FicWad

Allison smiled as she woke up on Monday to sunshine filling her room. Helene's bed was empty...she must have had a morning shift at the record store. Allison's class wasn't until the afternoon, so she had all morning to lounge about and do absolutely nothing. Her painting from yesterday was sitting on a chair opposite her bed, and was nearly finished (she still needed to add some ruffles onto the dress a bit). It did kind of capture the scene pretty well. Allison always had an eye for art.

Tossing on a pair of acid-washed jeans and a loose black sweatshirt, Allison went to the kitchenette to find some breakfast. She'd kill for a chocolate doughnut, but there weren't any coffee shops until 53rd street, and that was a damn long way to walk for a doughnut, so Allison settled for a bowl of cocoa puffs. She was willing to bet Aaron was still asleep. He was a lazy-ass sometimes. Because they needed every dime they could get, Aaron was trying to write a second book, perhaps a fiction one. Helene ands Allison had laughed at this. Neither of them liked his first book either. Aaron pointed out that people obviously did, as he WAS still getting checks after 4 years of the book's publication.

Allison was about to fall on the couch to watch whatever was on locally, when she heard a knock on the door. Allison went to get it, and Andy was waiting there in the doorway, smiling weakly. Allison's heart leaped. Did Vanessa squeal on her? Or was this just a friendly visit?

"May I come in?" asked Andy. Allison nodded. Andy was shown in. Andy sighed and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Wouldn't you be at work? It's Monday!" said Allison. Andy shook his head.

"I'm rarely open on Mondays. Thursdays are always busiest for me," said Andy. Allison nodded understandingly.

"I have my class to teach in the Bronx this afternoon."

"What time?"

"Four to seven," said Allison. "It's a crappy job. Only one class a week that isn't even filled. I need a new job before I have to sell my bed to pay for a bowl of soup or something, and NO, I don't need any help!" Andy smiled. Allison had read his mind, he was about to ask if she needed anything. She was good.

"Did you do much last night?" he asked. He had to lead up to it. He wasn't about to ask out front, 'did you beat up my fiancée?'

Allison shook her head. "Helene and I went uptown for a bit to look for some sheet music. She wants to compose a Broadway musical one day, but she needs inspiration to draw off of," said Allison. "She's giving me guitar lessons!" Allison took Helene's guitar off the wall and placed it on her knee.

"Play me something!" asked Andy. Allison smiled. She strummed a few chords that eventually built up to an old song from The Doors. Andy grinned. "That's pretty good."

Allison blushed and looked at her feet. "I've been playing about a year, but Helene's a goddamn genius at this."

"I can only imagine," replied Andy. Allison put the guitar in the corner. "Allison, while you were uptown last night, you didn't happen to see Vanessa around at all, did you?"

BUSTED! Vanessa was such a little snitch! Allison wouldn't lie to Andy. "Yeah, yeah I did..."

Andy could see the fog in her eyes. Vanessa had been right. "I can't believe you did that! Why the hell did you just randomly attack Vanessa like that? I know you didn't hit it off very well...but jumping on her in the middle of the street?"

"Whoa! Hold on there! Who said I jumped her without being provoked? I was trying to ignore her, but she hollered out to me first!" said Allison.

"Again you sound like a child trying to make excuses! Allison, why the hell did you do it?"

"She hit me too! Look!" Allison lifted her shirt. A big bruise was stretched across her stomach where Vanessa had knocked the wind out of her.

"Well who wouldn't hit back after that brutal attack?" said Andy, getting pissed off again.

"How can you say it was a brutal attack? Andy, how can you believe that wench? Honestly! Does that sound like me? Randomly mugging someone whenever I have a whim! God Andy, you have no idea who the hell I am!"

"Do you think I CARE who the hell you are? What I CARE about is the safety of my fiancée! How she got a nose bleed last night! I don't give a shit over motives! You jumped Vanessa!"

"Yeah, I did! And I'll do it ten times more! She spit in my face and asked for it! Andy, I can't believe I ever loved you! You are such an arrogant, self-obsessed, money-hungry dipshit! You're...you're just like your father! All about perfection!" Allison screamed. Andy was silenced. He was being exactly like his father. That wasn't good. Andy regained composure after a moment or two.

"I NEVER want you to come near Vanessa every again, you understand?" Andy hollered.

"I never did understand, Andy. And I never will!" Allison shoved Andy out the door and slammed it in his face. Allison growled and flopped onto the couch. She grabbed the nearby bottle of tequila and drank a huge swig right out of the bottle. It knocked her out quickly.

About 3 hours went by when Helene stormed in the door. Allison woke up with a roaring headache. She had 2 hours before she had to be at class. "Helene? Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me! Goddamnit! I hate the world! I just fucking do!" yelled Helene.

"Join the club!" said Allison. "What happened at work?"

"Randy the boss laid me off," said Helene. "Got my last paycheck today!"

"No kidding?" said Allison, a huge hole in her chest forming. "Now what'll we do for money?"

Allison just wanted to cry. She wanted to call in sick for the art class. Helene sat down beside her, and they drank the entire bottle of tequila, sip after sip, and passed out by dinnertime from the intoxication.