R.B. Ashton
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Sensus Supra: The New Girl - C.3
🕑 Added 2021-12-06 10:00:03 +0000 UTC***Part 3 of 14. Alicia faces challenges with her wicked roommate.***
The four girls moved into action as soon as they saw Alicia, standing and panning out to form a wall ahead of her. Along with Bayley, there was a slim, round-faced woman with thick curly hair, wearing leggings and a tank top; a tall lanky one with a rather large nose and an expensive-looking red tracksuit; and a shorter woman with long dark hair, in a sweatshirt with Greek letters on it.
The curly-haired one shifted closer on Alicia’s right-hand side, said, “So this is the new blood? Could you look any more ordinary?”
The others sniggered as Alicia locked eyes with her, not bothering to respond.
“Where’d you get that t-shirt, the Lost and Found?” the tall one asked, in an ugly nasal voice. She folded her arms to show extra defiance.
“And when did you get those shoes?” the Greek-lettered one demanded, with the twang of an American accent. “The 80s?”
Alicia looked down at her feet, instinctively wanting to point out that Chuck Taylor’s were timeless, so that comment said more about how ignorant they were – but she knew that kind of logic would only make things worse. Instead, she kept her eyes down and said, quietly, “Can I get to my bed?”
“Can she get to her bed?” the curly-haired one asked, cheerfully. “What do we think? Doesn’t look like it.”
“Doesn’t look like it at all, Vera,” the American agreed. “Think you’d better find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
“Very funny,” Alicia said, and took a step in to go past them. They closed ranks, shoulder to shoulder, so she would have to physically push through. She stared past them to Bayley, who looked thoroughly self-satisfied. “You mind asking your minions to get out of my way?”
“Minions?” the tall one snorted. “Who the hell are you calling a minion, midget?” She had a couple of inches on Alicia, but otherwise Alicia stood taller than the other girls, which made her frown deepen.
“We were having a private conversation, actually, Alicia,” Bayley finally said. “It was you who said we need to be able to share, wasn’t it? So, if you could kindly respect my privacy, maybe you could let us have the room for a bit? Would that be okay?” She said it with painful condescension, made worse by the other girls leering. Clearly, none of them were going anywhere.
Alicia took a breath and huffed it out. She couldn’t exactly fight four girls, and was too tired after this long day to be able to outwit them. She rolled her eyes and said, “I’ll wait in the hall, shall I?”
“That would be lovely,” Bayley said.
“If you can just let me get my –” Alicia tried again to go for her bag, hoping she might at least get a shower or something in the meantime, but the American blocked her path and shook her head. Alicia locked eyes with her. Not worth it. She turned on her heel and left, swinging the door shut behind her.
A moment later, she heard them burst out laughing.
Alicia took in a deep breath, almost shaking from the tension. But she had to handle this. The feelings would overwhelm her, otherwise. She definitely couldn’t shrink now. Her hand went into her pocket and teased the button to call her Buddy. Maybe Topper could do something to help, being a more senior girl. Except Topper had been pretty clear about not getting in touch with her. Tired by this nonsense, Alicia slumped back against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.
She sat there, knees up, and hung her head to miserably wait.
Bayley and her friends were talking loudly in the room, though she couldn’t make out the words through the thick walls and door. Whenever they laughed, she got the feeling they were laughing at her. Talking about her. How quickly they’d come to hate her for no good reason. And this was just the start of it, Day One. She couldn’t even go in her own room without trouble.
Cian was right. She had to do something to make it clear to Bayley that she couldn’t be messed with. But what? Have firm words with her once the others had gone, that was a possibility. Cut up her clothes when she was out of the room? That might give her pause. Piss in her favourite cup? If she had a favourite cup . . .
These were awful ideas, Alicia told herself, burying her face in her hands. Whatever she did, she was bound to make things worse, and if she really pissed off Bayley and then got the Hiccups, she’d be in for some serious hell. No, she’d sleep on it, look at things with a new light in the morning.
But she was left waiting in the hall for hours as the girls kept talking and laughing. She considered a few times trying again, bursting in the room and forcing them out, but thought that would only make them work harder to keep her out. If she didn’t seem bothered, they would eventually go . . .
A few girls passed Alicia in the hall as she sat there, and she gave them weak smiles as they looked down with pity and confusion. She could feel them judging her as they walked off: the weird new girl. Great. She kept her gaze down from then on, and merely watched the shoes passing. Tatty New Balance trainers, a nice pair of slip ons, a chunky pair of white Nikes with a swoosh . . .
