The Other Roommate

8 - The Mask: Sydney Tucker

Deception was something Alex was willing to do to keep her other roommate close. Unexpectedly, it seemed to have been of little use to her. It had been rather uneventful for the brunette in the texting department. After abruptly changing a significant aspect to their love-hate relationship, the two have been practically...peaceful.

Alex began typing on her phone, composing a message as she laid on her bed. It was for Callie and since about a few days ago, it was supposedly from Sydney Tucker, Jazmin's law classmate. The second youngest roommate was working at the moment and Alex had been missing her.

The green-eyed woman had been wallowing in regret and had constantly thought about stealing her "friends" phone to delete the number and any remnants of it. But she couldn't. She wanted to tell the truth. It was her day off and she usually spends those days out with friends, enjoying a drink or two.

She came to an abrupt pause when she had accidentally typed "Cal" instead of just the full version of the name. It would have been a disaster. She sighed as she put her phone against her chest - closing her eyes - genuinely worried about the future. It was as if the lie was this shell that protected her - that kept her from losing Callie and venturing out of it would be suicide.

"Hello Callie! How's work so far?" Alex sent the text message after the second attempt, slightly smiling. It was kept casual as per usual. She put the device back to the most poignant area of her body, clutching onto it with her right hand. She was sincerely interested in the daily musings of the girl who lives with her.

Alex was actually trying to ease Callie out of it. She would reply hours later on purpose but ached to do so as her, crabby old, Alex Rivera with snide comment on her arsenal. It would be something along the lines of her being better than anyone including Sydney. She didn't need to do much, Callie wasn't interested anyway. Her replies were less frequent than when they first had a conversation over the typed messages. She did not even think about asking "Sydney" to meet face to face, not even a phone call much to Alex's relief.

She was wondering if she had done anything to upset the girl. But she had maintained conversations at need-to-know basis, so as to avoid any sort of closeness or attachment that would lead the younger girl to blurt out personal struggles or aspirations to a masked confidant.

She was careful of Callie's feelings, but she didn't realize it before she decided on sending the first message. She was acting on impulse - she was being selfish. She was jealous.

Alex's phone shook, signaling a reply. Despite the usual dry, mundane vibe - she still felt pleased to have heard from Callie. She would rather have fractions of her than nothing at all.

In her usual casual prose, Callie wrote, "Same old weekday stuff. Shift has just started. Bummer. How about school?"

As per usual, Alex decided to wait to type her reply. She would do the most random things to keep her company for at least five minutes before she replies. She had tried showering, eating, pacing around all the open space outside her bedroom door, browsing the internet, cleaning - anything. That day, she did twenty jumping jacks after checking the time and then tossing her phone on her disorderly bed.

Panting, she retrieved the thin electronic device up and found that it had only been three minutes. Frustrated, she slipped her phone in her back pocket and stomped her way out to peer into the refrigerator freezer to find something to keep her mouth company. To her dismay, there were only bananas, some deli turkey, bratwursts, a half-eaten sandwich, a lone egg, half a lemon, and some things too old, too wilted to recognize.

It was way past lunch time and she had not eaten a single thing since breakfast with Callie. Her stomach had grumbled but there was none the cold compartment could offer her to satisfy her hunger. She huffed in defeat - flaring her nostrils in the process. Alex reluctantly reached for the deli turkey packet and a bottle of water. She pushed the refrigerator door shut and ran her free hand through her thick dark locks. As the door slammed shut, she found a note plastered on it, swaying as air blew. She had apparently missed the lime green colored sheet.

The note said, "Porcelain butt, please do groceries today. I'm going to Rachel's to finish an assignment. Don't wait up. I'll be staying the night. Thanks! Love you! –Denise aka the best fake cousin ever"

A smile immediately tugged on the corners of Alex's lips as she shook her head in amusement. Denise's personality shone in her words no matter which medium she had delivered them. She could just hear her voice and the cadence of it in her head. Her text messages are hilarious even when she is trying to complain about her co-workers. Alex would read the written messages in Denise's voice and that never failed to amuse her.

