Catastrophic Bliss (On Hold)

Chapter 8

Grace: You okay?

Grace: Oi

Grace: Alia, answer me right now

Grace: Are you okay?

Grace: Are you alive?

Grace: Alia?

Grace: Alia?????

Alia put her phone back down. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She could feel the eyes of her mother searing through her bedroom door. The quiet murmur of hushed voices drifted through the gaps where the door didn't quite meet its frame. Her ceiling had never been so interesting – or so boring. Then there was the tell-tale sign of approaching footsteps and her door opened. To her surprise, it was Mark who had disturbed her this time – not her mother. Alia didn't say anything but kept her eyes to her ceiling. "Just because you're ignoring me doesn't mean I'll go away." Mark said, shutting the door behind him. "I'm a police officer, I do interrogations. I'm a patient man." Alia still didn't move. Mark sighed and shuffled closer. "Squish up." He said, patting her legs. Alia still didn't move. Mark perched on the end of her bed instead. "I know you're shaken up," Mark began. Alia snorted.

"You think?"

"But you need to talk to someone. You need to see your friends."

"I don't want to see anyone."

"Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to."

"I got attacked by the city's most famous villain, I have bruises pretty much everywhere, my entire body hurts constantly, I get headaches, I'm constantly paranoid someone's following me but sure, I'll go out with my friends." Alia sat up and glared at Mark, hiding her wince of pain.

"I never said you had to go out with them. I just said you had to see them. You don't even have to leave this room." Mark replied calmly.

"I don't want to see them." Alia scowled, lying back down.

"Tough. Because you have visitors." Mark said getting to his feet. He opened the door and stepped out. He was soon replaced by three people all with anxious expressions on their face. Alia rolled her eyes and went back to looking at the ceiling.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, missy." Zoe said, plonking herself practically on top of Alia who moved her legs out the way just in time. "And stop ignoring Grace. She's worried sick and she's bugging me with all her texts and I'm fed up replying with 'I don't know'." Alia pushed herself up into a sitting position again. She could feel Esme watching her closely.

"Stop staring at me I'm fine." Alia snapped. Esme blinked violently before allowing her eyes to wander around Alia's room. Zoe leant across Alia to pick up the latter's phone. "What are you doing?" Alia asked.

"Giving Grace some rest from worrying." Zoe answered, typing quickly. There was a swishing noise that said the message had been sent and Zoe put the phone back down again.

"I was afraid you were going to turn into a zombie." James said.

"No you weren't." Zoe argued.

"I was! I mean, it would have been slightly cool if you were. Then I can finally prove zombies are real and I can become famous or something."

"It would be the 'or something' option." Zoe muttered.

"They'd call you crazy and send you to hospital or something." Esme said. "They'll say you're hallucinating and that your mind is playing tricks on you and that you need to be checked out."