The Seven Revels

Treadmills and Chicken Soup

Indigo jerked awake as she heard a door slam. She sat up, peering at the door. It hadn't been her door that had slammed, but it had definitely been one in that same hallway. Slowly, she climbed out of bed, keeping the thin blanket wrapped around her, and made her way to the door. She opened it a crack and peered into the hallway. Empty. She stepped out into it and started walking past each door. As she passed on only a few doors down from hers, she heard someone sobbing inside. She put her ear to the door and determined it was definitely sobbing. She considered leaving, but then she realized she recognized the voice. She gently tapped on the door.

"Milo?" She waited a moment, then knocked a little louder. "Milo, is that you?"

"Go away," his voice reached her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, refusing to be brushed off.

"Leave me alone, Indigo."

"Milo, what's going on with you?" She twisted the doorknob, relieved to find that he had not locked the door. Yet when she pushed on it, she met resistance. "Please, let me in."

"No."

"I don't understand. Why won't you talk to me?"

She heard Milo groan in frustration. "Just leave me alone!" She gave the door another hard shove.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked. "Is that why you won't talk to me?"

"I just need to be alone, Indi. You didn't-" his voice choked off for a moment. "You didn't do anything."

"What happened? You know you can tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Milo Casper, you open this door right now!"

"Indigo, please," Milo begged. "Just go away. I just want to be alone, is that too much to ask?"

"Look, I know I got mad at you before, but I'm sorry. I just... I'm just scared is all. I'm worried about my Nana and about us, and now you won't talk to me..." Her own voice was growing choked and tearful. "What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong!"

"Then who did?"

"I did, okay?" he snapped. "I did everything wrong!"

"Milo, what are you talking about?" He didn't reply. "Milo!" She pushed on the door again, and kept pushing until she could get her foot inside. She pushed on it again and started working her body into the small opening. Finally, with one more hard push, she forced herself into the room and the door slammed behind her, plunging her into darkness.

Rather than fumble for a light switch, Indigo found Milo with her hands and sat down beside him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You'll hate me. You'd never forgive me. I'll never forgive me..."

Indigo wrapped her arms around Milo and pulled him close to her. "You know that's not true. I could never hate you, Miles."

"You don't understand. I did something really awful."

"Just tell me what happened and trust me when I say it won't change how I see you."

"You can't know that."