Empty Gold

Chapter 6: Carried Away

Chapter 6

"There's...um...uh..." Cece scratches her head as she looks through the refrigerator and then the freezer for something, anything to eat. Alison stands patiently behind her, ready to pull out whatever pots and pans as instructed. But the older blonde closes both doors with a huff. "Every alcoholic beverage under the sun but no actual food. I should call Aria and have her get groceries because everyone knows Emily won't think to. Thank god I don't live here."

She turns to Alison and offers a friendly smile. The house is now empty, save for the two of them and Emily who disappeared as soon as the photoshoot was over. Alison doesn't mind being alone with Cece, she welcomes the older blonde's presence actually. She doesn't trust Cece fully, because trust is such a heavy word, but she feels much less stressed around the older blonde.

"Don't worry Ali we'll get you fed, when in doubt ask the internet," Cece shares with a nod to Alison's grumbling stomach. "We've had a long morning and deserve some lunch, don't you think?"

Alison nods in agreement and Cece begins to scroll through her phone looking for a restaurant.

"Pizza?" Cece suggests looking over the quiet blonde. "Do you eat pizza?"

"Yes," Alison acknowledges softly.

"Let me guess chicken," Cece teases but Alison's face adopts a puzzled frown. "We'll get a selection. Emily eats anything so..."

Alison nods once and the older blonde is about to dial when they hear a loud crash upstairs.

"Oh jesus now what," Cece mumbles as she gives Ali an exasperated look, the younger blonde is bewildered and apprehensive of the noise. Cece starts for the foyer, Ali dutifully trailing behind and they head up the stairs quickly. "Em?"

"I want this done as soon as possible!"

The two blondes hear Emily's voice float through the hallway and speed up. Alison realizes they're headed towards a vacant room in the house she has never seen because the door is always shut. It's next to Aria's room, and as they approach, Alison sees a few large boxes in the otherwise empty room and curtains swinging on the window. The floors are ripped up and the room has a musty, old smell to it.

"I don't understand what could possibly take four to six weeks to do," Emily insists angrily on the phone, a box at her feet that has clearly fallen.

"Em what are you doing?" Cece interrupts and Emily waves her off nonchalantly.

"Because I have someone moving into this room and it needs to be finished sooner rather than later—what do you mean the material won't be here?"

Emily paces angrily to one side of the room and knocks on the exposed plasterboard.

"How can the electrician not be available for three months," Emily splutters into her phone and Alison's heart clenches—no electricity means no light, she doesn't think she can sleep in this room with no light. "You are a fucking thief is what you are!"

"Em stop harassing the contractor," Cece tries to soothe and Alison stands cautiously behind her as Emily gets more and more worked up.

"He's being a dick," Emily says to Cece, not bothering to cover the mouth piece on the phone. She makes a face before returning to the conversation. "Yes, you, you're being a dick."

"She never learns," Cece groans.

"Professional my ass—Hello?" Emily asks before realizing the other person really did hang up on her. "Asshole."

"You called him a dick," Cece points out dryly.

"That's cause he is one," Emily huffs, crossing her arms and looking at the mess of a room. Wires are falling from the ceiling pathetically and no one should really be in here without a hard hat. She turns to look at Ali and her face softens slightly. "Sorry Ali, I was trying to get them to speed up work on the room so you could move in sooner."