"I always do."
"That's why you already have one speeding ticket. I managed to avoid one of those until I was twenty."
"What can I say Sis?" he said with a grin. "I guess I just developed faster than you did." He pulled the keys out of his pocket. "I'll bring Mom's afghan tomorrow."
"Good idea. I'm sure she'd be happy to have something familiar here with her." Laura patted his arm and watched her younger brother turn and leave the waiting room. Turning to Crystal, she nodded and they too headed home.
Daylight started to lighten the sky outside, seeping into Crystal's room as if to taunt the young woman with the fact that sleep refused to come to her. With an annoyed groan she rolled over in her bed and reached for the ashtray and cigarettes sitting on the night stand. Might as well give up on that, she thought sourly as she put the cigarette to her mouth and lit it. After coming home from the hospital, Crystal had spent the better part of an hour sitting on the couch while Laura moved about the living room, cleaning things that didn't need to be cleaned and talking nonstop about her mother. Good thing she's into keeping the place clean or it'd never get done. Damned if I'd spend the time polishing the legs of the coffee table. It's not like dust ever has a chance to settle around here with her constant cleaning. Still despite the lack of sleep Crystal felt surprising good. Laura's mother was ill but while serious, it seemed to be something the doctors were confident could be brought under control. Taking a long drag, Crystal stared at the abstract painting on the wall. I still don't see what Laura sees in that thing. The painting appeared to be nothing more than several brightly colored brush strokes forming a starburst pattern. A five year old could do something like that. Crystal continued to gaze at the painting while her cigarette burned down, reflecting back on the events of the previous evening. She understood the need to drive Laura to the hospital, her roommate being far to upset to have been able to do it herself but was confused Crystal was that Jenny was never called. She had been certain that Laura would have called her ex-lover for support immediately. It's not like I was that much help. I was just . Crystal shrugged, not understanding how that could possibly have helped Laura. Still, she was glad that she had been able to give at least some comfort to her roommate.
Stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray, Crystal left the bed and headed for the bathroom. If I can't sleep I might as well get up. As she made her way to the bathroom, she wondered idly if Laura would remember there was a softball game today. Not that we'll be going. I wonder what time she wants to head up to the hospital. Then the thought came to her that perhaps Laura wouldn't be needing her company today. Quickly taking care of her most urgent need of the morning, namely getting rid of all the coffee and hot chocolate she had drunk the night before that now sat uncomfortably in her bladder, Crystal made sure the door was locked and turned on the shower. Pulling back the clear shower curtain, she noted once again how it never seemed to cloud up with soap scum. I bet she scrubs it down after each shower, she thought as she stepped under the warm spray.
Knowing Laura was sound asleep and likely to stay that way for a while, Crystal indulged herself with an extra long shower, letting the warm drops of water cascade down her body. While enjoying the steady spray, Crystal's curiosity got the best of her and she reached for the multi-head shower nozzle. A quick turn and the water changed from its gentle spray to a hard pulsating burst. "Ooh," she yelped, reaching up to protect her nipples from the stinging water. "I won't do that again." Turning around to let the water massage her back, Crystal enjoyed the luxury for a few minutes more before rinsing off and stepping onto the fuzzy blue mat. The shower had been invigorating but she learned her lesson and vowed not to play with the nozzle again at least not while it was pointed at sensitive areas of her body. "Shit." There was no need to look around for her to know that in her tired state she had forgotten to bring any clean clothes in with her. The panties she had worn into the bathroom were now draped over the shower rod. At least Laura's still sleeping. Throwing the towel over the shower rod, she ran the brush through her hair and studied her reflection in the mirror, noting with some disappointment that her breasts didn't appear to be quite as perky as they usually were. Great, I'm starting to sag at twenty five, she thought glumly. Makes sense, they're too big to stay up there forever. Leaning forward, she peered into the reflection, looking at her forehead and around her eyes for wrinkles. Finding none and feeling rather foolish for even looking, Crystal quickly finished brushing her hair and teeth. In the process of returning the toothbrush to its holder, Crystal's eyes fell upon the shell shaped soap dish. "Ah hell," she muttered. She had somehow managed to splash some water onto the dish and the three rose shaped scented soaps nestled within it. Jerking her towel off the rod, she quickly dried the soaps and dish, taking care when putting the soaps back that the now rounded side faced down. Why the hell does she have soap in the bathroom if no one is supposed to use it? If she just wanted the scent she could have put an air freshener in here. It was just another tolerable annoyance that the roommates shared. Laura didn't like the clear shower curtain or the way Crystal used the shower rod as a drying rack for her underwear and she didn't like the 'do not use' soaps, the fuzzy seat cover or the hard as sandpaper toilet paper her dark haired roommate insisted on buying. You have your quirks and I have mine, Crystal thought as she placed the last soap in the dish. It's just that mine aren't as annoying as yours. Tossing the towel haphazardly over the shower rod, she opened the door and glanced to the left to make sure Laura's bedroom door was shut before she darted bare assed back to her own room.
Chapter Eleventh
Exhausted from being up most of the night not to mention being scared out of her mind over her mother, Laura wasn't surprised when she finally opened her eyes and saw it was almost noon. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she rose and ungracefully made her way to the bathroom. She absently pulled the damp towel and underwear off the shower rod and draped them over the sink, the action now part of her morning routine since Crystal was the first to get up in the morning. Turning the faucets until the shower was just the right temperature, Laura noted the pulsating bursts and looked at it thoughtfully, realizing who had changed the pattern. That's the first time she's ever done that. A horribly prurient thought crossed her mind. And just what were you doing in here? Setting the dial to spray, Laura stepped under the water and reached for the soap, a silly smirk still on her lips.
Half an hour later, Laura made her way down the stairs. Having not bothered to use the hair dryer, her dark hair hung limply around her head, stopping just below the jaw line in the front and the base of her head in the back. A pleasant aroma passed under her nose and she smiled. "Hmm, what smells so good?" she asked, knowing Crystal was in the kitchen. Sure enough, Laura was answered by a bright and chipper voice.
"I found a waffle maker and the instructions was on the side of the box," Crystal said, giving Laura a cheerful smile. "I heard you turn on the shower and figured you might be hungry."
"Thank you very much," Laura answered, eyeing the stack of waffles sitting on the plate and realizing that she was indeed hungry. "I can't remember the last time someone made me breakfast." After giving it some quick thought, she realized none too happily that Jenny had been the last one to spend the night and surprise her with breakfast. That had been over three years ago and Laura briefly wondered where the time had gone. Locked upstairs in front of that computer and writing all the time, a voice inside answered.