-Gem-:
I walk her all the way back to her room, making sure to take the beers with me. Clover is a handful. I don't know why I care. But there will be consequences if she is seen so near to the dorm drinking. I should reprimand her but something about looking at her flushed, sad puffy face, made me pardon her. This is the second time I have pardoned her. I really shouldn't let it be a trend.
I get back to my room and pour the last two beers down the sink. I try to do my homework but she keeps popping into my head. I try to paint, she pops into my head. Annoying. I'm going to bed.
-The next morning-
I'm standing outside her room with a grocery bag of water and hangover meds, asking myself why I care? Well, I am her senior, and she's in a state, checking on a neighbor is normal. It's common courtesy.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door.
No answer. I knock again and I hear her yell from inside. "Go away!"
Well, that's rude. I knock again.
"Open the door freshy, this is your senior and building manager. Hurry up and open it."
I hear her moving inside and then swing the door open. "What is it? And couldn't you have waited till noon?"
Yikes, she looks worse than last night. I offer her the grocery bag. She looks confused, takes it, and peers inside. Then turns and heads in without saying anything. She leaves the door ajar and walks over to her table and sets the bag down then looks back at me.
"What you doing? Come in."
I step inside and close the door behind me.
"Thank you, this is nice of you." She mumbles.
" I didn't do it to be nice, it's to prep you for the consequences."
She scrunches her face, "Consequences? For what?"
"You were seen, by me drinking, while near the dorm."
"What are the consequences?"
"You're lucky you were seen by me, your consequence is running for thirty minutes, and I will not write you up. I'll give you a verbal warning. Just this once."
"What do you mean? Like now?"
"Yes now."
She glares at me. I cross my arms and stare back at her. She rolls her eyes and walks back over to the bed and drops herself across it and covers her face with the pillow.
"I'll give you 45 mins to get yourself together and meet me down in the lobby. I will be supervising you."
She doesn't say anything but lifts her arm up and points toward the door. I shake my head and walk over to it.
"Drink the water, take the meds. Definitely shower and meet me in the lobby in 45 mins. Do not make me come looking for you, and every minute you're late I'll add 5 minutes to your run."
She doesn't say anything and just keeps pointing toward the door. I walk out and leave the door ajar.
-43 Minutes Later-
Clover walks out of the elevator frowning.
"This little power trip of yours could have waited until noon."
"Are you ready?"
"Is that a real question?" she asks sardonically.
"No, it was rhetorical."
"I feel like I'm gonna barf."
"Should have thought about that before you consumed alcohol. You're an athlete, you should know better."
I look down at her sneakers and feel myself frown. Both of her laces are untied. What a child.
"Tie your shoestrings."
"If I bend down, I will definitely barf."
I sigh in agitation. I have at least 20 things off the top of my head I should be doing. Instead, I'm playing the role of daycare attendant. I bend down and quickly do up both her laces.
I stand up and look at her.
"You gonna thank me?"
She rolls her eyes and places both her hands in front of her chest and curtsies.
"Let's just get this over with." I turn and head for the exit.
I walk out the door and hold the door open for her.
"Steel?"
I look behind me to see him heading up the stairs. He waves at me.
"I came to check on you."
"So early on a Saturday?....the news must of broke."
He smiles humorlessly and furrows his brows. "You ok?"
"Don't I look ok?"
He doesn't answer.
"Well, that's embarrassing," Clover states flatly.
"Where are you going?"
She looks up at me and frowns. " I'm being punished."
He looks at me and then back to her. " Why? What you do?"
She sighs and rolls her eyes. " I'll tell you later."
I clear my throat. I have so many other things I rather be doing.
"I got to go run for 30 minutes, and the warden is getting impatient. Sorry, but I got to go."
He looks at me. " Can I go with her?"
-Lollygag. That word wasn't even in my vocabulary before that night. But presently it fits the speed at which this spoiled little girl is running.
"Can you run faster?"
" Why....are.. you..rushing me?" She stops and puts her hands on her knees huffing and puffing.
"Why are you stopping?"
"I need air to run...besides I thought this was about time, not distance."
Steel runs in place beside her.
I guess she's right. I look at my watch, "You have another 10 minutes."
"Clover, I have to go." Steel tells her.
She stands upright and pushes her sunglasses up onto her head, and glares at him.
" Why?"
"I have an errand to run, but I'll be back later to see you."
She sucks her teeth.
"Fine, go. Abandon me."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'll be back to take you to pick up your car." She rolls her eyes but nods. He gently taps her shoulder, then turns and starts jogging back the way we came.
"Come-on Freshy, let's finish."
She shakes her head.
"I'll have to write you an i.o.u for the other ten minutes.. ..if I run any more I will most definitely spew....projectily at anyone in my vicinity."
She doesn't wait for my response and turns to walk ahead of me.
"Where are you going?"
She turns and looks back at me, then pulls her sunglasses down to cover her eyes.
"To day drink."
"It's the morning."
"Yeah, but it's Saturday...dahh."
She turns and walks away. I don't know exactly why but I follow.
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