Sisi / Season 1

44⁒

fly – june marieezy

Sleep? What is that—never heard of such witchcraft?! I stare at my screen, as bright as it is, until my eyeballs are numb. I've written some things down. I can't bear to read it over again. It doesn't make sense. I exit the applications and close my macbook.

Étienne sits and plays video games. I forgot to look at the time. It wouldn't be right to look at it anyhow. He's playing video games and talking on his phone.

I close my eyes and massage. His voice is low, so I presume he's chatting with a lady person. He says a lot of 'yeah's', but I don't eavesdrop.

I crawl into my bed. I push off the empty water bottles and the one that used to have rum in it. There's no light to turn off.

Shadows preform a show on the opposite wall from the window. I watch them, until I feel the bed sink.

Looking up, I see Étienne settling in my space.

I pout, "Done talking to your lady friend?"

"What?" he mumbles, fluffing the pillow.

"Does she know you're living here?" I ask him.

He drops his head, and I get a whiff of his worn out cologne. He grumbles syllables, but no English words.

For a man, a being that has physical power, sexual dreams, and undisciplined hormones... he's followed the Ten Commandments quite well. I don't believe I'm Venus or anything. But I hold a high respect for him, because he hasn't tried anything on me.

He gets up from the bed.

"I need a drink," he sighs.

"It's not even Thursday," I tell him, "What are you celebrating?"

He drinks every other night, though. My hand holds my head up. I watch him open the fridge and pulling out mini liquor bottle.

"When did you buy that?" I ask. He clocks his hand and pops off the top. "You owe me rent."

He only grins. He thinks I'm a ball of jokes. I roll my eyes. He returns next to me. The fridge slowly closes, shrinking the slither of light, until it's dark again.

He shares, which is sweet, but I shake my head. I like my liver the way it is. And my mother told me long ago not to practice drinking wine and stuff.

"We broke up," he says in the air.

I pause. So the drink is needed. Oh.

"She'll miss you and her mascara will run down," I say.

He gives me a weird look. He didn't get my proverb that I made up. I let out a small laugh.

"Don't drink too much," I pat his shoulder.

"The rum is done?" he asks, emptying his lungs.

I nod my head. He looks at me.

"I need something stronger," he decides.

I don't know why he's staring at me.

"I'm not a convenient store," I whisper. His eyes don't part. I frown, reading his gaze. "And I'm not a call girl."

I roll to my other side and face the spectacle wall. I hear him swallow and sigh.

·•●⦁·

He takes a seat next to my throne.

I look at him from the corner of my eye. He sees my alter ego.

"Hey med student," he greets.

I slip the back of my fingers under my chin. It's soft there. Back in catholic school, the girls said the softer it is, the better head you give.

"Today, I'm a queen. A very fair one," I tell J.

He launches his cigarette, before I can blink. The smoke slithers in the air like a rattlesnake.

"Uh-oh," he grins.

I wish I had my hat. It's good for hiding. I pluck out the left earbud from my hearing canal.

"Why uh-oh?" I frown.

He looks ahead and licks his lips from the scorch.

"That means your looking for your prince charming," he says.

I shake my head, "No, I'm like Elizabeth. I'm married to my kingdom."

He doesn't say anything after. I assume it's because he's busy smoking and enjoying his slow death.

We sit together quietly on a campus bench.

"Costume party at the VCSA. Are you going?" I ask, exhausted from the nothingness.

"I haven't got a costume," he replies.

"Just make one," I shrug my shoulders.

"Meh," J reluctantly sighs.

It becomes quiet again. I tick my tongue.

"This is the part where you feed me," I tell him.

He grins again, this time standing up. The sun gets in my eyes, so I lift my hand to shield my vision. The clouds strip the sky behind him. I'm not ready to let this strange being out of my sight.

"Go ask your kingdom," he says.

He then walks off to the other side of the wind. I pout, feeling lonely all of a sudden. Then I get mad—like what's his problem? I plug my ears back with Vaults. The music loosens my muscles for me. Then I sigh, getting drawn to the back of that guy. He's so weird. How many secrets does he burn at night?

·•●⦁·