Alicekai'd 1.11: Falling Apart

 

 

     I have a confidant. Someone knows. Someone believes me. And he's a scientist.

     There's hope for the first time since this whole debacle started. Geoffrey Landgraab is going to help me.

 

     He told me not to get my hopes up too high. Too late. Just the fact that he's going to try is huge. AND he has access to things that might actually work.

     "Thank you so much for doing this," I told him.

     "You need to also consider that you are indeed stuck here, so I advise coming up with a plan B. I'd hate to disappoint you, Alice."

 

      "Don't worry, Geoffrey. Just the fact that you're going to try means so much to me. I believe that if there's someone out there that can help me, it's you. You're my best friend."
      A pained look came across his face as he pulled me into a tight hug.

     "I'll do my best," he said quietly into my ear. Then he took in a breath and let go.

     It's all going to be okay! I sing happily in my head, waking up in the best mood ever.

     Geoffrey will make it work. I have to believe that. I make my bed, still grinning from ear to ear.

      It's a hot day, so I pull my hair back and put on some lighter clothing.

      When I enter the common room, I see Gerald. He makes me smile. I wonder if he's read my book yet. I decide to go ask.

       But upon seeing his expression, my step falters.

     "Well, if it isn't The Britechester Hussy herself."

      I gasp and take a step back. "What did you call me?"

     "Oh, come off it. You're plastered all over social media."

     "What?"

     "Yeah. A bunch of people have you posted carrying on inside a closet then coming out with it obvious what the two of you had done."

     OMG. I stand here mute while he continues.

     "This is bad for the university. We'll have paparazzi descending on us like locusts. Mark James will probably be fired. By the way, him? Really? I had you pegged differently. You're probably on the news!" 

     I move to walk past him, but he won't shut up.

     And why does he even care?
     "Where are you going?"

     I round on him, having had enough.

 

    "What's it to you? This is MY problem, so don't make it about you." I take a breath. "I highly doubt the paparazzi is going to bother with this. So what? So I went out and had a good time. I was drunk!"

     "What's it to me? I LIKED you, Alice! I was working up the courage to ask you out, but now, no thank you. I throw out trash, not date it."

      "Oh, well, gee, I'll cry into my pillow every night," I say sarcastically. He's nuts! "Again, this isn't any of your business. I don't care that you wanted to ask me out." Lie. This actually hurts because I did. But he's being so weird about it that I'm wondering about his sanity. It's like the world revolves around him or something. This isn't the first time I've wondered this. Just listening to him talking to people this term. It's all starting to fit together. 

     "Look, just stay away from me, okay?"

     I roll my eyes. "Oh, don't worry. That won't be a problem." It feels like he thinks we're breaking up when we never. went. out. Did he have some deranged relationship already going in his head?

      I dodged a bullet here.

      'Wrong types of men,' echoes in my mind.

      Shut up. Stupid love festival guru lady.

      Don shows up. Thrill.

 

     "Alice? Could I talk to you over there, please?" Don asks.

     Gerald gives me a weird superior kind of expression.

     "Yeah, sure," I reply to Don.

     Don whispers, "Is he okay?"

     I glare back at Gerald to see him giving Don the biggest 'eat shite' look in the world. "No. He's off his nut." I look at Don. "What did you want to talk about?" I have a feeling I know what it is.

     "First of all," he asks, "have you seen the internet this morning?"

     "No. I've only heard." Honestly, what is the big deal?

     "Well, I want you to know this has nothing to do with that."

     "Okay?" I ask.

     "I've started dating Dina." Figures. "And I want to see her exclusively."

     "So Dina won, huh?" I reply cryptically. The classic Nina-Don-Dina love triangle survives into Sims 4. I ignore his questioning expression. "Well, thank you for doing this in person."

     "You're okay?"

     I nod. "Yeah."

     Gerald grumbles something just out of earshot.

     "You want me to take care of him?" He jerks his head toward the maniac eavesdropping on us.

     "Nah. He's an imbecile." I smile. "I hope you're happy, Don. Truly."

     "Thank you. And don't worry. This will blow over." He means whatever it is out there on the internet.

     "Okay. Thanks."

     "See you later, Alice." He touches my cheek and then turns to walk away.

     What's happened? My day started out so good.

     I rush over to my laptop. Sure enough, I find what everyone's talking about very quickly. Several people took cell phone video of me being very loud in that closet. But the one that gets me...

     ...is the one Mark himself posted.

Where are you? 

 

     I texted Mark. He'd better answer. I could sue him for defamation.

     He replies, telling me he's at a gym. I tell him I'm on my way.

     When I arrive, he's standing there waiting for me.

     "Hey, baby. I've been meaning to call you, but work has me SO busy."

     That does it. My temper skyrockets to an eleven.

 

     "Oh, but you're not 'SO busy' that you don't have time to post that terrible video!?"

     "Whoa! Alice? What's wrong?" He seriously doesn't know?

     "How could you do that to me?"

 

     "What did I do? That was a GREAT video! We were having so much fun."

     Tears stream down my face. Wait. Mark didn't post any videos of us in the closet. They were all of us acting like idiots, but yeah, having fun. "Have you... Have you SEEN the other videos out there?"

     "What other videos? I told you; I've been busy with work. I uploaded MY video during... a 10-2."

     "A what?"

     "Bathroom break."

     I get out my phone and show him some other videos. "You seriously haven't seen any of these?"

     He lets out a stream of obscenities when he sees them. "Why has no one shown me this?"

     "Is that why..." He ponders something internally. Remembering I'm standing here, he says, "I'll get them taken down, Alice. I know people."

     A woman behind him is holding up her cell phone. "We're being recorded as we speak."

     "What!?" He turns and marches over to the woman. "Delete that, please. This is private."

     "We're on public property. I'm not deleting anything." She puts her phone in her back pocket. Then she turns and walks away.

      "Ugh!" He walks back over to me.

     "What were we thinking? Why did you talk me into that?" He means our romp in a public closet.

     "Me? It was your idea." Or was it? 

     "There's no point arguing that point." He takes a breath, his mind in overdrive. "Listen. I have to call my agent. I really like you, Alice, but... I think we should stay away from each other. At least for now."

     "Fine with me. Goodbye." I spin on my heel and walk away.

     "Alice!" I hear, but it gets fainter. Then there's another 'ugh!' sound. He doesn't follow after me.

 

     I don't know what to do. I'm falling apart. People are pointing at me and laughing. Looking down at my clothes, I see them in a new light, so I spin into another hot day outfit. 

     I don't want to go back to the dorms. Where do I go? What do I do?

     There might be one place... if he doesn't hate me now. 

     "I've had a terrible day..." I can't finish it, and I burst into tears.