Roommates

                                    

                                              


                          
	"All the single ladies..."
                          
	The ring tone jarred through the silence. Almost instantly, a woman dashed into the room, pulling her robe close, long dark hair scattering water droplets.

                          
	"Hello?" Her voice was breathless but low. "Oh, hi, Eddy. Yeah. Yeah, I'm almost ready. Looking forward to it."
                          
	She paused, and continued in a still lower tone. "No, I'm not bringing Maggie. Yeah, I know she always comes along. That's just it- look, I'd better go. She'll be up soon and I want to leave before then. ...Okay. Bye."
                          
	Despite the fact that it made no sound, she pressed the end-call button on the screen with the utmost care. This didn't seem enough; the woman headed back to the bathroom on exaggerated tiptoe, like Elmer Fudd in Wabbit Season. 
                          
	After a short time, she again poked her head out of the bathroom, fully dressed, hair still damp. Still no sound. She moved out into the hall and toward the stairs, past the door opposite-
                          
	It opened. A head poked out.
                          
	"Hi, roomie!!"
                          
	She cringed at the familiar double exclamation points; and stopped with a sigh.
                          
	"...Hi, Maggie."
                          
	"Well, don't you look all pretty today, Miss Alison!!" Maggie's nose scrunched up, unable to withstand the force of her smile. "You going somewhere??"
                          
	"Uh." Alison still wasn't very good at lying. "Yes. I was... just going out for a bit."
                          
	"Oh." Maggie considered this. "Mind if I come along?"
                          
	"Well, I don't-"
                          
	"Great!!" The other girl began to dart back into her room.
                          
	"No, Maggie!" Alison caught herself as Maggie stopped. "I don't- uh, I mean-"
                          
	"Ohhhh..." With Maggie, you could practically hear the extra Hs. "Are you going out with Eddy? Is that it?"
                          
	Alison nodded. The other girl opened her eyes a little wider than necessary to show her understanding.
                          
	"Oh, I am so sorry!! You know I don't want to get in your way."
                          
	"...No, it's not that-"
                          
	"No, I know." Maggie shrugged, tears glinting in her eyes although she was clearly trying to fight them off. "That's how everyone sees me. In the way. That's why nobody ever calls me... invites me to go anywhere... it must be nice to have someone who'd do that..."
                          
	Alison gave an inward groan. It was her fault. She was too nice. 
                          
	"Maggie, if you'd really like to go-"
                          
	"No, please." The other girl's long brown hair flapped as she shook her head like a dog after its bath. "I don't want to come between you and Eddy. I mean-"
                          
	She doubled over in breathless giggling. "Not come between!! Like I could!!"
                          
	Before Alison could reply, Maggie had straightened and continued, abruptly sober. "But if I stay here... alone... I mean, I'm sure I'd be fine, it was just that one suicide attempt in tenth grade, I'm not going to do anything like that..."
                          
	"Maggie, would you please, please come out with me and Eddy today."
                          
	She hadn't meant to say it so flat. Actually, she hadn't meant to say it at all. 
                          
	The other girl's eyes widened again; her mouth fell open in complete surprise.
                          
	"Oh, Alison!! You are the best person ever!!" She turned back to the room. "I'll just get my umbrella. Doesn't look like rain but you never know!!"