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Chapter Nine
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PT Centre, 2:28pm
"Thanks for filling the gap, Az. Geno's been on my ass about starting check-ups and I'm really not in the mood to act all nice and preppy for the others right now," Ariana said, her voice quiet and soft. She sounded tired, and Azzi, who just walked in, could tell something had really shaken her. Two years she'd known the girl, living with her meant she knew every single tell in her body language.
"Yeah, of course." Azzi tossed her duffel onto one of the chairs in front of Ariana's desk. She took a seat on the examination bed, glancing over at her roommate's sluggish actions in worry. "When you texted I didn't realise it was 'cuz something was bothering you, I thought I was in trouble." She joked, in attempts to lighten the mood.
The shorter didn't bite, instead, she grabbed the blood pressure cuff from the counter across from where Azzi sat. It was like she didn't hear what Azzi had said, sliding over on the spinning stool as she motioned for the older's arm.
"Mickey, what's going on?"
She didn't answer, gloving the cuff over Azzi's bicep. She grabbed the clipboard from her table, scribbling down the older's medical information and started the pump.
"Micks, you're scaring me."
Ariana sighed, "It's nothing. Last night was a lot of drinking and I think I'm just a little hungover, that's all." She flashed a lousy smile, glancing over at the reading on the player's blood pressure. Her head trained down at the working pencil, face devoid of her usual peppiness.
"Come on, I know you better than that. Y'know you can tell me anything, whatever you need to get off your chest, I'm listening."
Ariana sighed, peeling the cuff off her arm.
"Fine... Last night, I had a few too much to drink and Cramden wouldn't leave me alone. I mean, I know he's been trying to pick me up for years, but he just wouldn't let." Ariana began, tidily setting the blood pressure device into its place. She then waved, motioning for Azzi to hop off to check on her knees post-injury. "So when Aubrey went to get water and left me alone, he was trying to drag me upstairs and I was just—I was so drunk I don't think I was even in the right head space to defend myself."
The thought irked Azzi.
"And then Nika came out of nowhere and like saved me and we ended up in the bathroom. Do an in-place lunge for me." The older did as told, stretching her legs as far out as she could. "And... we had this moment, I just... For a second, I felt like she didn't hate me and she looked so pretty with her hair all done and her eyes half-open. Azzi, I've never seen a more beautiful woman in my life and she kissed me." The older's eyes widened, lips parting as she froze. "She kissed me and I think I would've passed out right then if I hadn't stopped her from going any further."