Alex thought about doing the groceries before Callie gets home and she usually got home between seven thirty and eight in the evening. For the mean time, she went to the living room and watched some random channel whilst enjoying her deli turkey. She ended up watching a classic Mickey Mouse show and didn't bother changing the channel.

Disney characters. Callie's voice echoed in her head, making her chuckle.

Slowly but surely, Alex felt drowsy. She adjusted and laid down over the length of the couch with her head on the arm closest to Denise's door as the TV was on the opposite side, above the brick fireplace. Her body ached to be in slumber and she had no reason to deprive it of the much needed sleep.

Alex woke up a quarter past five, fluttering her eyelids slowly as she pulled her phone out. Realizing she had not replied to Callie, she felt rather proud of herself - she grinned while her eyelid were seemingly glued together. She let out a sigh of contentment as she stayed still for a couple more minutes.

Upon remembering the grocery shopping, she got up to shower and changed into appropriate clothing for the weather. It had gotten quite chilly during the nights and Alex loved it. She was the cold weather kind. She loved running around in the snow - throwing snowballs and building snowmen. She especially enjoyed curling up in front of the fireplace with someone.

Alex stepped into the dining area with a piece of paper and a pen to write down what she needed. She would often get up to check the pantry and the refrigerator, and return to sitting on the table. She ended up having a long list of things to buy and she was not very keen on carrying all the bags up the second floor.

Moments later, the metallic plates and bolts making up for the brass knob of their front door rattled, signaling someone was coming home. Thinking it was Denise, Alex continued writing her grocery list, hunching over the white sheet of paper.

"How's your day off so far?" A familiar raspy voice echoed in Alex's ear soon after the door had closed shut.

A smile immediately took shape in her lips as if an automatic response to a stimulus that is Callie. She didn't bother to hide her pleased expression anymore. It had been a valiant battle but she had lost to her emotions. She looked up at her roommate who had the same kind of smile in her lips as she walked closer to her with her

"You're here early." She commented as casually as possible - tapping her pen on the sheet of paper. She didn't want to seem too eager, afraid of driving Callie away with it like she was some creepy clown with a creepier smile.

The green-eyed girl was still a little on edge about how to act around Callie. She was scared who she really is might not be enough for the younger girl.

"Yeah," Callie shrugged as she untangled her blue flowery scarf from her neck. "Will was already there and there weren't a lot of people so I was...set free." She stated, dramatically looking up.

Alex shook her head in amusement as her grin grew wider. Her heart swelled with admiration for the cheerful girl that stood in front of her. "So, how are you?"

"I'm kind of tired but I'm good...great...perfect." The younger girl stammered as she recalled her day. She nodded repeatedly, beaming at Alex. The truth is, she felt elated that she and her "crush" had been getting along and seeing her with the broad grin made her heart leap to great distances. "You?"

That you are, Maxwell. That you are. Alex thought to herself. "I was bored to death. But as you can see, I'm still alive." She extended her arms to the side, her right hand holding her pen - as if presenting herself to Callie.

"I'm glad you are." The brown-eyed girl said sincerely as she folded her long seaweed green cargo coat that had fur grazing along the collar and put it on the chair next to her usual one along with the scarf. Callie was only in her black burnout sweater making her black bra visible against her olive skin. The tomboy look was doing her justice.

The green-eyed brunette sat there fighting every urge to stare at the slender figure that belonged to the girl she was crazy about. Her mouth began to dry up as her green eyes darkened with desire.

Callie didn't seem to notice as she had been doing some ogling of her own. She sat down and clasped her hands together, eying Alex's paper and clothes. "Are you going anywhere?"

Alex was in black jeans and a white shirt underneath her brown leather jacket. A desert scarf had already been wrapping her neck as her feet were protected by her black leather boots.

The older woman understood what her roommate was insinuating. She shook her lustful thoughts off and blinked her way back to the world. "Yeah. I was about to go grocery shopping."

