You grunt irritably as Alley pulls away from you. "That'll be the Chinese," she says.
Sure enough, a thirty-something delivery guy is standing on the other side of the door, holding a bag oozing with the aroma of chinese spices. "Delivery?" he says. He comes across as a little dopey. Perhaps he's tired, or perhaps it's just part of his character.
"Thanks, pal." You shoot him a look which he doesn't pick up on. You haven't quite forgiven him for disturbing you.
"That'll be $42.48."
"$42.48?! I'm a student, not Bill fucking Gates!" you exclaim. The delivery guy looks genuinely hurt at your attitude.
"Fine," you sigh, relenting a little and fishing some notes out of your pocket. The guy peers over your shoulder at a dissehevelled Alley, who is slouched on your bed. When you look back up at him, he is wearing a big smile.
"Sorry dude, didn't mean to disturb," he mutters to you.
"You weren't to know," you respond quietly while handing over the money. "You just couldn't have picked a worse time to knock. Keep the change."
"Thanks. Have a good one."
"You too."
You shut the door behind you and settle down on your bed to eat your food. However, you curse as you realise that you haven't really unpacked as yet, and you have no idea where your cutlery is. You look around the room for something that could be used as makeshift chopsticks. Alley, however, simply upends her carton and lets the noodles slide into her down her throat. She 's finished in minutes and starts working on yours as well, plucking chuunks of chicken from your carton and popping them into her mouth. You shrug your shoulders and mimic her. Nevertheless, it takes you a good half an hour to be finished. You both slouch back on the bed, licking your fingers. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Alley looks at her watch and stirs.
"I'd better go. I've got work in the morning," she says, reluctantly. |