Alone I Break | LingOrm FF

~ Part 11 ~

Orm grumbled to herself as she flopped onto the couch next to Argyle. The golden retriever lifted his head and eyed Orm in annoyance for disturbing his nap. She stared back, daring him to yap or bark. Submitting, the dog lay his head back down, more interested in sleeping than anything else.

Meanwhile, Orm found herself incredibly bored. Normally, she would watch some TV, either channel surfing or watching a movie. Unfortunately, she no longer had a TV thanks to her little meltdown over two weeks ago. She'd broken the old one, and really didn't have the money for a new one. So, she would just have to find something else to do.

Thankfully, Lingling and Mikey were on their way over. Lingling had called and said there was something she and Mikey wanted to talk to her about. She wouldn't say what, just that they wanted to talk. So, she'd just have to wait.

Not knowing what else to do, Orm settled for lounging on the couch, stroking Argyle's fur. The simple act tugged at her heart. Argyle was James's dog. But now he was hers. It stung in a big way. And it was also a comfort. She still had a little piece of her brother through his dog.

The doorbell rang, dragging Orm from her thoughts. She patted Argyle on the head before getting up and walking to the door. As expected, Lingling and Mikey were waiting on the other side.

"Hey guys, come on in," she greeted, gesturing for them to enter.

The two walked in and went into the living room. Mikey immediately noticed the difference between Orm and Lingling. The tension between them was virtually gone. They seemed much more comfortable in each other's presence. It was a relief to him to know that they were working toward rebuilding what had been lost.

"So.. what's up?" she asked once they were settled on the couch, Argyle between them.

Lingling looked to Mikey, who nodded for her to speak. "Okay...well, Mikey and I were talking, and we don't want you to have to sell the house."

"P' Ling," Orm sighed, sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "We talked about this last night. It's what I have to do. I can't afford to keep it."

"I know, but I have an idea," Lingling quickly interjected. Before Orm could question her, she continued. "Mikey is looking to move out of his apartment."

"Yeah," Mikey added. "The guy upstairs has three dogs, and two cats. It's a zoo with all the barking and cat stink. I don't think he cleans."

"Umm, okay. And this has to do with me how?" Orm asked pensively.

"He could move in here and pay rent," Lingling revealed her idea.

"Move in – here." Her brow wrinkled, eyes staring at Lingling in mild shock.

"It's the perfect solution," Lingling reinforced. "Mikey gets to get away from the cats and dogs, and you would be able to keep house."

"I don't know," Orm said slowly. On the whole, the idea wasn't bad. Mikey was a good friend, and she'd have no problem living with him. There was plenty of room for him; her mother's room had been empty for years. But it still didn't solve all her problems moneywise.

"Come on, Orm," Mikey pleaded. "I'd be a good roommate."

"It's not that," Orm argued. "I'd love to have you as a roommate, but even if you did move in, money would still be really tight, and I kinda was considering applying to University with the money I'd save getting a small apartment versus having a house and all the bills."

"You want to go to college?" Lingling asked, a little surprised.

Orm shrugged, squirming under their attention. "I've been thinking about it. James always wanted me to go."