"Can I come?" Callie eagerly replied, slightly lunging forward with a broad grin. "I'm a little low on a lot of food." She rubbed her belly, playfully frowning.

"No." Alex retorted with a smug look to which her roommate raised a brow at her. Her insides were practically celebrating a fiesta after Callie's proposal. She chuckled. "I'm kidding. Let me just check if I got everything down."

While the green-eyed brunette rummaged through the pantry one more time, Callie went to the bathroom to wash her face and freshen up a bit. She wanted to look and smell her best for Alex. It was the first time they had been out together other than work.

Callie then went to her room to retrieve her own grocery list among others. She traced the outline of her eyelids with eyeliner to accentuate her brown eyes. She put a slight blush on her cheekbones and settled for strawberry flavored lip balm. She sprayed some perfume on her chest and her armpits, just to make sure she did smell great before heading out to rejoin Alex. She was undeniably excited to spend some time with her roommate.

As soon as they were in Alex's car, they made their way to the store. The vehicle was filled with lighthearted conversations until Callie remembered the hazel-eyed blonde who had been significantly distant from her.

"Does Felicity still bother you?" She probed as she adjusted to look at her friend's reaction.

Alex simply shrugged, taking a quick glance at the girl seated in her passenger seat. "Not as bad as Saturday. She just smiles now."

Even she was taken aback by her answer. She was used to the blonde blatantly ignoring her or deliberately taunting her. It had always been that way since they broke up. It's not like she was affected anymore though.

The younger girl looked confused, furrowing her brows and c*****g her head slightly to the side. Saturday was a specific memory she was not part of and she was curious to find out. "What happened Saturday?"

Her roommate chuckled as she recalled the events of that day. She waved her left hand dismissively but went ahead and spoke of it. "She went berserk - yelling I never loved her. There were people there. It was so embarrassing."

She shook her head in amusement with a broad smile across her features. The dim lights of the night reflected against her pearly whites, making her smile brighter. She was expecting to still be sulking about it despite time but she wasn't.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Unlike Alex, the younger brunette felt incredibly guilty for not being with her despite the grin on Alex's lips. However, she had formed a friendship with Felicity and she thought she could have at least tried to prevent the heated argument. "I mean she's my friend, too, but she can get a little crazy sometimes." She confessed.

"A little is an understatement, BB." Alex smirked with a raised brow. She didn't avert her gaze from the road but Callie could see her cheery expressions.

Callie immediately smiled at the display in front of her. She always thought Alex looked cute when she would act to be too tough. She usually hated cocky people but her roommate was the playful kind and she welcomed playful in her life with open arms.

She folded her arms against her chest, feigning annoyance. "I'm only going to concede to such allegations when I find out your side of the story."

Alex's eyes widened in shocked and looked at her roommate longer. "She told you the entire thing?" She furrowed her brows, disappointed at her ex. "You'd think she'd hate my girlfriend but she's trying to form an ally out of her. What the f**k is up with that?"

She emphasized the word to not let her roommate think she was taking the whole pretend relationship seriously despite her real feelings.

Although grimacing at the profanity, the brown-eyed girl maintained her proud, yet annoyed demeanor. She shrugged, looking indifferent. Unexpectedly, "girlfriend" sounded just right to her. "She told me enough." She maintained the discrete approach to pry things out of her roommate.

"So, ask me." The older woman urged as she parked in front of the twenty four-hour supermarket-department store. She reached for buttons to turn them off before shutting the car itself.

Confused, Callie dropped her arms as her mouth hung open. "What?"

Alex chuckled, shaking her head. She found Callie too adorable for words. She swiveled her torso to face her fully. "Ask me what happened." She reiterated, clarifying the confusion.

She felt as if it was time to share the facts of the circumstances that put a horrible end to her love story with Felicity. She was utterly surprised to not be feeling any speck of rage in her guts at the mention of her ex. It was as if Callie had helped her wipe her resentment off - like the scars Felicity caused was nothing but an erasable marker.

