asset [h.s.]

seventy nine // contact

Alicia

Connor and I tried to stay up to devise some sort of plan of action for what to do next, although after a few hours it was obvious both of us were too tired to use our brains anymore. The effects were especially noticeable for me due to the days I've spent travelling, the lack of food and irregular sleep. Connor turned out to be a surprisingly good host though, ordering in a hot meal for us both and then offering me the couch to sleep on.

Not that I did much sleeping though. I was barely even on the couch for most of the night and when I was, I drifted in and out of a light slumber until I noticed the sun rising and decided to give up.

Once I drag myself off the couch, I help myself to some breakfast as Connor made sure to show me the choices available before he went upstairs last night. I fix myself a bowl of cereal, slowly eating it while watching the news on low volume, trying to use my old French linguistic skills to figure out what they're saying.

By the time Connor wakes up and drags himself downstairs, I'm already packing my bag and getting ready for the day. I've changed back into my jeans and shoes I was wearing before, but Connor left out a 'Guns N Roses' shirt for me to wear last night, along with one of his leather jackets. With my darker, messy haircut and the makeup I've plastered back on my face, I kind of look like some rocker chick, but I guess that's a good thing because it's a stark difference to Alicia Ferguson.

Connor just glances over at me before walking over to the kitchen, letting out a small yawn as he switches on the coffee machine. "You didn't seem to get much sleep last night."

I stop packing my backpack to look up at him, furrowing my eyebrows "How do you know that?"

"I heard you moving around. Going to the bathroom. Throwing up," Connor says, turning around to shoot me an accusing look. I let my eyes slip away from his gaze, but I know he's still watching me. "Want to say anything about that?"

I continue to avoid his gaze, looking anywhere else. "No. Not really."

When I look back up at him, he's shooting me a disapproving look. "Alicia, if you really want to go through with this plan and for us to work together, you need to tell me things."

"And I'm willing to tell you things," I reply, causing him to raise his eyebrows at me. "Just not everything. If it isn't related to what we're doing, I don't understand why you have to know."

"I need to know if it's going to affect what we're doing."

"It's not."

"And how do you know that?"

"I just do," I say between gritted teeth. "Now drop it before I leave and go find someone else to help me."

Connor scoffs, shaking his head as he raises his cup of coffee to his lips. "Yeah, good luck with that."

I find myself getting rather angry at his words, folding my arms across my chest. "I could do this with or without you."

"Maybe," he agrees with a shrug. "But it'd be a lot harder."

"Oh really?" I ask and he nods. "I don't think so. I could do it alone. I am smart, you know."

"I know. But this plan of yours, what you're planning to do.....it requires a certain level of expertise that I just happen to have," Connor reminds me with an annoyingly smug look. "So actually, I think you do need me."

I purse my lips, feeling in the mood to hurl a whole argument at him, but for the sake of us working together, I decide to bite my tongue. "Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes. "Can you get ready? We have to leave soon."