The Beautiful Ones

41- This Is Me Not Caring

Alice’s POV

“I’m serious Zoey, if the circumstances weren’t so awful, this place would be so amazing. We have to come at some point. You know, when life isn’t so shitty.” I chirped into my phone.

“Alice, it’s Wednesday.” She muttered angrily. “You said you’d call every day and you haven’t called once and you’re phone’s been off. I’ve been worried sick about you.”

I frowned softly as I was crossing one of the busy Time Square crosswalks. “I know, and I’m sorry, I just needed some time to think.”

“Okay, well what have you thought about?”

“How magical the Plaza Hotel is. I have a butler in there!” I squealed.

“You have a butler here, Ali. Come home, please.”

“I don’t want to, not yet. I found some really cool night clubs around here and the guys are like, freaking amazing. And I’ve been shopping so hard, I even got some stuff for you.”

“Yeah, I know Manhattan has good shops, and we can go shopping there sometime. Together. When you have all of your sanity.” She pleaded. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” I admitted. “But I’m not ready to come home yet. I haven’t even shopped Gucci yet.”

She groaned on the other end. “You’re being so impossible.”

“The Empire State Building is just amazing, by the way.” I chirped, adjusting the multiple shopping bags that were hanging in the crook of my elbow as I was walking with my blue bootie heels clacking against the sidewalk.

“Alice, we’ve been to New York before, we’ve seen the Empire State Building.” She pointed out.

“Well yeah, but we’ve never seen it like this.”

“Like what?” She asked.

“I don’t know, it just looks better this time, I think. Maybe they cleaned it or something.” I suggested.

“Alice, please stop sounding so happy,” She whined. “I know you’re not happy, so just cry it out.”

“I’m not going to do that.” I told her. “I’m walking on a busy New York sidewalk, I’d look rather funny.”

“Well then wait until you’re in your hotel room and then call me back and just cry it out because you obviously need to release whatever is building up inside of you.” She informed me.

“I would do that, if I had privacy in my hotel room. Somebody put me on frikkin’ suicide watch and there’s people everywhere.”

“I’m worried about you, Ali.” She justified. “And I have my flight ready for Friday, so if you’re still cooped up by then, I’m coming to get you.”

“Fine, I’ll have to get to Gucci tomorrow then.” I informed her.

“Where are you now?” She asked me.

“I’m in Times Square, I just got out of the Disney Store and I think I’ll hit the Hard Rock Café for lunch.” I planned out, seeing the glowing sign in front of me.

“Sure, and what have you been doing, when you haven’t been returning my calls?”

“Enjoying my butler and personal chef.”

“That’s redundant.” She told me. “You have both at home.”

“Yeah, but it’s kinda different here, I think.” I sighed. “Okay, I can’t explain it, but it’s just different.”