Riot

Chapter 7

Marylee's POV:

It was only when I was about to walk out of the library when I noticed her. She was two meters upfront, chatting excitedly to a guy I had never seen before. Not that that surprised me, I knew none of her friends. The only person she'd ever taken home in the brief time we lived together was her brother.

'Wait a second', I stopped Sheila, who was walking out with me. 'I have to say hi to my roommate over there.'

I nudged my head in Alisons direction.

Sheila's eyes widened.

'Your roommate? The one that is so conservative and rigid?'

'I only have one roommate', I grinned.

She chuckled and followed me as I increased my pace towards Alison.

Alison turned around when I called her name. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw me.

'Marylee? What are you doing here?'

Her friend's face showed a glow of recognition at the mention of my name.

'Same as you, I suppose', I replied.

She clearly didn't appreciate my answer, but her friend smiled and extended a hand.

'I'm Matthew, Alisons best friend', he introduced himself.

Alison shot a warning glance at him, which he returned with a sweet smile. He seemed to be a lot less uptight than Alison.

I shook his hand.

'Marylee, Alisons roommate. And this is Sheila',

I gently pushed her forward. She smiled at the two.

'I've heard so much about you', Sheila said to Alison in an overly sweet tone of voice that gave away her harsh prejudices towards my roommate. Knowing first hand how uneasy Sheila could make you feel, I turned the conversation.

'What are you reading?' I asked Alison, looking at the two books she was carrying.

'Oh, I just bought them here', she said. 'Do you read?'

Once again I was a little set off by her strange conceptions about me, but Sheila responded before I could.

'All the time.'

Alisons face was not short of disbelief.

'I don't think you know her very well', Sheila continued in her typical sharp manner.

'I, well, no I don't', Alison admitted awkwardly. She looked me over for a while. 'What do you read Marylee?'

Her last words were a surprise. For as far as I could remember this was the first question she'd asked me that was not about cleaning up the living room, or any of her other wishes. The first time she seemed genuinely interested.

'Mostly non fiction, actually,' I told her. Getting excited as I spoke. 'Though I do like a good novel as well. I adore the classic female writers, like Mary Austin and Charlotte Bronte and of course Virginia Woolf. I'm reading all of her works now. That book Angela Carter presented today sounded rather interesting too, I have to say. I'd get it if I had the money.'

Sheila nudged my shoulder.

'You know you could've asked me to get it for you, right?' She asked too quietly for the others to hear.

I shook my head lightly.

'I'll just wait 'till the library gets it.' I whispered back.

'What did you get Alison?'