Escaping Grace

It took me three hours to get my phone replaced that Monday and two hundred dollars. My bank account was going to start dying if I kept this up.
I sighed, painting my nails as I waited for Vale to come show me her outfit. Her amd CC were apparently going to hang out, or go on a date like I thought it was, and she had shopped all this morning.
I waited patiently another fifteen minutes.
I blew on my nails, and glanced over when she trotted out.
"What do you think?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Fabulous," I replied, grinning at her. She wore her jean bolero over a fitted sparkly top --- that was actually mine. I didn't say anything, she could have it; it looked like a dress on me. Her black skinny jeans of course fit her well, shopping extraordinaire that she was, nothing ever looked bad on her.
"CC will faint," I told her, waving my hand to quicken the drying of my nails.
Vale grinned, looking excited.
"What time is he gonna be here, anyway?" I asked, and she flounced down beside me.
"Fifteen minutes. "
"Are you excited?" I asked, and she nodded.
"He's so sweet," she smiled. "I didn't expect that. I figured after we hooked up it would like the norm --- back to business except for the occasional booty call," she shrugged.
I took her hand and squeezed. "Maybe your bedroom antics were so sophisticated he can't get enough," I suggested, and she laughed.
"I doubt that," she said, and hopped to her feet, pacing as she waited. I flipped through TV channels, settling on Boomerang. I had a soft spot for the old cartoons, and would rather watch them then the new ones; I think that's everyone though. We always cling to our childhood.
My phone buzzed, and I picked it up, seeing an unknown number calling.
"Hello?"
"Leah! God, I've been trying to get ahold of you for weeks."
Startled, I jerked the phone from my ear. I stared down at the phone, and glanced at Vale, seeing she was preoccupied with a chip in her nail polish.
"How did you get this number?" I demanded in Russian, hopping to my feet. I hurried into my room, avoiding Vales suddenly intense look.
"What? I got it off Alexei. Leah," Ross whined in my ear.
"I told you to never talk to me again!" I hissed, furious. How dare he call me after all he put me through!
"It's been three years, come on. Your mother is worried sick, we miss you," he said in now perfect English.
Ross's real name was Romochka, and he had been a friend of the family for as long as I could remember. He was a few years older then me, but he'd been my firsy boyfriend, my first everything basically. My mother had been thrilled that we were dating, my father not so much.
He had changed his name when he'd officially become a U.S. citizen, but that hadn't changed who he was. He was vile, controlling and strict --- just like my mother.
"When I left I told you to leave me alone! Both of you! I want nothing to do with either of you and you know it, Romochka. Stop persuing me. You made my life miserable for years ---."
"Don't be so insolent," he snapped, cutting me off. "You need to come home. That is not the life for you."
"You don't tell me how to live my life anymore!" I shouted at the phone, and clicked end.
I threw it.
It slammed into the door and to the ground, and I whirled, pressing my hands to my face. God why did they keep bothering me?
"Leah!?" My door burst open and I turned in surprise, seeing Vales alarmed face and CCs behind her.
"What?"
"Who was that? Are you okay?" she demanded, lifting my new phone off the floor. She sat it on the dresser and stepped over to me.
"Was that Ross? Is he still calling?"
"It was nothing," I said quickly. "Don't worry. You have a date, remember"
CC was standing in my doorway after all.
"I can stay," Vale said, but I shook my head. "Nah, no big deal. Now go on with your fine self!" I pushed her to the door. "Don't keep hotcake over there waiting."
CC grinned, and after a few more minutes I was able to usher her out the door with him.
I sighed in relief, locking the door behind them. I grabbed my mercifully uninjured pbone and cradled it as I flopped upside down on the couch. I hung my head off the cushions and watched Scooby Doo upside down.
I glanced at my phone warily. I would have to download an app so I could block Romochkas number.
I watched TV for a while, wondering how Vales date was going. She'd been gone an hour and I hadn't gotten the emergency text to get her out of it.
I stretched, and glanced as my phone rang again. I didn't recognize the number, so I didn't answer. I wouldn't fall for that again.
I rolled myself to my feet and went to the kitchen, scoping the cabinets. I grabbed the last bag of popcorn and tossed it into the microwave, then grabbed some twizzlers. There was no better feast then popcorn and twizzlers.
I flailed back on the couch and found some old reruns of Bewitched, listening to the popcorn. When it beeped, I found a bowl and tossed it in, sticking twizzlers all around the edge as I hummed to the Bewitched theme song.
There was suddenly someone beating on the door, and I jumped, nearly dropping my bowl.
I frowned and walked over to the door.
"Who is it?" I snapped.
"I think I liked it better when you whispered to me in French."

Notes