The Phone Call

Katie bit her finger and stared at the phone. SHe knew the number. It was her father. She was a wreck. Katie curled in a ball. He called night and day. But she couldn't bring herself to bring herself to pick the phone up. It was about 5:30 pm. The phone stopped but stared ringing again. Soft tears fell out of her eyes, as she rested her head on the wall.

Aksel was randomly walking through the dormitories when he heard the unmistakable sound of crying.

As he neared Room 105, where the noise was coming from along with the dull sound of a phone ringing. He stopped wondering if he should really put his nose into other people's business but decided that since no one else was around, he might as well offer some help if they needed it.

He raised his hand up and knocked on the door. He didn't hear any reply so he knocked again, "Hey! You okay in there?"

Katie jumped and grabbed a paper towel and dapped her mascara in case it was running. She walked to the door and slowly opened it. Katie said nthing. She looked the boy up and down silently worried what was going on.

Aksel knew what those blood-shot eyes meant.

"I heard someone crying. is everything okay?" He asked, his voice soft so as not to scare the weeping girl,"What's bugging you?"

"Who are you?" she asked not answering. She slowly took a step closer into her room. She held the door knob hard and sighed slightly. "It's no big deal." Katie sai dlooking at the white carpet. The phone started ringing again.

"My name is Aksel, and honestly if you don't answer the phone I will RIP it out of it's socket! I have work to do and it's starting to piss me off!" He snapped, listening to the annoying screech of the telephone before forcing his way into the girl's room and picking it up the offending object in question.

"FUCK OFF YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" He finally yelled into the phone then slammed it back down onto the receiver. He turned satisfied when the phone kept quiet rather than ring again and turned to the terrified girl.

"Now, if that dick calls again, tell him that 'your friend' will make it so that he CEASES TO BE MALE!" he huffed in annoyance before walking out of the room and down towards his own just a few doors down.

Katie stood against the all confused and said nothing. She slowly followed. She jogged to catch up and then she tapped his shoulder and took a couple steps back. Katie spoke out of turn, which was nothing like her. "You shouldn't have done that. He will be mad." she said. Her blue eyes stared at him in curiousity and slight fear. "And, how did you know it was a guy?" she asked, tilting her head to the side like a lost puppy.

"Asshole instinct." Aksel said as though it was nothing out of the ordinary for him, then added "and if he's gonna be mad just tell him what I told you to. I hate it when people can't take a hint!"

He fumed again, not at all liking the fact that some idiot was pestering the pretty girl when she so OBVIOUSLY wanted to be alone.

"But really if he starts getting nasty, just hang up and tell me. I'll put him straight," and then added with an almost borderline psychotic smile, "Trust me. I will."

"But he is my dad. I mean, I can't. . . I can't just not talk to him. He said that I have to do what he says until I am 18 and an adult. Isn't that how it is supoose to be?" Katie said awkwardly rocking on the balls of her feet.

Aksel had to choke back a laugh so that he wouldn't scare the timid girl away.

"Not really, You have to usually rely on your parents until you an adult but you don't have to do EVERYTHING they tell you to." He sighed out as he ran a hand through his deep red locks, then thought to himself 'I got to get a haircut soon'

"But anyway," he contiued on,"If the guys being a dick to the point that he's making his daughter cry the guy's better off dying or something. You don't need people like that, especially PARENTS like that, bringing you down."

He then turned and gave a comforting smile to her, "You're a pretty girl, and pretty girls shouldn't spend their time crying and being afraid."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to you know. The great thing about America is that you choose your own fate." And again he smiled but his grey eyes flicked over to the clock in the center of the hallway and he noticed that he REALLY needed to get back to work on his papers.

"Look, If the douche bag hands you anymore trouble just forward the call to Room 103 and I'll deal with it but I really got to go. My professors are gonna kill me if I don't turn in my homework."

"I could help you. With your homework. I don't mind helping." she said wit a grin on her face. She walked past him to his dorm: 103. She stood outside and waited for him to come over to the room.

Aksel wondered what brought about the sudden urge to help him, a total stranger, but applied it to her not wanting to be alone and so he walked towards his room and unlocked it before holding the door open and allowing her in. It was a basic room without much decor but he found it to be acceptable.

"You don't need to help, it's not hard but if you just want to hang out it's not going to bother me in the least." He finally said, a wave of his hand indicating for her to take a seat somewhere as he flopped down into his computer chair and opened up his laptop.

"So I gave you my name but I don't think I know your's he said without looking at her, "Or do you want to remain anonymous?"

Katie ran her fingers along the bed and down the wall. "Katie." she said in a dream like state. Katie walked to the corner and looked at some pictures. "You room is very nice." she said sitting down on he edge of the bed with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She stared at the ceiling.

"Eh I'm not big on decorating, it just distracts me" Aksel told her not looking away from his computer screen as he furiously typed away at the keyboard.

"So what's the deal with your dad? Why are you scared of him?" He questioned her but then quickly added, "You can tell me to fuck off if you don't want to say anything about it."

"I don't curse." Katie said running her fingers over the bedding. "My dad used to beat and rape me. Then, he. . . he, um. I can't tell you. He would kill me if I told you. she said leaning her head to the right and running her fingers through her black hair. Katie alked over and looked ver his shoulder at the words on the computer screen.

"I understand." He told her softly, his sweet southern accent soothing and kind. He continued to write more into his essay on the effects of drinking while impaired and simply let the girl watch over from his shoulder. He was used to girls clinging to him and grabbing onto him so he wasn't at all bothered by her proximity.

"There's a chair in the corner if you want to sit and watch." He told her after a few seconds, wondering if she was getting tired of standing.

Katie shoke her head and countined writing. It was quite interesting. She silently walked out of the door and came back with a gronola bar. She through the wrapper away and munched on it while staring at the ceiling. She picked a book and flipped through it staring at the words.

Aksel smiled at the girls little antics but said nothing. As he finished his paper he turned to look at the girl and smiled brightly.

"Not much of a talker are you?" he asked.

Katie chewed the gronola bar and shoke her head. She sat down on bed again. She smiled at him and swung her feet back and forth. The girl stared at the ground and picked a small piece of gronola off the floor and threw it away. She brushed her short denim skit off. ((occ: she is wearing a short denim skirt, pink converse, and a yellow cami))

She looked at the computer. "Are you done?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah" he replied, shaking his head and then running his hand through his hair.

"So you feeling better yet?" He asked then stood up to stretch. His eyes looking at the girl on his bed. He smiled again before walking over to her and offering her his hand.

"If you're hungry there's this great place in town that makes awesome Italian food. Have you been there before?"

Katie smiled at him and shoke her head. She walked past him and opened the door walking out. "Are you coming?" she asked poking her back into the door.

(My muse is gone. Sorry)