"Okay." The younger girl nodded slowly, cautiously. "What happened, Morticia?"

"I'll tell you in there, BB." The green-eyed brunette pointed at the establishment in front of them and swiftly got out of the car.

"By the way!" Alex exclaimed as she was a good distance from the car. "You look beautiful!"

Callie sat there shaking her head with an idiotic grin plastered across her features. She sighed. She was enamored by the older woman and there was no hiding it anymore. For the third day in a row, she was willing to give them a chance.

They spent a painstakingly long amount of time grocery shopping. As promised, Alex had told her about what really happened but vaguely discussed the reason as to why she was working too much. She only said it was absolutely necessary which Callie accepted without complaint. Instead, she urged her roommate to keep talking about her feelings.

Apart from the break-up story, the two girls spent their time laughing and playfully shoving each other away by the shoulder among others. It surprised them both given their history. They had a genuine good time.

On their way home, there was silence in the little space of Alex's Ford Taurus. Just like most of her things, her car was black. It was almost ten and both girls had not eaten yet. However, no one was complaining. It was dark and the lights were illuminated by the various city lights - buildings, lamp posts, other cars. Chicago was somehow still and the roommates were calm until Callie suddenly remembered something.

"Oh my god." Callie grimaced as she shot up from her slump and swiftly held onto Alex's elbow which made the older woman jump in her seat, making the car swerve slightly.

"Seriously, Merryweather." Her roommate grumbled as she clutched onto her chest with her left hand while the other maintained gripping on the wheel. There was a commotion in her chest cavity from the mixture of fear and shock.

Alex took deep breaths to calm herself down. "If you want to experience a car accident, can you not drag me with you?" She jested with a serious expression, suppressing the smile that was forcing its way out. She was apparently back to her typical playful demeanor.

The younger girl merely narrowed her eyes at Alex but soon smiled as she recalled the news she was going to break. "Have you heard about the rumors about who's playing some time next week or the week after that?" She asked excitedly. Her legs were fidgeting and her fists were clasped tightly from excitement.

Chug has a regular RnB five-man band that plays every night between eleven in the evening until one in the morning. They play covers but they have original songs of their own as well. Their music was the combination of cool and fluid. It is one of the things that patrons usually go in the bar for. However, every now and then, Chug brings professional recording artists for various occasions.

"Nope." Alex retorted simply as she concentrated on the road.

"Gavin DeGraw." Callie blurted out with a broad grin, squirming in her seat. She squealed.

Alex's eyes widened as she took a sharp breath. "Oh my god! Are you kidding?"

"You know him?" The younger girl settled down, observing Alex intently.

With furrowed brows, the green-eyed brunette muttered, "Heck yeah!"

Callie proposed that she take care of the pantry while Alex tended to the refrigerator/freezer food. They continued gushing over their love for the singer that was supposed to play at the bar. They shared their favorite songs and talked about going to his concerts previously.

It was getting really late and Alex had not had real food for at least 12 hours. Feeling her stomach growl, the older of the two girls excused herself to order some pizza for both of them and went back to her errands.

The moment they finished, the younger girl tried feeling for her phone in her pockets but could not find it. She went to her purse that was on the dining table but the mobile device was still not there. She had felt chills descend down to her body, significantly feeling colder as the thought of losing it somewhere in the grocery occurred to her.

"Alex, do you see my phone anywhere?" She frantically probed as she went to her room to check for the missing item. She heard the older woman's muffled voice who said a simple "no" from inside her space which increasingly worried her.

The brown-eyed brunette barged out the door, anxiously searching around the living room while her roommate looked as fretful as she was. Alex's pulse was speeding up just as Callie's. However, they were worried about two different things. The green-eyed girl's concern was that her roommate would ask for her phone to be rung which meant her secret would be unearthed for the world to see.

Unfortunately, that was what happened next.

