Cloverfield

24: Hopeless

"Yes, fuck," Alison's mom mocked. "You didn't come home last night."

"Oh, you were actually here to notice," Alison answered.

"Don't start with that actitude." Jessica sat on the sofa and put her palm on her forehead, getting stressed already. She gestured her daughter towards the couch in front of her.

Not wanting to unleash the monster, Alison sat down too.

"First, are you going to school?"

"Later." Alison paused. "Wait. Shouldn't you be forcing me to go right now?"

"Yes, I should. But I rather just not let you go out with friends, to parties, that kind of thing. Also, give me your cellphone."

Alison raised an eyebrow. Was her mom really doing this? Last week, maybe she wouldn't have cared. But after a weekend with no texts from Emily, she'd expected to get some now. And most importantly, now that they had kissed, Ali wanted to see her more. Kiss her more. "You're serious?"

"I warned you, yet here you are skipping classes again."

"Hey, I went to History yesterday!"

"Good, keep going. Keep a straight record and you can have your rights back."

Alison wanted to press her mom, but this either sounded like a dictatorship or like she cared. She hoped for the latter. "Fine." Alison handed her her cellphone.

"Look, I'm trying to be home more often..." Jessica looked like she hated to admit that. "To be here for you and Jason. I don't remember at what point we stopped being a family, but-"

"I remember." Alison stood up. "Three years ago. Halloween."

An eleven year old Alison sat on the kitchen counter as her mom placed multiple candy on plastic pumpkins. "I can't wait for tonight, it's my favorite holiday!"

Jessica scoffed. "I know. You've been repeating it since October started." She paused. "I won't be able to take you trick or treating, though. Your brother will."

"Jason?" Ali repeated. He had started to act and smell weird. "Why can't you take me?"

"Do you see all these pumpkins? They're for kids who are in hospitals and can't go out tonight like you."

"Can dad take me instead?"

"He has work, sweetie. So have fun with Jason!"

"Then Jason didn't take me out. He threw a party, left me alone. There was no candy, just drugs and alcohol."

"Are you seriously still upset over candy?"

"It's about the small things!" Alison broke. "You knew Jason got high yet you left me under his watch! I know you were doing good with those kids, but you could have brought me along-"

"You wouldn't have wanted to-"

"You could have made me! Look, I appreciate that you're trying, but maybe you're late." She rushed out to her room.

Alison wanted her family together. She really did. But it was hopeless at this point, she realized that now.

x-x-x

On the first break, Emily bumped into Spencer in the hallway. "Sorry!" she said, though a smile couldn't escape her face all day.

Spencer tilted her head questionably. "Why are you so happy?"

"I don't know if I can tell you," Emily said. Now she just wants to shout on the rooftop that she loved Ali. Would Ali be okay if she told Spencer?

"Did something happened with the person you like?"

"Maybe..."

"So it did!" Spencer clapped her hands.

"Who is it?" a random guy from the swim team asked. "It's killing me."

"Not you," a familiar voice said behind him. Ali. "So you can rest in peace."

"Ali knows?" Spencer asked, not surprised but still feeling the need to be reassured.

Alison smiled mischievously and grabbed both Emily's and Spencer's hands, dragging them to an empty classroom.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked.

Alison glanced at Emily, who nodded. She grabbed her hand. "Mystery guy is me, but better."

Spencer's mouth was agape. "Are you guys together?"

"Do I kiss her so it can get through your head?"

"No need." Spencer smirked.

"...What?"

"I kind of saw it coming, I just wasn't sure."

"How?" Emily asked.

"Alison creating that rumor; not to mention the way you guys look at each other, the way you space out--as if it were just the two of you. Hell, the way you try to make each other a better version. Do I keep going?"

"W-was it really that obvious?"

"As your best friend, yes. But the rest is allergic to the word gay, so the prettiest girls at school... liking each other? Not on their minds."

"Aw, you think we're the prettiest girls at school?" Alison teased.

"I think our group rocks, yes," Spencer said, answering but not really answering. "I'm happy that you're together, guys. It's so cute!"

The couple blushed even harder and then they just hugged Spencer. "We love you," Emily said.

"Aw, love you, too."