ALICE Ch 16

“Well, I’m impressed,” Alice says faintly. “You’re really going to use all of this?”

“What?” Now it’s Faye who looks surprised.

“Like, how would you even have time? It’s already,” Alice says, looking at her wrist, but she’s dressed for bed and not wearing her watch.

“You think I’m going to use all this tonight?” Faye no longer looks indignant. Now she’s peering up at Alice with something like concern. “How?”

“That’s what I’m asking!”

“It’s a collection, Alice.”

Alice takes that in. She scans the objects on the bed. “So you just look at them?”

“I’m making sure that I have everything!”

“Uh, looks like you do,” Alice says. Between the stuff on the bed and the stuff in the bag, this has to be like… fifty separate items. “What the fuck?” she mutters.

“It’s a ritual!” Faye says, frustrated.

“What?”

“Like, a relaxation thing. Self-soothing. For my anxiety.”

“Is that what you were trying to do before the race?” Alice rubs at her temples.

“I know. I know.” Faye is suddenly avoiding eye contact. “Certain things need you to be relaxed. I wasn’t relaxed.”

Alice stares at the six pink, silicon plugs, arranged by size. Her eyes rest on the largest of them, which is frankly terrifying to look at. Yes. Those things do require relaxation. That’s something that she understands in theory, not practice.

Faye really likes anal stuff. Alice doesn’t need to know this. She doesn’t need to know any of this.

“My therapist says it’s OK,” Faye says defensively.

“You have a weird therapist.”

“I had to fight him. First, he said that I should use healthy coping skills.” Faye looks irked as she folds her arms with a little scowl. “This is healthy.”

“My therapist says that building confidence is the way to handle anxiety,” Alice says. “OK. Look, I’m sorry I barged in.” Impulsively, she picks up a toy from the bed. It’s a squishy sleeve. “Can I borrow this?” She’s sleeping alone, after all.

“No,” Faye replies at once, grabbing it with both hands. Alice holds on, resisting.

“Why not?” she asks, irked. “You have like fifty other things.”

“I need this one.”

“You don’t have another one?”

“No,” Faye says stubbornly.

Alice lets go and Faye stumbles back, clutching the cock sleeve protectively.

“You have a gazillion toys and only one thing for your wiener?” Alice asks, struggling to wrap her head around it.

Faye stands there, blushing and glaring. She hugs the sleeve to her soft chest.

Right. Well, the toys on the bed follow a theme. It’s like 90% anal stuff.

Faye is obviously fine.

“Don’t tell my mother,” Faye blurts abruptly as Alice heads for the door.

Alice laughs. “Come on. I wouldn’t do that.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. I’m sorry, Faye.” She’s trying not to laugh as she says it. “I came to check up on you, not to ruin your night. I’m sorry,” she repeats.

Shaking her head, Alice steps into the hallway and shuts the door behind her.

“Oh, jeez!” she says as she sees the figure standing just twenty feet away. It looks like Glynda was just about to knock on Alice’s door.