The Last Ten

The Escape

Lika heaves again over the toilet bowl.
Her mouth tastes bitter and metallic, her throat and stomach feel raw. Her head is swimming.

She eases herself back onto her knees and catches sight of the chipped china mermaid on the windowsill.

The bathroom is completely bare other than that one mermaid. A shudder ripples down her back, that poor inanimate creature had to watch her puking into a toilet.

Despite how disgusted she is with herself, Lika takes time to examine her puke.

"Oreos," she groans. "Why does everything I love hate me?"

The little mermaid gives her a blank stare, with an empty smile. It seems to be mocking her. She groans in disgust.

"Ugh! Now, I'm talking to a stupid china fricking mermaid!" Lika slowly and lightly bangs her head against the ceramic toilet seat.

"Yourself, actually." A familiar enveloped her.

Lika didn't turn around, she didn't want to see her boyfriend's disappointed look...Nor did she feel like telling herself the same lie. The lie that every time he looks at her, it's out of love; not him merely searching for traces of drugs.

But now that she thinks about it, her banging her head against the toilet really would concern him. She stops and merely rests her head against it.

"What?" She whispers.

"The mermaid isn't sentient. So, you're actually talking to yourself." He says, too matter-of-factly for her liking.

She groans again. "What do you want, Noah?"

She feels a shift in the air and a little grunt. He's squatting behind her.

"Can't I just come to check on my girlfriend?" He says it softly. Too softly. Too cautiously. It makes Lika's blood boil.

"No." She spits. She reaches out and pulls the lever of the toilet. There's a whoosh of water as it carries away the filth.

"That's wasting water, Lika. There's only a limited supply-"

"What?! You wanted me to leave my sick here for everyone to fricking see?!" Lika yells. Noah flinches. And somewhere in Lika's heart, she feels guilty.

Noah's brief moment of fear passes, and he furrows his brow. "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" She glares him down. "Screw you."

He frowns deeper, "are you...is it...are you PMSing?"

Lika swallows a laugh.

"Wow, you're really something, Noah." She grips the sides of the bowl and pushes herself to a wobbly stand. Noah reaches for her, but she bats his hands away.

"I'm just trying to help you!" He runs his hands through his hair, and glances at her, "why are you trying to fight me?"

She gives him a look and mutters, "I have never tried to fight you. I've always done my best to be the perfect girlfriend. But that was never enough was it?"

Noah sighs, and closes his eyes, "Lika, it was an accident."

She laughs a humourless laugh, and tries to walk past him, but he grabs her arms.

"Noah," she fights against his grip. "Let me go! Noah! Leave me alone!"

"Angelica-"

"No!" She screeches, punching his chest. Her face is completely contorted with anger. "Let. Me. Go."

Noah releases her, and she walks out only to bump into a speeding Seven and Mars.

"Watch it!" Lika growls. Then she sees their faces. "What's wrong?"