"Can I please borrow your phone to call mine?" Callie begged as she approached her coworker who was stiffening in front of the refrigerator. She settled to Alex's left with stitched brows and the most pitiful brown eyes. Her hands were balled into fists, expecting her roommate to decline her favor.

Alex could have pretended to not having renewed her service but given the circumstances, she wanted to be honest with Callie and is owning up to her mistake. Her seemingly flawless plan was about to backfire on her if the younger girl's phone was in fact in the apartment and it was looming from behind the scenes since the day she sent "Hey Callie."

It was now or never.

The green-eyed brunette reluctantly nodded and retrieved her phone from her pocket. She punched the passcode in and handed it to her expectant friend. She closed the refrigerator and swiveled, her back on the cold box. She aimlessly stared across room, controlling her breathing. Callie was now on her right, jabbing her phone number in and hit the green button.

Alex felt even more breathless the more time passed. It was as if her neck was constricted and there was no way of escaping it. She felt like she was in bulletproof encasing that was slowly being filled with water, drowning her.

The brown-eyed girl was surprised to see her name pop up after entering her 10-digit number but didn't think much of it. She thought Alex could have gotten it from one of their friends. She was also more focused on her present problem which is her lost cellphone.

The moment they heard the familiar ringtone of a pop song, Alex's pulse became harsh and her breathing began to be more forced. She was beyond scared - she was petrified of Callie's reaction. She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth as she closed her eyes tightly. Her coworker was slowly walking close to the pantry where the obnoxious sound was emanating from.

"Found it!" Callie exclaimed excitedly as clutched onto her phone with her free hand, Alex's was on her right. She was about to return the device to her coworker but stopped dead in her tracks when she read the name written on her phone.

The chilling sensation came back. At that moment, it was haunting. She had quickly realized that the person she was talking to all along was the same one who lives a door down from her own bedroom. There was silence. Callie was in shock. She felt as if Alex was capable of such deception but after getting to know bits and pieces of her over the couple of months, she thought she had seen it all.

To Callie, it felt like when their friendship had advanced a step, something sends them five steps backwards.

"Why?" It was that only word that Callie could muster up as she held her head down. She, too, was terrified to see Alex's reaction. She was afraid to look at her. She was afraid to take pity on the girl and her strong feelings for her would take over.

Alex cringed. It was as if the word was a sword that had pierced her body through and through, making her spine tingle. Her shoulders felt heavy as if her arms had the same weight as ship anchors.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Callie queried further when her roommate didn't answer. She was starting to get aggravated as she thought of the worst. She thought Jazmin put her up to it and they were laughing at how oblivious she was. The longer she waited for a response, the more thoughts swarmed her head and they were not pleasant. "To toy with other people's feelings and laugh at their expense?"

"No. Callie, no. I swear." The green-eyed girl finally looked at her coworker who was standing by the sink. She shook her head as she opened her mouth to talk again but was quickly cut off.

"One good answer, Alex." The younger brunette sternly warned.

There were a lot of thoughts in Alex's head. It was of finding the right answers with the right arrangement of words so as her friend would be able to understand it like the way she intended for her to. However, one was troubling her - the thought of Callie's absence in her life. She was not prepared for that. Especially because they have been getting along really well.

From the beginning, Callie never felt any spark from Sydney or the Sydney Alex's pretending to be. After that memorable Monday, it had been more apparent to Callie, clearer that it was Alex who gives her the kaleidoscope of gigantic butterflies - the mini-heart attacks and the peace that she finds in the turbulent relationship they had.

The feelings she has for Alex Rivera was incomparable.

The green-eyed brunette unexpectedly took the phones from Callie and put them on the counter. Her right slipped in the younger girl's left as she stood in front of her. She intertwined their fingers. Their heaving chests and palpitating hearts were still present however they were there for a different reason now. It was the thrill of the sensations that engulfed their hands in flames.

Alex nervously took a deep breath as she raised her left hand to lift Callie's chin, prompting the younger girl to look in her eyes.

