Escaping Lights - A Greyson Chance Fan Fiction

Chapter 36: Locked Away

--- SIX YEARS LATER ---

"Phoebe? Phoebe! Oh, would you please hurry up! You have got to get a move on!" Seth was rapping on my door violently, which didn't at all help in appeasing Alicia, my groggy and now angry roommate. He was making such a huge racket outside the halls. It was only 7:30 in the morning, for goodness' sake. Nobody would ever like to be disturbed on a Saturday morning. I knew everybody was out partying late last night, and they needed to regain their energies back in the weekend in order to face yet another stressful week ahead.

     "I'm still looking for my stockings! I can't go without my stockings, I'll freeze to death!" I shouted while rummaging through the pile of freshly laundered clothes in the hamper.

     "You better find those damn stockings fast because I don't want to get stuck in traffic! And I'm not getting any warmer here as well!" he shouted back through the door.

     "Well, just get in here then and get yourself all cozy," I grumbled as I went towards the door and opened it for him. His nose had indeed gotten a little pink from the cold while waiting. He entered, sat on a chair in the corner and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his brown coat, scowling. Meanwhile, I returned to my ultimate search for the stockings. "God, where are those stupid red things?"

     "Do you mean to look for these?" Seth called, holding up a pair of green tights that were miserably hanging on the backrest of the chair he was sitting on. "No, I said I was looking for red stockings, idiot. Those are green tights!" I cried.

     "What's the difference? They're both worn the same way!" he said incredulously. I fumed, because I was already upset that I slept through my alarm and now I couldn't find my stockings. "The cherry red stockings match this sweater I have on. Do you want me to look like a walking bush?!"

     "You women and your God-forsaken colors!"

     "That's because you have no sense of fashion!"

     "Can we please just go?!"

     "Do you want your sister to go outside with only her knickers on?!" 

     "Would everybody please stop yelling?!" shrieked Alicia on top of our bickering. Seth and I blinked at her. She was rubbing her fingers on her temples, trying to make the headache go away. "All I want is some peace and quiet in this room. I would very much appreciate it if you could talk calmly and in hushed tones while I lie in here, nursing a really bad case of hangover."

     I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes. "Sorry, Alicia, but Seth here is not helping. Hey," I said, referring to my brother. "Can you please just make yourself useful in the meantime and feed her with that chicken broth? I don't want her to feel worse while I'm gone."

     Seth did so, taking the bowl of chicken broth I had prepared earlier from the table and settling down next to her. "If you don't control yourself, you're going to have drinking problems in the future."

     "I've only ever been in two college parties wherein I drank too much because I've only ever been dumped twice. Let the sad girl have some fun," Alicia explained weakly. He furrowed his brows unbelievingly, saying, "Alcohol is not the only answer, you know."

     I supplied, "I tell her that but she won't listen. So I gave up and allowed curiosity to teach her a thing or two. Being the kind roommate and concerned friend that I am to her, I patiently stay up waiting until she crashes on the door and lands on her bed facedown. Then she leaves me doing all the dirty work of removing puke from her hair and changing her clothes that badly reek of spirits. Oh, Alicia, what would you do without us?"