Untrustworthy - Chapter 9/Micaela's Boyfriend
Andrew is back.
Elysa woke up with sun streaming in on her face, and she smiled. For the first time in a long while, she woke up in a good mood. She sprang out of bed and ran barefoot to her dresser, the wood floor cold against her feet. She looked in the mirror and grinned wide.
Last night had been a lot of fun. She'd spent so much time hanging out with Sara, she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have another friend. It was refreshing to be with someone who didn't know what was going on and buy into the prevailing fear and suspicion that seemed to have everyone else in its grip.
They'd just hung around town all afternoon, downtown, the park, Wendys, and finally went to Micaela's apartment to talk and play video games. She'd shown Elysa her music collection and then filled the empty place with sound. Micaela was a headbanger.
The snow had begun to fall again outside, bright, glittering flakes that caught the sun when they came down. It was a little strange to see, snow in broad daylight, with only a few puffy clouds supplying them. It made the day seem magical and fit in with Elysa's high spirits.
She brushed her teeth, hair, dressed, put on her shoes and eyepatch and sneaked downstairs to make breakfast. It was Saturday, and everyone was still hung over from last night she knew. She wondered what Bryson was up to today. Whenever she thought of the smile he had given her on Sara's birthday, she still got that special warm feeling down in her belly.
At the kitchen she heard someone talking on the phone. An authoritative, low voiced someone.
"Remember, make sure you guys don't tilt the box upside down. There will be arrows pointing the right way up. It's imperative that it's right side up."
Arden sat at the breakfast table with his laptop propped up in front of him. It sounded like he was discussing shipping arrangements. He looked suave in a long sleeved black shirt and jeans. His strange blue eyes surveyed Elysa for a second before settling back on his screen. He shut off his phone. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Elysa moved around him to get milk from the fridge, her good mood dampened but not squelched.
"Where were you last night?"
Elysa shot him a glare, but looked away when he met her gaze. Nosy bastard. "I was with Sara."
"Her dad was coming this weekend and he picked her up right after her piano lessons."
Elysa paused, milk jug in an unsteady hand. How did he know that? Not sure how to respond she told him, "It's none of your business where I was or what I was doing."
He glanced up at her briefly but didn't say anything. She set the milk on the counter abruptly, no longer willing to eat breakfast in the house, and left the kitchen. In the living room Jacob dozed on the couch, all evidence of last night's party removed. She put her coat on and slipped out into the bitingly cold, glittering day.
There was a concert that night, at the local music venue where Royal worked. Elysa had long since figured out that that was where the drugs were distributed. Concerts were generally only $3 each and there were always several booked for the week. No one seemed to notice that the normal local band fan crowd had swelled to three times its size and now included all people from all different levels of highschool society and culture. Micaela had heard about it and wanted to go, but Elysa had said she didn't want to go.
She was going Micaela's place today. They happened to be taking the same class at different hours, and were planning on working on a poster together. She reached the apartment Micaela shared with her mother and knocked on the door. Micaela opened the door all smiles, and let her in. Elysa was very surprised to see Andrew there.
"What are you doing here?" She asked rudely.
"This is my boyfriend." Micaela said matter-of-factly. "I guess he used to go to your school not too long ago. We met over winter break and he asked me out."
"I live in this apartment complex." He eyed Elysa warily.
"I know you're not going to the concert tonight, but Andrew wanted to go so we're gonna be heading out. But he said he just wanted to go for one of the opening bands and then we're coming back here to watch basketball. Wanna come?"
"Won't I just be the third wheel?" Elysa asked, feeling let down. Micaela shook her head vigorously but Andrew didn't answer. He looked a little sullen. His face had changed, losing its baby fat and becoming harder and leaner looking, almost gaunt. He looked shiftier than Elysa remembered, and his hair had grown longer and messier. Micaela probably thought it was cute.
"Are you sure you don't want to come to the concert?" Micaela pressed. "Andrew said it's a really good band."
"No. I have other things to do."
"Well what about afterwards then?"
"Sure."
That night Elysa hung around her room doing homework and watching movies. Finally she went to see if Micaela was home. She found her new friend and Andrew snuggled together on the sunken couch, watching the basketball game with a bowl of chips. She joined them feeling out of place. Micaela's head popped up from her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Beer?"
Elysa accepted the can and opened it. She sucked it down and then glanced at her friends. Micaela and Andrew seemed happy, giggling and laughing to each other.
"What put you guys in such a good mood?" She asked. They both looked at her.
Micaela took something from Andrew's lap as he said "No, wait!" Like a bad dream she opened her fingers to reveal a packet of white powder.
"We got this at the concert."
Elysa stared at it, and then at her. At her glowing eyes and bright smile. She was not drunk enough for this. She got up hastily. "Micaela, what has he done to you?"
She looked at Andrew and yelled at him, "You dragged her into this too!"
He shrugged at her hopelessly. "I'm in debt. She has a lot of money saved up, she can help pay for this." Elysa's eyes widened. She bent down and slapped Andrew soundly across the face.
"Hey!" Micaela jumped up, scattering chips on the floor. "What are you doing?"
"Don't you get it? He doesn't want you, he wants your money! That's all they ever want."
"What are you talking about? You're just jealous because you don't have a boyfriend!"
"No, trust me! Cocaine will destroy you! You think it's all fun and games now, but it will ruin your life! Get rid of it now!" Elysa yelled at her as Andrew looked on disinterestedly.
"Stop telling me what to do, you're not my mom!" Micaela yelled in a drunken rage. "Get out!"
