After the End

Chapter 11 - The Cell Phone

They had stayed up talking all night. Many cups of tea and coffee had been consumed and they had all fallen asleep in awkward positions on the floor in front of the large black leather sofa.

Allegra woke up slowly, extending her arms to wake up her muscles, and then let out a long, satisfying yawn.

She looked at the two ladies who were spread out next to her, both of them still asleep. Naomi had rested her head on Bobby's stomach, and they were both happily snoring away.

As quietly as possible, Allegra got up and walked into the kitchen, turning the kettle on to make everyone another hot drink, when suddenly her phone rang. She pulled it out as quickly as possible so as not to wake her sleeping friends and looked at the screen. An unknown number was displayed, and Allegra could safely say from her own experience that not all unknown numbers were bad, and she decided to answer it just in case it was the police. She answered with a clear voice, her back to the door into the kitchen, secretly excited and hoping to hear that the police had caught and arrested Wayne.

"Good morning, Allegra Mullins speaking."

"Allie?"

Her heart stopped. It can't be...

"Lucy?"

"Finally you answer!" Lucy called through the phone, annoyance in her high-pitched voice. "I've been ringing you practically every day."

"Yeah..." Allegra replied awkwardly, realising that she had actually recognised the number Lucy was calling from but it hadn't registered in her mind when she pressed answer.

"So, how are you?" Lucy asked in a new friendlier tone.

"Are you seriously ringing me to have a chat?" Allegra scoffed dumbfoundedly.

"I'm lonely, Allie, and Taylor won't answer her phone," Lucy told her as if she was stupid. Allegra hated it when she treated her like that.

"I need to go, Lucy."

"Allie, no –"

"And please don't call me that." Allegra was about to press 'end call' when she heard Lucy shout down the phone, making her stop in hesitation.

"You said we'd be friends forever!"

"You should have thought about that before you helped Taylor, shouldn't you?" Allegra hissed, bringing the phone back to her ear.

"We still have newspapers and magazines in prison, Allie," Lucy laughed, now calling her by her nickname just to annoy her. "I've seen you and Taylor together. How come you can be friends with her and not me, hmm?"

Allegra couldn't believe her, and she gritted her teeth together to stop herself from snapping back.

"You really need to stop contacting me, Lucy," she warned.

"Answer my question and maybe I will," Lucy replied. Allegra was able to hear the eyebrow raise through the phone.

"Get some help," she advised. "I'm hanging up now."

"I'll just call again –" she could hear Lucy laughing.

And then she pressed end call.

Naomi and Taylor had been standing in the doorway secretly listening to Allegra, and they made her jump when she turned around.

"Was that...?" Naomi cringed, already knowing the answer.

"Lucy, yeah," she nodded.

"Why did you answer?" Taylor asked.

"I thought it was the police. They always call me on an unknown number as well."

Naomi slowly made her way into the kitchen properly, her footsteps light on the white tiles as she kept her gaze on her younger sister.

"Well, what did she say?" she asked.

"That she's lonely," Allegra replied with another shrug.

"She's crazy," Taylor reminded them as she remained in the doorway, looking at both of them. They looked at her and Naomi bit her lip.

"I think you should go and see her," she said.

"What?" Allegra and Taylor asked together, unsure if they'd heard her correctly.

"I'm sure you have some questions for her," she explained. "You have her in the best position now to get some answers."

"No," Allegra laughed, already refusing her sister's suggestion.

"Actually..." Taylor interjected slowly, looking at Allegra, "that's not a bad idea. She'll be out in just over a month and then you won't be able to talk to her in such a controlled environment if you run into her."

"No," Allegra held both hands up and shook her head, laughing nervously. She couldn't believe what they were suggesting.

"Taylor's right," Naomi said.

She stared at them in silence briefly, their words replaying in her head, then took a deep breath and let her gaze drop to her bare feet.

This is really happening, she thought.