The bastard angel

Chapter Five

 (2010)

I end up helping her upstairs to the bathroom to change out of her clothes. Since it's late I put her clothes in the laundry to wash them tomorrow morning. And I lend her some of my old pyjamas since regular clothes aren't going to work.

Once dry and changed, she joins me downstairs. I've made up the couch for her to sleep on and she sits gingerly on the edge. She looks a little haggard.

'Do you want an aspirin?'

'Thanks.' She gestures to the couch. 'For all this. It's really thoughtful for a stranger.'

'Well, I'm Tony.'

'Alissa.' I notice the accent then. British?

'Nice to meet you.'

'And you. Don't let me interrupt your work.'

'It's just schoolwork. It's not important.'

She grimaces. 'Of course, it's important' she shoots back. 'Sorry. It's a sore area.' She moves one of the pillows to the middle of the couch and lies down, stomach first on top, and pulls the covers around her.

'I'll be quiet.'

'It's just a pen,' her voice is muffled by the pillow. 'Please, don't let me interrupt.'

'Okay.'

I finish up the work I had for each subject that I needed to, doesn't take much more than half an hour and I'm ready for bed.

'Do I need to be wary of roommates or family members?'

'I'll be up before my dad is and I'll tell him you're a friend from school who's staying over.'

'Do I need a name?'

'Why are you fine with going along with this?'

'Sometimes it's easier than the truth and the truth is, I just need a night's sleep and I'll be out of your hair in the morning.'

'With a broken wing? You're staying.'

'Quite determined, aren't you? Okay, fine. I'm staying. Just warn your father first, please. I don't want to scare anyone else.'

I'm halfway up the stairs.

'You didn't scare me.'

'Of course not.'

X

She's still there the next morning, fast asleep. I put the washer on, the quicker it's dry, the quicker she can be back in the clothes that fit her.

I wait until I can hear my dad moving around before I knock on his bedroom door.

'Morning.'

'Morning, Tony,' he smiles for a couple of minutes before it's gone. 'Was there a storm last night?'

'Just a bit of rain. I'm making coffee, do you want some?'

'That does sound good. I'll be down soon.'

'Okay. Oh, before I forget, I have a friend from school staying over for a couple of days. Is that okay?'

'Perfectly fine, Tony.' He pulls his dressing gown tighter around him. 'What's her name?' The barest hint of a smile.

'Alissa.' Fuck, I don't know her surname.

'Alissa, that's a nice name. Staying for the weekend?' He asks - I put a calendar on his desk in his room and his study and I notice his eyes flicking towards it before he asks.

'Yep.'

'Okay then. I'll come down later, introduce myself.'

'Of course, Dad. I'll bring the coffee in.'