"Something wrong, Cam?" Newsome asked as he played tug of war with Tesla.
"Fucking Vangel," I cursed as I walked out to the bay where I spent the next hour checking equipment and hoping for a call.
Chapter Ten
Alex
It was three days before I talked with Cam again. Between his schedule at the firehouse and my school and work schedules, we had trouble finding time when our free time coincided. He wasn't very good about texting, but then neither was I, so we contented ourselves with the odd phone call here and there and joked about our old school dating style.
"We're taking this back a couple of decades, you know?" I laughed as I walked over to Liz's apartment to pick her up for class. It was a cold morning and I could see my breath as I chatted with Cam.
"Yeah, but what was so bad about the nineties?" he asked. "I mean, all that hair and synth pop, it was cool."
"You're weird." I laughed harder. "Were you into that stuff?"
"Nah, I'm a classic rock guy myself," he said as I heard the overhead speaker announce a call. "Sorry, gotta run! Talk to you later!"
"Be careful!" I called as the line went dead. I quickly covered the block to Liz's apartment and pressed on her buzzer. When there was no answer, I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.
"Wha…what?" Liz said in a sleepy voice that told me she was nowhere near ready to leave for class.
"Liz, it's Alex! Get up, you're going to be late for class!" I yelled into the phone. Two seconds later, the door buzzed. I yanked it open and ran up the flight of stairs to Liz's apartment where the door stood ajar. Liz was fumbling with her clothes in the bedroom as she tried to get ready as fast as she could. I stepped into the kitchen and was dismayed to find dishes piled high in the sink and nothing but beer, sparkling water, and a couple of chunks of moldy cheese in the fridge.
"Liz, when was the last time you shopped for food?" I called out.
"Dunno," she said. "Few weeks ago?"
"What are you surviving on?" I asked as I turned on the tap and tried to get some hot water in the crusty dishes.
"Granola bars and whatever I can scrounge at work." She shrugged as she opened a cabinet and revealed several boxes of granola bars stacked on top of one another.
"This is not healthy," I said, shaking my head. "We're going to have to change this situation this afternoon, you hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Liz nodded as she looked at me through glassy eyes. "Whatever you say. Do you have any aspirin? I got a migraine coming on, I think."
I dug in my bag and produced a bottle of ibuprofen and poured two into her hand. She proceeded to pop them in her mouth and swallow without drinking anything.
"Liz, are you all right?" I asked, feeling concerned about my friend.
"Yeah, fine." She nodded. "Just up late studying, and I don't feel so good."
"Let's pick up some food on our way to class," I suggested as she gathered up her books and supplies. "I think you'll feel better once you eat."
"Sure." She nodded as she stood staring into space before suddenly remembering that she needed her coat and gloves. "Lemme get my stuff."
"I'm worried about you, Liz," I said quietly as she pulled on her coat and shouldered her backpack.
"Don't be, kiddo." She smiled. "I'm good."
We stopped at Panera on our way to class and bought a bag full of bagels and cream cheese along with two steaming hot coffees. Liz ate two bagels right out of the bag on the walk to class. I stared at her, wondering what was going on, but the bagels seemed to improve whatever it was that had been ailing her, and by the time we reached the classroom, the Liz I knew and loved was back.
"So, what happened with lover boy the other night?" she asked. "You two go back to your place?"
"Liz!" I laughed. "No, we got dinner and then he took me on a tour of the fire house before he dropped me off."
"Oh my, aren't you two so cute!" she said as she clapped her hands and pulled another bagel out of the bag. This time she covered it in cream cheese and ate half in three bites. "It's like a good old-fashioned romance! Jimmy Stewart and all."
"Stop it, Liz," I said, looking down at my boots suddenly feeling ashamed that she saw me as a prude. "I did kiss him, you know."