SIREN’S MISTAKE PART 9
Loud knocking jolted me from my revelation. “Oh no, it can’t be him.” The knocking became pounding. Then, several female voices yelled through the locked door.
“If you don’t open this door, Andy, we ware gonna knock it down!” Rosie yelled. It was muffled from the hard wood door, but it was definitely Rosie. That must mean that at least Michelle was with her, too. They never parted.
“Hold on, I’m coming!” Wow, that really made my head hurt more. I pulled myself off the couch with a groan. This is harder than it should be, even for a hangover.
I finally made it to the door and opened it. To my ultimate relief, it was only Rosie and Michelle. There is no way I could handle all the girls right now. “Come on in, you two, and stop making so much noise.” I moved aside to make room for them to enter. Before closing my door, I glanced down the hall. His door stood silently closed. I closed mine, not so silently, making sure to lock all the bolts.
When I turned around to face my friends, they both stared at me in confusion. As always, Rosie was the spokeswoman. “Are you ok, Andy? You look like hell.” She clung to Michelle with one arm while holding a grocery bag full of stuff in the other.
“I’ve been better. My head is killing me. Any aspirin in that bag?” I rubbed the side of my head while holding onto the wall for dear life.
That seemed to jar them out of their shock. Rosie let go of Michelle and went to the kitchen while Michelle came over to me. “Here. Let me help you back to the couch. Girl, when was the last time you took a shower?” She grabbed me around my waist and helped me lay back down, then went to help Rosie in the kitchen.
“What are you talking about? I showered this morning before I called in to work.” I sniffed my arm pits to find that I did, in fact, smell. That was strange.
Michelle came back around with a glass of water and some pills. “This morning? Last time Steph talked to you was three days ago. She called us to come check on you.” She helped me sit up enough to take the pills and then lay back down. My world was spinning.
“Three days? That’s not possible. I just broke – “I stopped myself before admitting to a crime in front of them.
Rosie came around this time. “Just broke what?” She looked around my apartment. “Nothing seems broken, sweetie. Soup should be ready in a bit. Why don’t you tell us what is really going on?” Rosie sat down at the end of my couch while Michelle sat across from me on my love seat. They both looked at me like I had grown a third eye.
What was I supposed to tell them? Hell, I don’t even know what really happened. Would they even believe me? For all I know, I’m losing my mind. Guess I could start with Zagan. Here goes nothing. “Do you remember me asking about the new guy?”
Rosie nodded. “Sure, but there isn’t a new guy on this floor. I don’t even think there has been a new guy in this building for a while now.”
I growled and ran both hands down my face. “Just entertain me here, will you?” When they both nodded, I continued. I told them how I ran into him and how I helped him move in. Then, I told them the strange part about his door not having a number on it. That’s when I really lost them.
Rosie stood up. “That is impossible, Andy. All the doors have numbers. I’ll prove it. I’m gonna go look for this suspicious door.” She left my apartment and, a few minutes later, came back holding her phone. “Here, I took a picture and everything.” She thrust it at me. On the screen was a picture of the two doors with numbers. His door was nowhere in the frame.
All I could do was roll my eyes. After the maintenance man, I expected this. I wasn’t sure how this was happening, but I knew it would. I also wasn’t sure what else I could say. Luckily, another knock at the door saved me from convincing them I was crazy.
Michelle went to the door while Rosie stayed with me. She gently patted my leg as if I were an animal that might get put down. Her eyes refused to meet mine. From the doorway, Michelle yelled, “Hey, Andy. There’s a guy here asking for you. Says his name is Zagan?”
