AS GOOD AS DEAD → ANTHONY LOCKWOOD

I

Ruined morning, part one.

LOSING was one of the things Greer feared since she was a child. She can never accept one defeat, even if it's just a childish game. She once said that losing is a sign of failure and she wasn't a failure.

She will never be. If she couldn't win, she might be as good as dead.

"LOCKWOOD!" Greer screamed in frustration, "What is it now?" Lockwood asked as he came out of his room, a smile on his face "What did you do to my shampoo?" Greer asked and pointed at her purple-ish hair.

"I know nothing about it." He denies it, trying to hide the smile he's trying to not show at the furious girl.

"Liar!" She threw at him her shampoo, and to her dismay, he was hit on the shoulder instead of his head.

Lockwood smiled at her one more time before closing his door, laughing like a maniac "Get out of that room, you coward!" Greer yelled as she slammed her hand to the door of Lockwood's room.

"Bloody hell, why are you screaming?" George asked while he rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses.

"You always ruin my morning!" She yelled before storming off outside Lockwood's door towards the kitchen.

He is a nightmare, Greer said to herself as she was close to tears. He's been doing this since they were children.

Growing up with Lockwood was probably one of the worst experiences she has gone through. All those years that Greer spent at 35 Portland Row, Lockwood had been tormenting her.

Let's just say, they weren't entirely okay and besties while growing up. But, things got good when they both realized their mistakes and childishness, and then there comes George, who is always their fixer. Whenever Greer and Lockwood fought, he always make them say sorry to each other. He wouldn't let them sleep until the two of them were okay with each other and because of that, Greer adores him so much that's why she let him have her room.

Starting then, she sometimes sleeps in the library —sometimes at Lockwood's room if he's not spending his night there— where she spent most of her day.

And, her clothes is in Lockwood's room like they used to be.

Lockwood tried to talk to her about sleeping in the library and offered her the attic where they spent most of their time bickering with each other when they were young.

But, nothing can pull her away from the smell of the library. Though the view of the attic fascinates her, she loves the library more.

She had a talent, though she never actually used it, quite dangerous they said.

They said it could kill her if she didn't know how to use it. She first uses it on her and Lockwood's first successful case, though in the end, she is knocked out by the ghost. She figured out ghost doesn't like small talk.

Luckily, Lockwood saves her in time.
Since then, she didn't try to push her luck anymore and especially, because Lockwood forbade her to use her talent. She's been careful since then, always behind Lockwood or on his side, waiting for him to tell her what she needs to do. He knew best, though sometimes he didn't.

"Hey, Gre." Lockwood's voice came, and Greer rolled her eyes "What do you want, Lockwood?" Greer asked "Sorry about the hair." Her eyes soften as she faces him "George made you say that, isn't he?" She said but Lockwood shook his head "I mean it." Lockwood said and as far as Greer could see, he genuinely meant it.

"You know that I love my hair and I hate purple." Greer told him as she sighed, "Now I know why you're being weird at the bathroom last night, taking so long." There's one thing about Lockwood, and that is the fact that he doesn't take too long in the bathroom.

"Why don't I cook something for you? Would you like that?" He offered, she didn't want to say yes but her stomach grumbled and said otherwise.

"Totally." Lockwood laughed at her response, "After I finished this, we can wash your hair." Lockwood told her as he grabbed the pan "You're a plonker for pulling pranks like that."

"I'll be in the library," Greer whispered and left Lockwood in the kitchen preparing their food.

Greer slams herself on the couch where she sleeps, reads, and sometimes eats. When she sleeps here, she leaves the door open at night, indicating that she's here, and when the door is closed, means she isn't.

"Hey," Lockwood leaned in the doorway, a smile spread across his face as he watched Greer turn the page a few times. She gazed up at him and raised her eyebrow in confusion

"It's finished, come on." He tilts his head upstairs "What's that big smile on your face?" Greer asked him and put the book down at the coffee table before standing up "You're so funny flipping through pages, nerdy." He started walking upstairs even before he finished his sentence. In his last sentence, Greer barely heard him.

She sighed in annoyance "Shut it, and keep everything you say to yourself, I beg you." She said loud enough for Lockwood to hear as she followed him upstairs.

She opens the door to his room and sees Lockwood getting a towel before he continues to the bathroom while Greer follows him to the landing. I should have waited downstairs, Greer said to herself.

Lockwood turned on the water, and Greer lowered her neck toward the sink. then, Lockwood starts caressing it, trying to wash off the problem he had created on Greer "If this isn't going to be washed off, I'm gonna kill you." Greer warned him, no joking. She adores her hair more than anything.

"It's gonna be gone, trust me." He said, and she did.

"Needs a little bit of more washing." Lockwood told her, then a few minutes later he stopped "Why did you stop?" Greer asked, "It's done." He turned off the water before handing the towel he had prepared earlier to Greer.

"Your top is a bit wet, go change. George and I will wait for you downstairs." He informed her before going downstairs, closing the door behind him.

Greer looks at herself before wiping her hair, using the towel Lockwood gave her. Her hair came back to its natural color, she couldn't be more thankful.

She walks towards her wardrobe before looking for something comfortable to wear. She took off the white wet shirt she had and threw it in the laundry bag before grabbing the clothes she placed on Lockwood's bed

When she came down to the kitchen, George was the first one to talk to her about her purple-ish hair "Nice hair earlier." George smiled as he took a sip of his coffee "Very funny." She said sarcastically.

She swears she can hear Lockwood laughing beside George as she grabs herself a coffee "What's funny?" Greer asked him, he gazed up at her and shook his head before talking to George again.

She stared at him for as long as five minutes before she sat across them, pencil and coffee in her hand, thinking what she could write on the thinking cloth. She needs something creative and funny.

Lockwood = super freaking twat, George = bloody annoying.

"I'll be in the library if you need anything," Greer mumbled, a smile on her face formed as she grabbed the food Lockwood had cooked earlier, using one hand and the other for her coffee.