Chapter 3: The Roommates' Predicaments

On the next day, Aliyah was eating her lunch outside. There were verdant leaves dancing with the leaves. As she was taking small bites of her sandwich and her hair playing with the breeze, a girl stood in front of her. She was indeed a radiating beauty. But her mood was grim and filled with a fire of envy.

"Aliyah, isn't it?" said the girl sternly.

As Aliyah was eating the food in her mouth being plumped up with the food she replied,

"Yes?"

"Luke's been a bit too close to you. What did you do?"

"I did nothing. He keeps coming back like a dog I don't like."

With an annoyed face she replied as she rolled her eyes, "What an audacity to call him a dog. What do you think of yourself?"

Aliyah frowned and stood up with her food, "Hey look. I don't have anything against you and your boyfriend. Just tell him to stay away from me."

"Wh-What?! B-Boyfriend?" The girl was flustered with blushed cheeks in an instant. She attempted the best she could to keep her smile inside but the beam was showing up in front of Aliyah. She looked away and held her mouth tight.

"Why are you so happy that I called you his girlfriend? So you're not his girlfriend?" Aliyah took yet another bite having no worry.

"W-Why does that matter? So...you don't really like Luke huh?" The girl looked back at her.

"I don't. He's a jerk. What's your name though?"

"Isabella."

"Isabella...I think I heard your name before."

Isabella sat on the bench and crossed her arms. "You don't seem as bad as I thought of you. Be a little bit careful in this school though. There's a group of girls who pick up on new girls like you." In an instant, she got up from the bench.

"Um...Hey!" Aliyah yelled.

"Huh?" Isabella looked back.

"Will you be my friend?"

"What are you?- Ten?"

"No! I mean...I haven't really made any friends in this school so...you seem nice and I thought that we could be friends. Not close friends but...'knowing each other while calling each other friends, friends'."

Isabella giggled which left Aliyah in a shocked state. She became slightly nervous thinking that she has said the wrong thing.

"Girl..." Isabella grinned. "You're so cuuuteee. Aighty, we'll be that whatever kind of friend you talked about. Later!"

Isabella rushed out of the schoolyard whilst Aliyah was left with a small smile on her face under the beaming sunlight.

But soon the smile dimmed as she thought,

"(Come to think of it...If it wasn't her, I'd get mocked in every single way possible.)"

Aliyah went back to her home later than Elias because of her job at a nearby bakery. It was already evening at the moment. Since Elias lacked the minimum responsibility of keeping the room clean and has spent more than two days with his roommate, he decided to show his true color and to show the colors of all of his cloths, scattered around.

"Why is the room so messy?" said Aliyah as she entered the unit looking around as if she was crossing a place filled with garbage.

Elias was studying with his nose on the book. As soon as he heard Aliyah's voice, he looked perplexed yet focused more on his studies as if it was a deadly research product that may explode if not taken with utmost seriousness. But he was indeed perplexed inside.

Aliyah's face was grim. Thoughts kept striking in herself, telling her that she is living in the unit rent free considering the table she eats on is his and so are all the furnishings.

"(Everything is his here...I have to count the money I have to pay him back...I have to ask him how much the money costed him to buy these. I'll give him half of the money of the furnishings since I use it too. If I don't pay him back...)"

Aliyah's mind was flooded with a bitter memory of her father and her step mother telling her to repay them in every step, even though all the woman has done to her is taking her treasures away.

"Do you know how much it costs? Can you in your whole life pay me back? You will end up in a beggar's house the way you act."

Aliyah's eyes widened as she slowly began to sweat thinking the memories back.

A hand touched Aliyah's sweaty face gently as a feather even though the hand was rock hard. Aliyah looked up and saw Elias who's hand was still on Aliyah's face, looking into her eyes.

"Uh, why are you touching my face?" Aliyah asked. Elias's eyes widened as he backed away as fast as he could.

"I- um." He scratched on his nape. "I was just wondering what you were thinking. You started to sweat in all of a sudden. You still don't look so good."

"Oh...Can you please tell me the prices of the furniture?"

"All of them? What're you trying to do?"

"I'm gonna give you half of the money for each piece of furniture. It feels unfair to use it when I haven't spent a single penny on them."

"Why?" Elias frowned.

"It feels unfair. Give me a list of the prices before the month ends." Aliyah took her clothes out of her bags and went to the bathroom whilst Elias was left clueless.

The night fell and Aliyah was still up with her nose on the books, sitting on the floor. She was writing scribbly with her hands shaking because of exhaustion.

"Why do you always stay on the floor?" said Elias who was sitting on the bed.

"It's my home too. I can be wherever I want unless the place is someone else's." said Aliyah.

"Tsk."

Elias lied down on the sleeping mat of Aliyah and closed his eyes. He turned around as he tucked in the blanket, looking at her with one eye opened.

"Sleeping on the floor isn't as great as you think. Go back to your bed." said Aliyah.

"You slept on the floor for two nights. It's my turn now." Elias got up from the mat.