"Cal, I'm sorry." She sincerely uttered. Her eyes tenderly looked into Callie's who were weary and exuded of pain. "I was scared. I thought I was going to lose you for good." She confessed. She shook her head as her mouth gaped, taking air in. "I honestly don't have very rational reasons and I'm sorry I can't give you one good reason because all of them were from something as irrational as feelings. I was being selfish and I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry."

Something stood out to Callie - feelings. Alex has feelings for her, too. She thought that if the green-eyed girl would go to lengths as to pretend to be someone else to be close to her, she was willing to look past that but her trust was dwindling. It was wrong but to her, most of what Alex does is wrong. Even if her feelings for her coworker was wrong, Callie was going to force the world to change its perception of it.

"It was when the girls came and Jazmin told me about that Sydney girl. I found your phone in the medicine cabinet. I found it after it rang." Alex explained, looking down on the ground.

The older bartender began to reluctantly wriggle her hand loose but was surprised when Callie held tighter. Confused, she looked up at the brown-eyed girl. Her vision slowly turned blurry as her roommate's head drew closer while she felt a hand behind her neck, pushing her towards the shorter brunette.

What is happening? Alex contemplated.

Callie's warm breath hit her lips, taking her breath away. She took a deep breath, bracing for a breathtaking rave.

Soon after, their lips collided sending fireworks to explode - sparkling up every dull surface. Their heads spun as their feelings overwhelmed them. In an instant, they were breathless as their hearts worked on overdrive. It was their first real kiss.

The kiss was slow and passionate like they were getting to know each other. It was cautious yet alluring. It had heated up quickly and Alex's free hand found its way to Callie's back as she was overtaken by her strong feelings for the younger brunette. She slipped it under her shirt and began scaling her side, lightly pressing the tips of her fingers making Callie whimper in pleasure.

Callie's breathing hitched at Alex's touch. Her hand made its way inside her roommate's shirt from her neck - grazing her fingertips on the smooth surface as she circled the area soothingly. She was nervous about what was going to happen but she was more than willing to bare herself for the green-eyed brunette.

Unfortunately, the sound of wood against human knuckles resounded in the relatively quiet apartment. It was the pizza Alex had ordered. She was hungry but not as hungry as she was for Callie.

Alex groaned as she reluctantly pulled back. She opened her green eyes seeing Callie's dilated brown ones. Their lips looked glossy and bulbous showing the remnants of the kiss they had just shared. It was practically the most beautiful set of vestige for Alex except they never quantified as such.

The green-eyed brunette took a few deep breaths before she could muster up the strength to speak.

"I'll go get it." She let go of Callie's hand. But once again, she was stopped by the younger brunette who looked at her expectantly. Her eyes glimmered of hope now.

"Can you just talk to me next time?" Callie probed with a slight smile. "I don't bite." Her grin widened at her joke.

The green-eyed girl mirrored her gesture, nodding repeatedly. "You didn't have a passcode, BB. It was a silent invitation." She smirked, proud of her answer.

She felt a prickly hot sensation behind her head - making her vision blur out for a second. Callie had smacked her but looked innocently elsewhere.

"If you do that again, you're going to regret it." She lightheartedly threatened as she made her way to the door.

Callie stood there watching her roommate strut towards the door. She still looked at her with so much admiration. The difference from before was that she didn't know Alex had feelings for her, too. However, Callie was the kind of person who worries about other people's feelings. After she found out about her unintentional disregarding of Sydney Tucker, she wanted to explain.

Alex woke up early in the morning for Callie's breakfast for the fourth day in a row. She had already set up the table and was standing with her weight on her left foot. It wasn't really early. It was a little over nine. She was sipping a cup of coffee while she cooked some scrambled eggs and pancakes simultaneously on the coil burners while a tray of bacons were in the oven. The eggs had already been done and plated, and she was waiting for the last batch of pancakes while taking the bacon out.

