Chapter 6

MARGARET FLEETILY WENT inside as she tried to hide her face crimson by the alcohol and her faux pas. She felt her heart thumping closer and closer to her throat. When it got even closer, the box-dweller croaked and she felt her lunch losing their introversion. Margaret tries to swallow them back as she stayed leaned behind the door for a few seconds until she heard the car race off. Only then did she run off to hug the toilet.

She let out one loud "bleurgh" with every fiber in her body. Margaret, in her forecast, irked and stayed in that position in anticipation of another round. But all she’d eaten and drank already got poured out during that one big effuse deinebriation. The ex-beliquored thought about how she was "unaffected by spew since 2002". 

"Unaffected by spew since 2016" doesn't sound as good

The disappointed rhymer shook her head and slapped her cheeks forcefully like a shōjo manga character as she greets her fat lazy tabby Peanutbutter by caressing his chin. The feline liked this over whatever the hell was happening to his mom a few moments ago.

Margaret changed into her jammies and laid down in her bed. 

Literally three seconds later, "I can't sleep!" she cried.

She jumped up her bed, fumbled through her fridge for something to munch on. and found one box of unfinished cheese pizza. In her excitement, she grabbed the entirety of package. and bit a small portion of it; gnawed, gulped, then paused for a while. After contemplating over whether it still fit for safe consumption, the hungry woman chewed all over the cold a-lot-more-Jewish-than-you-thought Italian cuisine. She turned her laptop on and put on a random episode of Friends just for the sake of ambiance while she delights in her haute midnight meal. Her only company the sarcasm of Chandler, and her sharp-nosed furry child who begged for a just a bite.

After an hour of sleep escapism, she thinks she's finally ready to go and get some shut eye. She dove to the bed head face down. 

Riiiiing!

“Uggh... could your timing BE any better?”

She giggled unto herself with that remark and picked up the phone who was apparently Charles calling to make sure she got home safely. She relayed everything—but of course the whole tried to kiss her best friend hullabaloo. But she did mention that he escorted her home, to where Charles took pretty well. The conversation ended with Charles informing that he'll pick her up at 8 in the morning. Then abruptly "I love you," said Charles.

There's no reason for him to be not saying that but Margaret felt so guilty. 

"I love you too," she answered mellowly. Then she turned the call off. 

And I was about to doze off.

Despite the swarm of thoughts wandering in her head; and her thinking that she'll have a hard time sleeping; she was asleep in a few minutes.

Margaret awakened to find her head splitting and her soul still sleepy. But without a hint of these infirmities, she rose and bollixed through her closet to get a flask exactly like the one Albert has. 

She took the flask and raised it towards Peanutbutter. After uttering, "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit," she gave herself a moment to meditate before getting ready. 

This tradition of theirs sprouted from their experiences of needing anything in college, even luck. There used to be a lot more luck-related and rabbit-related widgets and customs in their sleeves but, out of them, this is the only one that stayed. She went to continue her daily routine after this monthly ritual.

One montage of getting ready later, she's waiting outside her apartment for the ride to arrive with still 20 minutes to spare. The people around the streets were also barely just awake in their shoes as they try their best to be adults though they be beleaguered in their habiliments. She empathized and contemplated about how it's a Saturday and how she should've been asleep ‘til Monday. But decisions have to be made today, and was she so not looking forward to that. While waiting, the doze underdosed opens the net to watch cat videos for mediation.

After her hundredth cat video, the sedan finally arrives. She scurried inside to find that Charles wasn't there. This was, of course, habitual so Margaret just brushed it off. Instead, she asked the driver where they're headed. 

"Mayor Charles' office, ma'am," the driver answered politely then he drove towards the aforementioned destination.

They slide through the almost empty streets towards the office in one quick flash it didn’t even give Margaret enough time to drop her hat.

So, when she arrived, her head suddenly got filled back with that dog's breakfast of a thought: Albert and the things that happened—rather, the things that did not happen—between them; and the things that kept not happening between them.

Margaret's disturbed by so much thoughts yet she still greeted every person she encountered on her trek towards the peak of the city’s summit. She filled the air of the stressful municipal building with her razzle dazzle with sequins and confetti with only her personality.

As she passes the cheering crowd though, her dreary atmosphere came back. She got so self-immersed that she did not notice VV lapping her in the same direction as Charles' office. Margaret remained in a semi-tranced state until Ana saw her. 

Ana was at first hesitant but was also very concerned with a fellow Venus-abode citizen. The secretary and the mayor had a scuffle on her way out because of Charles’ irritation. This irascible quality that he has had been pursuing during the last few weeks; Ana sensed it to have something to do with his and Margaret’s engagement with all the pejoratives he's been displaying and uttering. And even though she lightly resents Margaret a bit for being Albert's eye apple, she wanted to warn her. 

"Marge?" she called.

Margaret turned to face the voice that called her. 

Ana felt that she's already almost in the same state as Charles so she didn't wait for her to answer. Ana just put her arms around her and lingered for a bit. Margaret didn't know what to do so she just hugged her back.

"You'll make the right decision," she whispered in her ear. Ana then left exited stage left while Margaret was left there confused by the encounter; but a tad more confident than before. She proceeded to her lover's office with her newfound clarity and trudged softly.

When Margaret stood in front of the door, she took a deep breath and opened the doors of Durin. She got in and took everything happening. Not much, to be frank, but the Balrog sat comfortably on one of the sofas. She greeted him, "VV, I didn't know you were here."

"Actually, I passed you on the way here. I also just got here."

"Oh, I didn't notice."

Ahem. Charles took her attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mayor Charles." Margaret went and kissed him.

Charles, "That's not what I meant, but thanks." He eyed VV to signal him out. To which he immediately complies.

"Come back in when we're done talking." He shouted at VV at the door. Then he turns to Margaret. "So, how's last night?"

Margaret remained composed amid the thoughts of emotional mistakes and physical mistakes during her spewing. "It was lovely."

They both sat down without anything else being spoken. 

The three wall-sides and one glass-side of the office suddenly got a bit chokier than she remembered. And though no judge was in their midst, she felt as if a gavel will pound her block of a heart any moment. Margaret was irrationally, but rightfully scared that someone might've seen what she had done. But in truth, Charles was just summoning his ego. 

Charles is a kind but very ego-centric man. Apparently, it's a requirement if you want to be a politician. And you thought it's about that "of the people, by the people, for the people" crap. But even though he was a croc, when she met Margaret on one of his dad's balls, all those inhibitions broke free like a young lass in a space war sporting a missile-launching brassiere. 

But of course, like most relationships, when you're out of the honeymoon avenue, you get the rough road. They've been having a few bumpy rides here and there; but during this past month, they haven't been seeing each other intentionally. Charles broke the silence, "Have you thought about it?"

The sharp surprised Margaret but she already has her answer ready. "Yes,” she nodded. "But I still need one last loose end tied. I'll be ready by tomorrow."

Charles knew what it was all about, but he won’t jeopardize their future by pointing it out. He just allowed her figure it out by herself. For now, they just called their coordinators in and planned their engagement party free of the emotional disturbances between them.