When Perfect Meets Crazy

I was the first one up. As always. Today however, I didn’t get much sleep to begin with. After arranging for Ian to sleep on the floor, my mind couldn’t get quiet. It was running a mile a minute thinking, overthinking and rethinking everything he had revealed.

I wouldn’t have minded if my body wasn’t so exhausted it was practically begging for sleep. With complete disregard for how tired my body was, my brain kept churning. Of course when I finally managed to quiet my brain and get sleep on the agenda, my dad chose to show up. And to top it off, he chose to come in through the back door like an intruder which he only does occasionally. Between worrying that he’d find evidence like a blood stain that would lead him to find Ian in my room and a very realistic fear that it wasn’t even him at all but rather one of the people Ian was running from, sleep pretty much flew out the window.

It wasn’t till sometime around 4a.m. I was finally able to drift off. Not much in the way of sleep if you did the calculation.

I had breakfast ready and was halfway through the dirty dishes when Olly ventured downstairs, yawning loudly.

“Sleep well?” I asked begrudgingly, my tone green with envy as I slid a plate of eggs and bacon over to her.

I shouldn’t have bothered with breakfast. With how well tested she was, she didn’t deserve it.

She grunted an unintelligible sound.

Olly wasn’t by any stretch of imagination an early riser and if she was expected to wake up early and make conversation, it had to be after some form a meal.

She devoured the contents of her plate while I worked through the rest of the dishes.

“Hey, can I borrow your black skirt? The pleated one. I want to wear it with my new boots.”

“Hmmm.” I nodded absently, wiping my hands dry after putting away the last of the dishes.

We borrowed stuff from each a lot. Her more so than me. Most times, she couldn’t even be bothered to ask. My closet was always organized and she knew my system so it was easy for her to take things whenever she wanted with or without my permission. I was used to her barging into my room and taking whatever she wan--

My eyes widened in horror as my thought process slammed to a stop.

I had something to hide in my room.

“Olly! Wait!” I screamed, flying after her.

She was halfway up the stairs by the time I caught up.

“What?” She wasn’t amused.

“I’ll get it,” I said as calmly as I could while panting like a seventy year old with tuberculosis.

She eyed me suspiciously. I pasted a smile on my face. Her eyes narrowed, not buying it.

“I just organized my closet. I don’t want you messing it up.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, continuing up the stairs. “I need to take my bath anyway. Just put it in the bathroom.”

I kept the smile on my face until she entered her room. Then, I allowed myself a sigh of relief. That was too close. How on earth did I forget I was harbouring Ian in my room?

I slapped my hand across my face, mentally chiding myself to do better.

I sighed, then sped off to my room.

think he’d be awake by now given the circumstances but no, the idiot was not only sleeping in at an unsafe person’s house but had actually slept through both my alarm and my not so quiet morning

rolling my eyes to the

idiot.” I

over, turning his

I stabbed his injured

a groan of pain, his eyelids

walking over to my closet.

skirt Olly wanted and headed to the bathroom door.

with you in a sec,”

so I draped the skirt over the basin by the door leading to her room so she’d pick it up on her way out.

returned to

asked the boy who was still groggily rubbing his good hand over his unbruised

the quick healing thing. His face

go see Townsend,”

the first idea that popped into his head and hadn’t actually thought it through.

rolling my eyes at

my tank top and switched out the

as a

up battered and bruised

again, he stayed conveniently

have you?” I

some slack.” He yawned, shoulders drooping a little.

my

have.” All night

my bones he was rolling his eyes. I rolled

can turn around now,” I said, taking a seat at my dresser to

for last night,” he said quietly, shuffling from one foot to

I met his eyes through the mirror, “I am

relaxed, flashing me

here for now and meet up with me after school. Or you can go back and pretend

set down my hairbrush and picked up

I continued. “It means you’ll have to see her today. I recommend going this morning so your alibi looks airtight at a glance. Also, you might want to stop at a makeup store to get concealer in your color. Or ask Tammy

way through anything.” Gratitude filled his features. “You don’t even like me. Is there anything you

apparently,” I quipped without any real bite to my tone. I finished my hair and rose to my feet, turning to face him. “You can leave out the window.”

looking me over from the bun of my hair to

My brows furrowed.

“Problem?” I asked.

good but I didn’t have time to

her the truth. Normally, I won’t recommend coming clean but you’re white. It’s what you guys do. You share your life story the first good chance

“That was racist.”

black people aren’t as trusting as whites. The last time a black trusted someone with their life story, we all