Denise walk in through their front door wearing the same clothes she had worn the previous day. She looked a little harassed by her ordeals at work. The smell of Alex's freshly made food coupled by brewed coffee enveloped her senses, making her take a deep breath as her eyes were shut.

"Girl, how many times have I seen you awake in the morning?" She furrowed her brows as she set her things on the floor by the chair between Alex and Callie's. "Shoot. Am I dreaming night now? I'm so tired. The last quarter is always so tough because of all the holidays." She massaged her temples with her thumbs while her other fingers rubbed her scalp.

Alex chuckled as she walked towards the dining table holding three plates of food. She had mastered handling multiple plates in one arm. "Believe it or not, second best fake cousin in the world," She mocked as she rolled her eyes with a grin playing on her lips. "This is the fourth consecutive morning of your absence. You're missing out."

"You've been cooking breakfast for the last three days and I have not even had eaten any of those?" She complained as she inspected the perfectly circular pancakes and the moist looking omelet. The strips of bacon were practically inviting her. "Can't you wake up earlier and cook for me?" She stuck her bottom lip out as widened her eyes to look pitiful. Her expressions quickly changed to that of confusion. Her brows were stitched together as she pressed her lips together.

"Wait a minute." She raised her index finger and looked at her cousin who was now seated to her left. "You don't really eat breakfast and you are actually taking time to make them look all pretty and everything. What has gotten into you? Did somebody poison you in the last three days? Tell your awesome cousin about it, Porcelain Butt."

Alex sighed. She didn't feel obligated to share but she always does, to Denise at least. A smile made its way to her pink lips as she lowered her gaze on the empty plate in front of her.

"It's for Callie."

Denise's eyes widened. A smirk immediately followed as she raised a brow. She propped her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Alex intently.

"Are you two finally..." She trailed off, expecting for her cousin to finish her sentence.

The green-eyed brunette understood what the Tongan was insinuating. She rolled her eyes. "We are not but we're friends since about four days ago."

“And friends do this for each other?”

“I’ve cooked for people.”

“You never cook for people unless someone has threatened you.” Denise refuted. “That someone being me.”

“Give it a rest, Denise.”

"You're actually being committed to this. I wonder how long you're going to last." Denise jested, bobbing her brows as her arm reached for a strip of bacon. "So, how's life treating calexis?" She took a bite of the crunchy, greasy treat as she sat back on her chair.

Alex furrowed her brows in candid confusion. "Who is that? Where do I know her from? Do I even know her?"

Denise chuckled - shaking her head. She was enjoying Alex's misperception - it was a rare incidence. "Let's play a game. I know how competitive you are. It will entertain me."

Alex immediately moved closer to her cousin. "What do I win?" She asked eagerly.

"The answer to your question." She wiggled her brows. "But we can do that some other time, I need some sleep. Unless you’re offering some sort of massage after I give the answer to you cause I need that, too."

“Ask Rachel for some spa package.”

“You have hands. You are free.”

Alex was about to complain, when they heard Callie's door swing open. She swiftly glanced at the half-asleep brunette, beaming at her despite the lack of eye contact. Her calm chest was facing a turbulent yet happy storm again. She checked her cousin but found her opening her door to retire for the day.

Callie groggily made her way to the other end of the table like she usually does. She yawned as she pulled her seat out.

"Good morning." She mumbled while extending her arms and legs outward, stretching them.

Alex propped an elbow on the table. Her chin sat on her open palm as she observed her roommate.

"Good morning, Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty." She grinned as Callie gave her a toothless smile, fluttering her eyelids repeatedly. "The weather's looking merry today." She said referring to her contented, blissful feelings now that Callie was in front of her.

“Why are you such an i***t?” The younger brunette chuckled with her eyes closed. She loved waking up to that while Alex loved watching her like that.

The green-eyed girl felt as if everything was going smoothly - especially after taking off the mask she had worn for a couple of days. Deception is indeed disgrace and she had regretted her actions but thankful they're moving past it. She thought they were through the toughest challenge.

And boy, was she wrong.