"No it isn't." Aliyah looked at Elias. He rushed towards Aliyah and held her from her shoulders, while kneeling on the floor. "Just what do you think of yourself?"

Aliyah looked at him with her eyes widened. Her cheeks became as red as her rosy nose. "Let go of me." said Aliyah.

Elias let go of her. "You're just making me feel like a jerk. It's been two days and you always walk like you're some street cat, why? You're paying half of the bills I am."

Aliyah stared into the void of Elias's eyes without any words. She bit her lip and looked away.

"You don't have to hesitate just because these are mine. The place is yours as much it's mine. Just don't cause a scene and we're good." He got up from the floor and headed towards the kitchen. "Besides, who'd fake a dude's voice to trick my mom other than you?" Elias giggled.

Aliyah sighed as she looked towards the window and saw her reflection. She could see and sense that she now feels less tired. But in her mind, she was still eager to pay him back for his kindness.

It was Sunday at the time and Elias was lying down on the couch with his mouth slightly opened. Aliyah slammed the bathroom door open and said calmly,

"Elias...Elias!"

Elias opened his eyes and asked with his morning voice as he wiped his eye,

"What?"

"Did you go to the bathroom in a while?"

"I did, so what?"

"You kept the rim down and you're supposed to clean it and-"

"*yawn* Sorry ma'am." Elias covered his ears with a pillow as he turned around. Aliyah sighed and went back to the bathroom.

She came back with a toothbrush in her hand. "Tsk tsk! Elias, look here." said Aliyah. Elias did not move an inch. But as soon as Aliyah said, "I'm going to brush the rim with your toothbrush." Elias got up from the couch in an instant, throwing the pillow away. Both Aliyah and Elias were keeping a certain distance as if they were in a fighting ring.

"Aliyah, give it back." said Elias as he was slowly walking towards Aliyah not blinking even once.

"No." Aliyah smiled like a devil.

"(I can't even hold her close and then get the brush back...She's gonna call me a creepy bastard if I do that for sure...But...I don't wanna do what she says.)"

"Uh uh, someone's taking too long to answer. Well then, I will-"

"Please don't! I'm going." Elias headed towards the bathroom whilst Aliyah was looking at him like a hawk.

"Oh? Well then, remember not to repeat it again."

But little did Aliyah know that Elias would cast her own spell on her. "Yo, Aliyah. Look here. I got your toothbrush." said Elias with a smirk.

It suddenly turned into a heated battle between them. As they were circling around with the toothbrush in their hands, they were observing each other keenly. Aliyah rushed towards the toilet as Elias rushed towards her to stop her. They both were trying teeth and nail not to give the brush away and to reach the vague goal they have made.

"Stop stepping on my feet!" Elias yelled.

"YOU stop it!" And Aliyah was no less than him.

As they both were trying to get their brushes back at the same time, out of the blue, Elias pushed Aliyah's brush away from her hand which started to go towards an unfortunate place. Because of inserting too much pressure without holding his own brush tight, his brush met the same fate as well.

Before they knew, both of their toothbrushes were sunk in the dirty water of the toilet bowl. They both stared at the bathroom with their jaws dropped. Aliyah looked at Elias as if he was a thing that may go into the toilet bowl on a regular basis on most corners of the world. Elias was staring into a blank space with guilt and cluelessness.

"What am I gonna brush my teeth with again?" said Elias.

Aliyah rolled her eyes and took her black denim coat. She slammed the door shut and left for work. She rushed downstairs as she looked outside. As she was reaching for the road, she saw Dahlia holding an umbrella under the burning sun looking at her with a grim face.

"Dahlia-" Aliyah was reaching towards Dahlia with a faint smile.

"Dahlia, are you coming or not?" said a group of girls sitting on a red car nearby. The car honked and without any words, Dahlia rolled her eyes and headed towards the car as if she does not know her own childhood friend.

Aliyah looked down with a gloomy face as the car left. The sky was becoming as gloomy as herself. Thunder growled and Aliyah rushed back to get her umbrella.

She ended up reaching her workplace, a restaurant named Benny's Bakery. It was a small bakery located near a crowdy road. Aliyah panted and ran into the restaurant. There was a girl older than Aliyah, standing in front of a table filled with customers. Her hair was golden brown and she wore blood red lipstick that was glossing. No matter how pleasant her face was, her glare towards Aliyah was alike of a vulture.

"Ah, yes. Miss Arab is here now." said the girl.

"I'm sorry, Ivy. It was raining and I couldn't get a bus." said Aliyah as she folded her umbrella.

"Shut the fuck up. Go and change your cheap dress." Ivy looked at Aliyah from her head to toe with disgust. "The manager isn't here to pat on your head every few seconds today so I'd prefer if you work better than usual."

Aliyah looked down without any words with a lump in her throat. She could not speak back knowing it may cost her, her job.

As soon as she went to the changing room, Ivy came from behind and locked the door. Ivy was looking alike a witch to Aliyah in the silent room with nothing more than white furniture and a few colorful things. Aliyah was frightened with fear rooted down her heart that she could not express.