Chapter 5 - section 5

***

It is just past 2:00am when Georgia wakes up. Her eyes are glued shut at this point, and her body feels like it's lagging behind in bed - but her bladder is throbbing to be emptied. It's a battle to stand up. The corridor is so dark she can barely see the walls but for a thin blue glow. Something is coming from the TV. She left it on by accident. She'll turn it off in a moment. Stumbling along to the bathroom door, she pushes it creaking open, doesn't even bother to turn on the lights, since it would feel like sticking rods in her eyes. She plonk herself on the dunnie in the dark and finishes her business, nearly falling asleep again. After washing her hands, she comes out and shuffles into the lounge room. All she can see by is the faint blue light from the TV. For a moment Georgia stands there and stares dumb at the news headlines scrolling by on mute. Picking up the remote from the couch, she points it at the screen and hears a quiet sound to her right. She listens. Again; the tiny rustling of a packet, coming from the kitchen. Mice in the food. No thanks.

Georgia shakes her head and tiptoes over to the kitchen. She can see through the door a dull yellow ambience from the stove light. Suppressing her breathing, she leans around the doorframe to spot the mice. The aren't any mice in sight. Instead it's Ruby.

The fridge is being held open, cold light blooming icy blue across the front of her body as she stands there staring in, zombie-like. She doesn't look at Georgia; seems like she never heard her coming. Frozen and uncertain, she watches Ruby chew her lip, scrunch her face and reach in. She withdraws hand, holding a bag of something Georgia can't read the name of in the dimness. For a moment, Ruby idles there, fridge-light painting her face pale. Illuminated at this angle, the shadows catch the dip of her double chin, just beginning to pop out. She's wearing her floral t-shirt, more like a rag at this stage, it's so old. It hangs across the twin bumps of her small breasts. Her belly swells out from underneath, pressing the fabric tight around its shape. The bottom line of the shirt doesn't meet the waistband of her pyjama pants, leaving an opening. Georgia can't see anything exposed, but she knows what would be there if she slid her hand up the opening. Her fingers would touch something smooth and soft.

Ruby's whole body jerks - she looks straight at Georgia, and her eyes go wide. In the silent, stretching second, she stands stunned, holding the packet close to her chest as if to protect it. Then something overcomes Ruby's blank expression. Something like shame. She looks away.

Georgia asks confused, '...What are you doing?'