented candle. It can't be ugly if you can't see it I suppose.
I cleared away a small area of the yellowed countertop and sat down upon it, resting my feet in the sink as I began to freshen up for class. My eye makeup had smeared slightly, giving me a case of raccoon eyes. I grabbed a Q-tip and tried to trim the edges but I seemed to only smear the makeup even worse. I stared straight into my dark blue eyes, wishing that they were more blue then grey.
Sometimes I feel like I don't even know who is staring back at me. I just haven't felt myself lately; ever since I moved out I just have felt a little out of sorts.
I ran my fingers through my light blonde hair. Jessica spends hours and hours making her hair blonde, but I helpfully point out that her brown roots are always peeking out. She told me she would kill for my natural blonde hair and I told her I would give it to her if it ever came to that.
I ran my fingers through the fine strands, trying to work out the knots. I gave up after a few minutes and grabbed a brush from off the seat of the toilet and finished the job.
I slapped my pale cheeks a couple of times, trying to raise a hint of color into them. I saw someone do it in a movie once.
Loud banging on the door jerked me from my facial inspection and nearly caused me to topple over from the counter.
"Karri!" Jessica's voice howled from the other side of the door, "Stop hogging the bathroom! And if you have your feet in the sink again I swear-"
I hopped down from the counter, giving myself one final glance as I unlocked the door. Jessica burst in as I tried to fight my way out, hopping she wouldn't notice how I cleared her candles off to the side.
"Ewww! Karri! Your hair is all over-"
I pretended not to hear her earsplitting wails and grabbed my book bag, fumbling for my keys trying to escape before it was too last. I wrenched open the door darting out into the hall before Jessica saw my footprints in the sink.
Placebo Effect: Ok, I really don't think I should have to apologies for this, but I will. I am not a religion hater. Looking at this situation from a purely secular and historical view, fundamentalists hardly ever take to new scientific discoveries/theories without a fight, sometimes not at all. If your religious your not under attack or being ostracized. This is purely a work of fiction, and if you have issues with it, you shouldn't even be in the TT section at all seeing as the entire plot revolves around the presumption of alien life.
If you do have a real issue with it, or are super offended, shoot me an email. I won't change the story what so ever to appease you, but if you are willing to listen to what I have to say I am more then happy to listen to you.