Finally, after what felt like forever, the door suddenly opened and Alicia jumped to her feet. The girls came out in a flurry of farewells and giggles, but as they clustered in the hallway they paused to stare at her with disdain.
“Oh my God,” the curly-haired one, Vera, said. “Have you been sitting out here all this time? What’s wrong with you?”
“Why didn’t you just come in?” the American asked, and for a split-second it could’ve all been a mean, unintended joke, as though they really might’ve given her a chance. Then they all burst out laughing. They waved Bayley off and sauntered away down the hall as Alicia watched them hatefully.
She thumped into the room furiously, ready to shout at Bayley, but her roommate had her back turned, picking up toiletries and a towel, and yawned loudly before she could talk. “I’m going for a shower. Don’t touch any of my shit.”
With that, Bayley pushed out of the room without meeting Alicia’s eye, leaving her stunned, alone. What had just happened? Why hadn’t she done something? Said something, punched her, anything! But she’d just stood there. Was still standing there now.
Infuriated, Alicia dropped onto her bed and her chest shuddered from released tension. Shaking her head with upset, she kicked off her shoes and rolled over onto the bed, facing the wall and curling up. She just wanted to go to sleep and wake up with everything better tomorrow. She stayed there, no energy nor will to move, right until Bayley came back, smelling sweetly of floral perfume.
“Good night, weirdo,” Bayley said in a smug tone, and flicked off the lights.
Alicia lay in the dark glaring at the wall, fighting the urge to cry. She was better than this, she told herself. Stronger than this. But she’d let them box her out of the room and let Bayley talk to her like that. She tensed all over, willing herself to do something, anything other than cry.
She heard a slight, definitely deliberate snigger from across the room – a final jibe from Bayley, and Alicia snapped. She jumped off her bed and crossed the distance between them in a second, launching silently onto Bayley, who had just enough time to turn and raise her hands in defence, shouting, “What the fuck!”
Alicia landed on her, though, pinning her down with her knees either side of the girl, hands on her wrists to hold Bayley in place. Bayley kicked and pushed back – she was strong, giving Alicia a hard time holding her, but with Alicia’s full weight on her chest she couldn’t buck her, and was instead swearing and cursing. Alicia leaned in close, slamming her wrists back against the bed, and snarled, “You want to fuck with me? Do you?”
Bayley only struggled harder, making Alicia fight to keep her still, putting all her energy into not letting the girl go, because if she broke free she would go mad. Just as well Bayley made it that hard, because Alicia realised all she could do was pin her. What would she do next, if she got her under control? Absolutely nothing.
“Get off me, get off!” Bayley shrieked, and Alicia bent down lower, pinning her wrist with an elbow so she could get a hand up over her mouth. Smothering her silent.
Bayley’s eyes widened with panic as Alicia held her head in place, hissing, “Shut up!”
But Bayley moved harder, seeming to grow more afraid as her airways were blocked. She twisted and made unintelligible noises and then started gagging. Properly gagging, Alicia saw at once it wasn’t an act. She sat back, taking her hands off her, staring in shock for a moment. Bayley’s focus had completely left her as she shuddered with a dry heave. Coughing again, again.
“Oh God,” Alicia said. “Are you all right –”
Bayley’s eyes locked hatefully on her, before she gave another gag and her whole upper body shuddered. Not choking or gasping for air, no – it was a jolt like she was being electrocuted, something Alicia was all too familiar with. This was the Hiccups. Alicia’s jaw dropped open as she stared with surprise. She’d triggered it – Bayley was about to change.
Alicia quickly backed off further, releasing Bayley’s legs, and her roommate sat upright, about to bolt. But it got her, then – with one final heave of air, Bayley’s whole body contorted, and as she went to jump off the bed she was drawn down, quickly, crazily towards it. The air shimmered around her as Bayley’s body shrank, tightening in a quick pulse that drew her arms and legs rapidly to her centre like spaghetti being sucked in. Bayley fell down onto the duvet, the edge of the bed now a short scramble away, but she lost no time with it, turning her roll into a run.
Alicia stared with stunned alarm. The athletic girl, in her tight top and shorts, was only six inches tall, like a doll come to life in the middle of the bed. She was sprinting to leap off the bed, moving so fast it snapped Alicia into action herself: she put a hand down to block her. Bayley gave a small bleat as Alicia grabbed her around the waist. The girl pushed weakly against Alicia’s fingers and kicked about, swearing her head off, but she was too small and light to resist.
“Put me down you bitch!” Bayley cried. “I’ll kill you!”
Alicia lifted her with ease, to hold Bayley before her face. As she took in the tiny woman, powerless in her grip, Alicia’s startled expression shifted to a happy one. Well, this changed things.
