𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 || j. daniel atlas

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎

Alena jolted awake to the rattle of the tabletop and its load. Her eyes out of focus, all she could see was the light coming from her phone.

With so little grace, she may as well have had the hangover she had been expecting before the world had fallen apart, Alena kicked off the blankets and scrambled for the device. She rubbed her eyes furiously with the heel of her hand and squinted at the screen.

But the name just read 'Raquelle'.

Alena cleared her throat and answered. But before she could get a word in, the wrath of Raquelle struck her eardrum like a spear.

"So, you're alive then?"

Alena managed a hum in reply.

"What were you thinking, wandering off into the night alone? And not answering our calls, reading our texts."

"I texted you that I was safe with friends."

"Yeah, I can just about make that out from the enigma code you sent me. And which friends are these, exactly? We don't know any of your other friends. Was this friend your Mr Atlas?"

"No."

"So who?"

"A couple of guys I know. They're good guys."

"Right." Raquelle didn't sound at all convinced. "You're alright then? Nothing has happened?"

"Nothing like what you're thinking."

"Is that her?" Alena heard Bobby's distant voice.

"Yeah," said Raquelle.

"Give me the phone. What were you thinking, you fucking idiot!?"

Alena held the phone a little away from her ear as Bobby let loose a string of colourful reprimands in an increasingly Southern accent. "Do you know what time it is? It's almost twelve o'clock. That's over fourteen hours you've been gone and we had no idea how you were. And don't say you texted, because that garbage could have come from anyone!"

When she had finished, Alena croaked, "How's Rose?"

"We managed to get her to sleep after you texted last night. You've had us all worried sick. We even called the police!" After Bobby's cutting remarks, Raquelle's voice was almost soothing.

"I'm sorry," Alena said meekly. "I'm coming home now."

"We're all at the apartment. I'll get us all breakfast from the place down the street. Text me when you get into the taxi."

"Okay."

"And Alena?"

"Hm?"

"If you even do that again, I'll kill you."

Alena managed to scrape a chuckle from the bottom of her empty stomach. "I love you too."

Flicking through the rest of her missed calls and text messages, Alena's heart sank as there was still nothing from her mother. Still, at least she hadn't missed anything.

She got up, taking her phone to the bathroom. As she scrubbed her hands, Alena kept glancing at it, precariously balanced on the corner of the sink, waiting for the screen to light up again, heart pounding during the seconds she turned away to find a towel. And then she realised something.