DEFEATISM

05

When the resident assistants of Pearcher House realize that the call isn't going to come for a while, they decide to hunker down. Callie returns with a proper set of pencils to draw people, Jerry brings down the gaming console and Benedict helps him plug it in, and Tempest offers to raid the student event supply closet to get snacks for them all. Darlington goes with Tempest, just in case the super decides to complain about them eating food that has been budgeted for students.

Marcellus says he has to use the bathroom and sneaks off. Elodie trails after him.

"You're skipping out on video games?" Elodie asks, calling after him.

She doesn't know Marcellus. Really, she doesn't know him at all. There are three unavoidable truths about Marcellus that come up periodically; he likes nerdy guy shit, partying, and weed. If he is stepping out on video games, then he's got to have something better planned.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Marcellus keys into the staff office.

"This isn't the bathroom," Elodie smiles.

Marcellus moves over to the safe which contains the master key. There are two copies, one for whoever is on call that evening, and another in case of emergencies. Marcellus has been in the job for a while, but the safe is still a struggle. Elodie rolls her eyes and opens it for him.

"Thanks," he says.

"Roof?" she asks, dangling the keys from her fingers.

He nods his head.

"I'll meet you up there. Bring enough for me," Elodie says.

The two depart, with Marcellus taking the stairs up to his floor and Elodie waiting for their elevator. They both grab coats, and Marcellus grabs a blunt, and then they meet on the roof.

The pair of them are the first to go outside in the raging snowstorm. Elodie pulls up her hood tightly, trying to protect her face from the violent throws of cold air and snow hitting her. Her boots go up to her midthigh, but the snow is so deep that she gets some inside her boots. The blunt better be worth it.

Marcellus arrives. The pair of them huddle up in between two of the walls on top of the roof and begin to smoke.

"Could we just smoke inside?" Elodie asks after taking a hit. "I mean, they are already understaffed. Are they going to fire us?"

Marcellus kicks his foot. His pants are soaked since he hadn't thought to change out of his sneakers. It's getting deep, and it's still coming down pretty hard. No one in his family has texted him yet, but he knows that they aren't coming today. They'll be lucky if they can come up tomorrow, or even the day after.

"I'd rather not test the Unit's wrath today," Marcellus says.

Elodie shrugs, not sure if getting high is worth the blasted cold. If Benedict is correct though, this might be the last time she feels fresh air on her face, no matter how cold, for the foreseeable future.

"Someone else will fuck up worse on campus, I'm sure," Elodie remarks. "Besides, I don't think the fire department will be able to make it here if you set off an alarm anyway."

Marcellus exhales. The smoke is only slightly darker than his breath. Living here is such bullshit. He wishes housing weren't so expensive, and tuition didn't drain all his finances. They are already breaking the rules by going on the roof. He doesn't know which is worse, but at least this has less of a risk of being caught.