Elysa left angrily, slamming the door behind her. In front of the apartment complex she paused and looked back. Another friendship ruined, but she was more worried about Micaela. She shook her head and left. There was no point in talking to her right now anyway, she'd have to get her some other time.
Last night had been a lot of fun. She'd spent so much time hanging out with Sara, she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have another friend. It was refreshing to be with someone who didn't know what was going on and buy into the prevailing fear and suspicion that seemed to have everyone else in its grip.
They'd just hung around town all afternoon, downtown, the park, Wendys, and finally went to Micaela's apartment to talk and play video games. She'd shown Elysa her music collection and then filled the empty place with sound. Micaela was a headbanger.
The snow had begun to fall again outside, bright, glittering flakes that caught the sun when they came down. It was a little strange to see, snow in broad daylight, with only a few puffy clouds supplying them. It made the day seem magical and fit in with Elysa's high spirits.
She brushed her teeth, hair, dressed, put on her shoes and eyepatch and sneaked downstairs to make breakfast. It was Saturday, and everyone was still hung over from last night she knew. She wondered what Bryson was up to today. Whenever she thought of the smile he had given her on Sara's birthday, she still got that special warm feeling down in her belly.
At the kitchen she heard someone talking on the phone. An authoritative, low voiced someone.
"Remember, make sure you guys don't tilt the box upside down. There will be arrows pointing the right way up. It's imperative that it's right side up."
Arden sat at the breakfast table with his laptop propped up in front of him. It sounded like he was discussing shipping arrangements. He looked suave in a long sleeved black shirt and jeans. His strange blue eyes surveyed Elysa for a second before settling back on his screen. He shut off his phone. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Elysa moved around him to get milk from the fridge, her good mood dampened but not squelched.
"Where were you last night?"
Elysa shot him a glare, but looked away when he met her gaze. Nosy bastard. "I was with Sara."
"Her dad was coming this weekend and he picked her up right after her piano lessons."
Elysa paused, milk jug in an unsteady hand. How did he know that? Not sure how to respond she told him, "It's none of your business where I was or what I was doing."
He glanced up at her briefly but didn't say anything. She set the milk on the counter abruptly, no longer willing to eat breakfast in the house, and left the kitchen. In the living room Jacob dozed on the couch, all evidence of last night's party removed. She put her coat on and slipped out into the bitingly cold, glittering day.
There was a concert that night, at the local music venue where Royal worked. Elysa had long since figured out that that was where the drugs were distributed. Concerts were generally only $3 each and there were always several booked for the week. No one seemed to notice that the normal local band fan crowd had swelled to three times its size and now included all people from all different levels of highschool society and culture. Micaela had heard about it and wanted to go, but Elysa had said she didn't want to go.
She was going Micaela's place today. They happened to be taking the same class at different hours, and were planning on working on a poster together. She reached the apartment Micaela shared with her mother and knocked on the door. Micaela opened the door all smiles, and let her in. Elysa was very surprised to see Andrew there.
"What are you doing here?" She asked rudely.
"This is my boyfriend." Micaela said matter-of-factly. "I guess he used to go to your school not too long ago. We met over winter break and he asked me out."
"I live in this apartment complex." He eyed Elysa warily.
"I know you're not going to the concert tonight, but Andrew wanted to go so we're gonna be heading out. But he said he just wanted to go for one of the opening bands and then we're coming back here to watch basketball. Wanna come?"
"Won't I just be the third wheel?" Elysa asked, feeling let down. Micaela shook her head vigorously but Andrew didn't answer. He looked a little sullen. His face had changed, losing its baby fat and becoming harder and leaner looking, almost gaunt. He looked shiftier than Elysa remembered, and his hair had grown longer and messier. Micaela probably thought it was cute.
"Are you sure you don't want to come to the concert?" Micaela pressed. "Andrew said it's a really good band."
"No. I have other things to do."
"Well what about afterwards then?"
"Sure."
That night Elysa hung around her room doing homework and watching movies. Finally she went to see if Micaela was home. She found her new friend and Andrew snuggled together on the sunken couch, watching the basketball game with a bowl of chips. She joined them feeling out of place. Micaela's head popped up from her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Beer?"
Elysa accepted the can and opened it. She sucked it down and then glanced at her friends. Micaela and Andrew seemed happy, giggling and laughing to each other.
"What put you guys in such a good mood?" She asked. They both looked at her.
Micaela took something from Andrew's lap as he said "No, wait!" Like a bad dream she opened her fingers to reveal a packet of white powder.
"We got this at the concert."
Elysa stared at it, and then at her. At her glowing eyes and bright smile. She was not drunk enough for this. She got up hastily. "Micaela, what has he done to you?"
She looked at Andrew and yelled at him, "You dragged her into this too!"
He shrugged at her hopelessly. "I'm in debt. She has a lot of money saved up, she can help pay for this." Elysa's eyes widened. She bent down and slapped Andrew soundly across the face.
"Hey!" Micaela jumped up, scattering chips on the floor. "What are you doing?"
"Don't you get it? He doesn't want you, he wants your money! That's all they ever want."
"What are you talking about? You're just jealous because you don't have a boyfriend!"
"No, trust me! Cocaine will destroy you! You think it's all fun and games now, but it will ruin your life! Get rid of it now!" Elysa yelled at her as Andrew looked on disinterestedly.
"Stop telling me what to do, you're not my mom!" Micaela yelled in a drunken rage. "Get out!"
Elysa left angrily, slamming the door behind her. In front of the apartment complex she paused and looked back. Another friendship ruined, but she was more worried about Micaela. She shook her head and left. There was no point in talking to her right now anyway, she'd have to get her some other time.
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