Riot

Chapter 10

'I don't think that you should stay there. Your roommate is a bad influence, and I think you know that. She's a feminist, right? Do you even realize what those women say and do? Do you support their radical statements?'. I knew those weren't Mike's own words. They belonged to my parents, who were undoubtedly listening in on our conversation right now.

'No, I don't even care for those statements. Of course I don't agree with what they're saying, but that doesn't mean that I can't deal with it, or with her', I yelled. Years of pent up rage came out In those two sentences. I was furious.

'You know I only want what's best for you, Allie', Mike said soothingly.

'Yes, alright', I muttered, trying to compose myself. All I wanted to do now was hang up the phone, go lie in my bed and cry.

'Do you want to talk to mom and dad?', he tried. He sounded hopeful, but I was in no mood to accept his role as a mediator. Talking to my parents right now would only make things worse.

'No'. He didn't say anything for a few seconds.

'We love you, Allie. And I know mom and dad would love to see you again, if you'd want to come visit us', he said. His voice was calm, but I knew that he was anything but calm right now. He was torn between our parents' wishes and my needs.

'I know', was all I managed to say. I heard some other voices in the background. My parents, no doubt. I couldn't hear their exact words, but it wasn't hard to guess what they were saying to Mike.

'You can come see us whenever you're ready. And you know I will visit you when I can. Though I would appreciate it if you could find another roommate, with some less radical ideas perhaps. We can discuss this the next time I come over, okay?'.

'Well, yeah, see you soon then', I replied, not wanting to dismiss his proposal immediately. Maybe he was right about me needing a new roommate after all. The situation was definitely getting out of hand, and we would never truly see eye to eye. 

I turned around, checking to see if Marylee was still waiting for the phone. I didn't see her, so I presumed she'd gone back inside.

'Allie, are you still there?', Mike asked. I sighed, rubbing my temples to stop my upcoming headache.

'Yeah'.

'We will talk again on friday, okay? I'll call you when I get back from work', Mike suggested. I shook my head, knowing that we would just have this same conversation all over again.

'Okay, bye Mike', I simply said, and I ended the call. I took a few deep breaths, and reluctantly entered our dorm. 

It's your turn', I said curtly, pointing at the phone in the hallway. Marylee was sitting on the couch, and slowly stood up as I came in. She seemed very annoyed with me, which I almost understood after my long phone call, but her eyes softened when she looked at me.

'Are you alright, Alison?', she asked me. I nodded, unable to share my true feelings with her. She probably wouldn't understand them either way. Only Matthew would understand my struggles, and I wouldn't see him until tomorrow after class.

'Yes, I am. Thanks for asking, though', I answered, hoping that she wouldn't press on. 

'If you say so...', Marylee said, clearly not believing me. She walked towards me, and stepped into the hallway. Right before I closed the door behind her, she turned around.

'You shouldn't let your family dictate your actions, you know. It's your life, not theirs', she said. Her kind and honest words of encouragement caught me off guard, but before I could reply she walked off into the hallway to make her phone call.