The Tunnel

Chap 5

She opened the door with her new key and it swung open. She dropped her bag next to the door, she would not even look at the homework; it was the last thing she wanted to think about. It was a reminder of how stupid she was, and how much she had not done. Instead she went to the coach and turned on the television, pulling a blanket up to her chin and let herself live another person's life for just half an hour. That was the great thing about TV, for just a little while, Amelia could pretend to be someone one else who problems were always solved in the span of thirty minutes. She was planning on sitting on the coach until her mom came home and told her to get up, there was a CSI marathon on.

But instead someone knocked on the door requiring her to go to the door. Alright who ruined my marathon? She thought, walking to the door. Cracking it open, Amelia saw Nadie. She looked just as weak as the day before, if not worse.

"Do you wanna come play again?" Nadie asked, with her ever present smile stretching across her pale, tiny face.

"Umm," She hesitated. She had no problem turning down her friend's invitations to go out a few years ago. Amelia would lie and say she was sick, or that she had family coming over that prevented her from leaving the sanctuary. She had preferred her solitude than being in public having people looking at her, constantly checking to make sure her appearance was presentable and coming back with a negative self-response. But, she found it much harder to hide from Nadie. She sighed.

"Let me grab my bag."

Come inside for a minute." Her mother would be disappointed in her if she let someone stand outside the door like a telemarketer.

Nadie beamed as she skipped into the room. Amelia walked back over to the TV as the CSIs were collecting blood samples off the concrete and loading the body bag into the back off a truck and shut the tv off. She folded the blanket and placed it on the back of the coach.

"Which room is yours?" Nadie asked.

"Down the hall to the left." Responded Amelia.

"You have the same room as me?" Nadie asked.

"Yup, that means you are right above me."

"That's cool! Can I see it?" Without waiting for a response, Nadie went rushing down the hall.

Amelia followed after her, not knowing what to expect from Nadie's reaction to her bedroom. Pushing open the door, she saw Nadie examining her ribbons from pee wee soccer pinned onto a dusty bulletin board. She then moved onto the dresser to examine the photo frames that have been neglected and pushed back by piles of clothes. As she leaned in closer to look at a picture of Amelia and her parents when she was toddler, Amelia herself did a quick once over of the room. There were various charge cords sticking out of outlets and a large stack books next to the bed.

"So this is what a teenager's room looks like" Nadie asked, interrupting the silence.

"I don't know about most teenagers but this is my room." Amelia responded with a nervous chuckle.

"Why don't you have any pictures with your friends?" she asked still looking at the photos displayed. "All your stuff is from when you were little."

"I guess I just never put any up."

"Its like you disappeared once you turned my age!" Nadie said as she turned around with a bright smile.

If only she knew how true that was.

"Come on, let's go play at your apartment now."

Amelia grabbed her bag from beside the door and let Nadie walk out ahead of her. They locked the door and started walking to the elevator. Nadie grabbed her hand. Amelia was startled by the gesture, but did not question it. Like the day before, Nadie was the one leading Amelia down the hallway.