Arlington (Book One)

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning my alarm blares loudly at me and I hit snooze multiple times. By the time I can muster the strength to roll over and check the time I see that I have less than half an hour to get ready for work. Sitting up my abdominal muscles scream at me, and I instantly regret some of my choices from yesterday. I dial the phone number I have memorized, and Alexander's secretary picks up.

"Hi Madge," I say when the line picks up.

"Good morning Aviva! How are you today?" She asks.

"I'm not feeling that great, I don't think I will be making it into work today," I say.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to come in on Christmas Eve," she says joyfully, and I chuckle.

"I'll be back on the twenty-seventh like everybody else," I say. Although we all work Christmas Eve, they give us the day after Christmas off.

"Okay dear, I will let Mr. Caspian know," she says.

"If you have the time," I say. I would prefer it if he didn't find out about this, but it is what it is.

"Feel better!" She says, and we say goodbye.

I lay in bed for quite a while before I get the strength to get up and make myself some toast. I swallow the max amount of pain meds I can and run a cold bath. I don't have any ice so this will have to do. I lay in the tub until my body falls numb before climbing out. I put on my baggiest and warmest clothes I have and plop down on my bed feeling slightly more human.

I check my email absent-mindedly and start buying the books I will need for my next term. I am planning to take thirty credits next term. Only one of my classes would be towards my bachelor's degree, everything else would be towards my masters. I will also have to take twenty credits worth of summer classes but in August I will have my master's degree.

I rummage through my fridge for food and I don't find a lot. If I am going to be eating Christmas dinner by myself, I should at least run out and buy something to cook. I throw on a jacket and some shoes before leaving my apartment and walking a few blocks over to my grocery store. I absent-mindedly shop until the buzzing of my phone pull me out of my trance. I read the caller ID and see that it is Alexander again, I click decline and finish my shopping.

By the time I get home, I have two more missed calls from Alexander and two from Cathleen. I throw my phone on the couch annoyed and go into my bedroom. I curl up in my bed tired and doze off trying to ignore the buzzing in the other room.

"Aviva?" A voice calls out from my living room. I pry my heavy eyelids apart.

"Alexander?" I call out confused. I pull my hair back and climb out of bed.

"Oh, thank god," Cathleen's voice says.

"Damn it," I grumble to myself as I straighten out my clothes and open my door. Walking out into the living room I am greeted by two familiar masses, but my glasses are in my room.

"Why the hell haven't you been answering us?!" Alexander scolds.

"We've been worried sick about you Aviva!" Cathleen continues.

"If you hadn't called in sick and then started declining my calls today, we were going to send a search party out to look for you!" Alexander says.

"Are you two done yelling at me?" I ask tiredly. I rub my eyes trying to clear my head of the sleepy fog I am feeling. Note to self, don't befriend your bosses because they just might turn out to be annoyingly protective metahumans.