No More Room To Breathe
Chapter 7
The Next Day
*****************Maika’s POV****************
I’d had the strangest, craziest dream…..
Marilyn.Marilyn.Marilyn.
She was all I could think about.
*************Marilyn’s POV*******************
*OMG. OMG. OMG.*
*Just breathe Mar. BREATHE.*
My mind was racing with my latest nightmare. I didn’t know why, but this one seemed worse than the others. I got out of bed and headed for the shower. I’d passed out on my couch after work yesterday and was feeling a bit grimy to say the least. After getting all cleaned and dressed, I put some coffee on. I opened my door to grab the newspaper….newspapers?
Huh. Must’ve forgotten to grab the paper yesterday. How will I ever survive two days worth of horrible stories?
The papers always contained the WORST stories these days. Death and destruction all around the globe that never seemed to stop.
I wonder who’s life (death?) will be splashed across the pages today…..
I grabbed a mug and sat on the couch to read.
*Hmmmm….maybe I’ll call Maika today?* I thought to myself a little shyly. I think I was ready to move forward in my life. I didn’t always need to be alone. I looked at the fading numbers on my hand. Maika seemed pretty harmless. He was cute, and sensitive, and charming… *sigh*
How could I be feeling this again?
Well…it was either call him or stop showering so his number wouldn’t fade. (I knew I could write it on paper, but I needed to convince myself…and not showering just wasn’t an option)
I dialed his number.
It rang…and rang…and RANG.
*Maybe he isn’t home?*
I was about to hang up when a husky voice said, “Hello?”
“Ummmm. Hi. I’m calling for Maika."
“Yeah, just hold on a sec.”
The customary noises for passing off the phone followed.
“Yeah, this is Maika.”
“Hey…this is Marilyn!” I said a little over cheery, my nerves reaching my voice.
There was silence on the other line.
“You know...the girl you gave your number….? At the music store?” Silence answered.
Oh no. He had forgotten all about me. Maybe I should just hang up, I thought.
“I think I’ll just go now,” I began to put the phone down.
“NO! I mean, I remember who it is! But I…”
Lifting the receiver back to my ear I said, “Yeah?”
“I didn’t think you’d call. Not since all the stuff that’s happened,” Maika said cautiously.
“What stuff?” I said, sounding as confused as I felt. “Am I missing something here?”
“You weren’t in the paper?!” he said, sounding relieved.
“ME?! In the NEWSPAPER?!” I laughed. “Why would someone as boring as me be in the paper?” I could guess.
He laughed too after that. “I dunno...the picture just looked like you, and the girl’s name was Marilyn. I guess I just thou-“
“Hold on,” I said, cutting him off.
Please. Please. No. This hadn't come up in years! Maybe it's a mistake!
I put the receiver down on the couch and lifted the paper. I stared in horror and shock as I saw that it was MY life that was splashed all over the front page…. MY tragic story. Tears began to pool in my eyes.
“Marilyn?” I heard Maika’s voice say into the cushion. “Are you there?”
I put the phone to my ear and said in a teary voice, “That’s me…..”
“What’s wrong?! Who?”
“In the paper, Maika. That IS me,” The tears were coming faster. “Maika this was a mistake ok? I need to go.”
“Marilyn, WAI-“
I cut him off again. Hanging up.
*************Maika’s POV*******************
*What just happened?* I thought, staring at my phone.
Chris chose to walk by then. “Hey dude, what’s up?” he said, seeing the dazed look on my face.
“I don’t know for sure.”
“Uh. Right. “
“Hey...I’m gonna run to the music store,” I said, setting the phone down. “I need to check on something.”
“Oh cool dude, cuz the new Thrice album is out and you know how much I lo-“
“Chris, this is something I just need to do alone.”
His brow furrowed. “O……K?” he said, sounding a little hurt.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
I HAD to find Marilyn.
So I ran.
*****************Maika’s POV****************
I’d had the strangest, craziest dream…..
Marilyn.Marilyn.Marilyn.
She was all I could think about.
*************Marilyn’s POV*******************
*OMG. OMG. OMG.*
*Just breathe Mar. BREATHE.*
My mind was racing with my latest nightmare. I didn’t know why, but this one seemed worse than the others. I got out of bed and headed for the shower. I’d passed out on my couch after work yesterday and was feeling a bit grimy to say the least. After getting all cleaned and dressed, I put some coffee on. I opened my door to grab the newspaper….newspapers?
Huh. Must’ve forgotten to grab the paper yesterday. How will I ever survive two days worth of horrible stories?
The papers always contained the WORST stories these days. Death and destruction all around the globe that never seemed to stop.
I wonder who’s life (death?) will be splashed across the pages today…..
I grabbed a mug and sat on the couch to read.
*Hmmmm….maybe I’ll call Maika today?* I thought to myself a little shyly. I think I was ready to move forward in my life. I didn’t always need to be alone. I looked at the fading numbers on my hand. Maika seemed pretty harmless. He was cute, and sensitive, and charming… *sigh*
How could I be feeling this again?
Well…it was either call him or stop showering so his number wouldn’t fade. (I knew I could write it on paper, but I needed to convince myself…and not showering just wasn’t an option)
I dialed his number.
It rang…and rang…and RANG.
*Maybe he isn’t home?*
I was about to hang up when a husky voice said, “Hello?”
“Ummmm. Hi. I’m calling for Maika."
“Yeah, just hold on a sec.”
The customary noises for passing off the phone followed.
“Yeah, this is Maika.”
“Hey…this is Marilyn!” I said a little over cheery, my nerves reaching my voice.
There was silence on the other line.
“You know...the girl you gave your number….? At the music store?” Silence answered.
Oh no. He had forgotten all about me. Maybe I should just hang up, I thought.
“I think I’ll just go now,” I began to put the phone down.
“NO! I mean, I remember who it is! But I…”
Lifting the receiver back to my ear I said, “Yeah?”
“I didn’t think you’d call. Not since all the stuff that’s happened,” Maika said cautiously.
“What stuff?” I said, sounding as confused as I felt. “Am I missing something here?”
“You weren’t in the paper?!” he said, sounding relieved.
“ME?! In the NEWSPAPER?!” I laughed. “Why would someone as boring as me be in the paper?” I could guess.
He laughed too after that. “I dunno...the picture just looked like you, and the girl’s name was Marilyn. I guess I just thou-“
“Hold on,” I said, cutting him off.
Please. Please. No. This hadn't come up in years! Maybe it's a mistake!
I put the receiver down on the couch and lifted the paper. I stared in horror and shock as I saw that it was MY life that was splashed all over the front page…. MY tragic story. Tears began to pool in my eyes.
“Marilyn?” I heard Maika’s voice say into the cushion. “Are you there?”
I put the phone to my ear and said in a teary voice, “That’s me…..”
“What’s wrong?! Who?”
“In the paper, Maika. That IS me,” The tears were coming faster. “Maika this was a mistake ok? I need to go.”
“Marilyn, WAI-“
I cut him off again. Hanging up.
*************Maika’s POV*******************
*What just happened?* I thought, staring at my phone.
Chris chose to walk by then. “Hey dude, what’s up?” he said, seeing the dazed look on my face.
“I don’t know for sure.”
“Uh. Right. “
“Hey...I’m gonna run to the music store,” I said, setting the phone down. “I need to check on something.”
“Oh cool dude, cuz the new Thrice album is out and you know how much I lo-“
“Chris, this is something I just need to do alone.”
His brow furrowed. “O……K?” he said, sounding a little hurt.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
I HAD to find Marilyn.
So I ran.