Star Flies

Chapter 2

The door creaked when Alina closed it behind her. She closed her eyes, but only briefly, to regain what little sanity she had left. The veins in her temple throbbed. She groaned, dropping her bag on the floor. A girl sat at a desk in the room, facing a dingy window. She turned and asked, "New here?" She leaned forward to get a better look at Alina.

Alina started, then scrunched her face. "Yeah. I thought I'd be alone. Mrs. Poll never mentioned I'd have to live with a roommate." She looked around at the dirty grey walls in need of a fresh coat of paint. The room had one other piece of furniture, apart from the beds faced off to one side and a single cupboard already falling off its hinges. It dangled from the body, ready to snap at any minute. Alina recoiled, before walking further into the room, taking only slow, steady steps.

"Well... Poll doesn't mention a lot of things."

There was an air of familiarity about her statement. Alina ignored it, giving a little nod to show that she heard. She was too exhausted to enquire further. Picking up her bag, she flung it on the hard-sprung bed and sighed.

"And you are?" Alina asked, assessing her wispy hair—the colour of summer corn. Pretty, was the first thought that flashed in her mind.

"Sallie Grace."

"Alina Cunningham. Nice to meet you."

They shook hands. Sallie smiled, and her eyes seemed to smile as well—her green eyes with flecks of yellow, filling Alina with a chilling unease. Sallie's nose was slightly crooked, spotting light brown freckles that gave her smile a warm colour. Alina feigned a smile and stepped back, rubbing her palms to regain some semblance of warmth.

"So, why are you here?" Sallie asked when Alina settled on the bed, eyeing her box and the clothes which were neatly folded and tucked at a corner. "Those are your uniforms by the way."

Alina wore a puzzled look on her face. "Uniforms? Bloody hell!"

Sallie cackled dryly. "I thought so too."

Alina checked the uniforms one by one; red and blue swirling before her eyes. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the constant pounding in her head. It felt like her brain would split into two. Migraines were the worst.

"You must be tired. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but there's a bathroom right after this room." Sallie offered an apologetic smile, then she turned back to the drawing paper rolled over on the desk.

Alina didn't waste time changing. Her palms were clammy; her sore muscles protested as she tied a towel around her chest. Maybe by the time she was done bathing, she would feel better. That was what she thought. But even after she bathed and was relaxing in the not-too-comfortable bed, her thoughts, like her body, couldn't settle in one place. She saw her mum in her mind's eye—eyes clouded with rage and arms raised as if to strike a blow.
It wasn't something she could easily forget.

Alina had fled past her mother and headed straight to the kitchen, to grab a knife. Her fingers closed over the handle.

"Put that down!" Mrs Cunningham shrieked in horror.

Alina's body was shaking and tears had oozed from her eyes. "I'm not going to. Until you stay away from my personal space and quit bugging the hell out of my life." 

"You don't want to threaten me. Your father, he's going to know about this." Her mother had inched back as Alina drew nearer, pointing the knife at her chest.

"You can do all you want. But I'm past caring," Alina spat with distaste. Before she could advance, the front door slammed and her father had walked in. Mrs. Cunningham flew to his arms, clutching him tightly as she eyed her daughter. Alina didn't realize she was squeezing the sheets with clenched fists.

Sallie cleared her throat. "Are you okay?"

Alina unclenched her fists and wiped the tears that crawled to her chin. It was hurtful reliving the memories again, worsening her migraine and aching her heart. "I don't know... It's my mum... she..."

Alina sighed, sprawling her fingers on the bed. What could she say to Sallie to explain her woes, haunting her from years past? Maybe talking about it would do Alina some good but talking about her feelings had never been one of Alina's strong suit. Sallie stared at her, with such pretty, innocent eyes.

Alina couldn't share her troubles with her—Alina couldn't tell Sallie her mother had sent to the school for bad behaviour. Because her mother thought Alina was growing into something else and couldn't be handled any longer. She had called Alina a monster and told her father she had to send Alina away, so they could continue their lives without any disturbance. And Alina's father had stood by and watched it happen.

Alina's lips quivered, as if the words were frightened to spill out, and she rolled over, crossing her knees. She stared at Sallie through clouded eyes. Her shoulders were trembling so much; it was difficult to breathe. Sallie gingerly rose from her bed; her thin night robe followed the swaying of her legs. She nestled Alina on her laps, petting her hair which billowed like a pillow.

"I don't know you well," Sallie said, "but I know you're going to be okay. It's only your first night here. With time, you'll get used to these walls. You'll see." Alina wasn't assured in the least. Although, she felt a bit calm as Sallie continued her back and forth stroking. Alina wiped snort from her nose, more tears tracing a wet path down her cheeks. "I don't know if my mother's ever going to come visit. I asked Mrs. Poll, but she wouldn't say."

Sallie snorted, staring off into space. A dark look tainted her delicate features. "I know how you feel... Sometimes, l think I lost my mom for good when I arrived here three years ago. And Mrs. Poll..." She sighed. "Nobody came to see how I was faring."

"Wow. That's terrible."

"Yeah. Sometimes I wish my parents cared about me more than they cared for my other sibling. They pushed me to a corner like I didn't even exist," Sallie said through clenched teeth.

"Just like they did me."

"We're kindred spirits."

Alina laughed despite herself. "Hell, yeah!" She smiled, a real smile, for the first time in two days. The room went quiet and Alina finally laid still, basking in the faint chirping of crickets and the sound of haughty laughter from a distance. Something jumped into her mind; a past experience she had kept aside. "Hey... Earlier, Mrs. Poll gave me a tour and when we were passing by a lab, she slapped her cane on the wall."

"She did that?" Sallie asked. Her nostrils flared slightly.

"Uh huh. And where the cane struck left a dent. That can't be possible, can it?"

"Yeah..." Sallie's voice sounded far away.

Alina looked up at her, searching her blank face. "Are you okay?" She let out a fake chuckle. "I feel there's more to it than you're telling."

Sallie tried to smile, but it came out obviously forced. "There always is. I have to go to bed now."

Alina lifted her head and Sallie quietly slipped to her corner. What was she leaving out? The question latched onto her mind like a leech, and it wouldn't let go, even as she turned off the oil lamp and closed her eyes to welcome the darkness.