When the wind blows. Part Three.

Amy lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Through her closed bedroom door, past the bathroom, across the living room, and behind another closed door, she could hear the faint sounds of her roommate''s alarm. It was going off for almost two hours now. She rolled over and stared through the blinds, out the window. Amy tried to focus on the cars on the streets below. She tried to drown out the constant wailing of her roommate's alarm. But every nine minutes without fail, she was made aware of the person on the other side of the closed door. Every nine minutes rang in the reminder that something had changed.

She sat up in bed and looked at the clock. 12:30. Church in half an hour. While tugging on her yellow and pink poke-a-dot shorts, Amy looked into her closet. Nothing. Her eyes wandered. There in the corner was the laundry basket over flowing with not so clean clothes. She rummaged around and without much effort picked out an outfit that combined comfort with style. Admiring the creation laid out on her bed, she patted herself on the back for making something out of nothing. Now if only she could make something out of the mess that exploded between her and her roommate.

Amy could always do things effortlessly, but her roommate presented a problem. Mercedes was hard. Amy began to pace. Back and forth, back and forth. She walked out onto her balcony. Finally; she escaped her ringing conscious. While smoking her morning cigarette, Amy remembered: she remembered that she was different from Mercedes. Amy always knew this, but now that she was living Mercedes, she was constantly reminded of the one thing that set them apart from each other. Mercedes was comfortable being alone, in face she relished in the time that she spent by herself, while Amy liked to surround herself with other people, being alone meant dealing with things that she wasn't ready to face. Amy's thoughts drifted in and out of the previous night. In: inhaling, Out: rows and rows, In: glasses and glasses, Out: more wine please, In: people, Out: friends, In: Mercedes? Amy thought that one of their friends called Mercedes to came and hang out. Maybe she should have called Mercedes? Or maybe Mercedes should drop the guard she's holding up so high.

1:00. Where's my sister? Amy went to the living room to call her sister to see if she was giving her a ride to church; she hoped Mercedes was there. If they were both in the same room they would be forced to talk to each other, right? She extended her had to the door knob, preparing herself for a confrontation. Nothing. Amy went to the corner and picked up the phone. Then she heard a sound. Mercedes was opening her door. This is it.

"Ugh." That was it? That's all she could do? That's all I could do? My sister's not coming. No church. Amy heard a door slam; then felt the chill of the wind shaking the house.