A/N: This is either a two-shot or a three-shot. With optional epilogue. :) And don't worry, I've got the other chapters written. So .. I can't believe I'm doing this. Review Review Review!
Inspiration: I love seniors. My grandparent's died when I was younger so I never got to spend time with them. Whoever has grandparents are very blessed. I'll give you that.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Except maybe Dolly? I do own some Knitting Needles though, yes ..*blush* I knit.
Meeting Dolly
"Hey Mr. Larrytate, You wanted to talk to me or something?" Alex dropped her bag on the floor carelessly and swung herself onto the seat in front of her principals desk, resting her feet where arms would normally rest. She was used to this, his office was her second home.
Mr. Larrytate cleared his throat, glancing at her feet. She rolled her eyes and shifted so she was sitting somewhat properly.
"Alex Russo, you're currently failing which means you won't be able to advance with the rest of your class next year." He said sternly, fixing his bolo tie.
Alex's eyes widened. "Wait, what? I always barely pass every year." She sat up on the edge of her seat, puzzled. She'd never actually failed before, well .. except Wizard School but that was different.
"You don't have enough credits to pass the term. You're passing every class but one. Currently, you're getting low passing marks in Math, Biology, History, PE, Chemistry , Home Economics, and Spanish." He passed his thick stack of papers over his desk to her.
"Wow."
"What?"
"Pfft, I never even knew I was taking these classes." She laughed, quickly scanning through each sheet. "So wait, which one class am I not passing?"
"Couples and Parental Guidance Class. Which is the class I teach."
Alex cocked her head slowly, confused. "I'm in that? Since when."
"Since you transferred in it last month for God know's what reason."
"So, can I do anything to help me pass? Projects maybe? I'm not all into failing, you know. I'm not very good at passing, but I don't wanna be surrounded by younger tools next year. What can I do?"
"Ah, good question dear." He stood up and waddled over to his filing cabinet, taking out a photocopied sheet. He slammed it onto the desk in front of her. "Volunteer Work. We're associated with a retirement home nearby. Waverly Villa Retirement Home. You rack up 40 hours there in the span of two weeks, and I'll pass you. All the information is on that sheet. Address, who to talk to, when to arrive. It's that or failure. Your choice."
Alex sighed before leaning back, folding her arms, and jutting out her jaw determinedly. "Sign me up for the oldies, Larrytate."
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Alex stared at her reflection in the huge clear glass window of Waverly Villa. She had chosen something somewhat conservative today. A long tee with an owl, a long black vest, dark blue skinnies, and moccasin boots. She spent absolutely no time on her hair, but it magically curled into innocent baby waves. She held her breath as she slowly pushed the glass door at the front open. Several seniors in chairs looked up at her, giving her gentle appraising smiles. She felt uneasy, it was like she was being examined, scrutinized. She found a middle aged blonde woman behind the counter. "Hey, I'm from Tribeca Prep. Mr. Larrytate sent me. I'm Alex. Can we get this over with?" She asked the last part with a bored uneasy tone.
"Oh, Hello Alex. I'm Geraldine. We have a system with our volunteers. We assign you somebody for the next ... ?" Geraldine's voice faded off into a question.
"Two weeks." Alex replied quickly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Okay. Two weeks then. So let's see who we have for you." Geraldine pulled some files from a cabinet labelled 'Volunteer'. She shifted through some papers, while Alex prayed she didn't get a drooling cheek-pincher. She hated that most in an old person, that's why her grandmother was so cool. She preferred wrestling to knitting. Geraldine hummed before she looked up from her papers. "You, my dear, get Louisa Miller. Sweet woman, but so lonely. She's on Level 9. Room 16."
Alex nodded, dumbly. "Ohkay?"
"So, the room will say 916, just tell her you're her new volunteer." Geraldine pointed to the elevator across the tile floor before sitting back down and setting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.
Alex shrugged but walked into the elevator, pressing 9. She heard a faint chuckle coming from beside her, and she slowly turned around, fearfully.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing!" A little lady with a walker and a bob of straight white hair cooed as she grabbed a good chunk of her cheek and squeezed it.
"Ha ha. Yeaa... Ow. Do you mind?" Alex glared before catching the lady's eyes filled with momentary sadness. "I mean, my cheeks are very sensitive. Could you please not pinch them?"
The lady beamed once again. "Sorry, dear. My name's Mildred. Family or Volunteer?"
Alex tilted her head. "Huh?"
Mildred rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Are you a family member of a resident or are you a student volunteer?"
"Oh. Volunteer." Alex dropped her head back and stared up at the ceiling. My, this was a long elevator ride.
"Who are you keeping company with, sweetie?" Mildred questioned curiously.
Alex sighed. She knew this woman didn't mean to be, but she was annoying. And too curious for her own good. What if Alex was a creepy rapist? What then, huh, granny? "Somebody named ... Louisa Milton or something? On Level 9."
"Oh. Louisa!" Mildred threw her arms up in the air, with plenty of flamboyant exaggeration. "What a sweet woman, she is. It's a pity though. She's always lonely. Never goes out to visit anyone either."
For the first time, Alex turned to look at her. With a completely straight and earnest unmocking face on. "Why?" What a pity it must be to be old and lonely ...
"Her family never visits. Off and about the world, I guess. Ohp, this is your floor. Go right, and tell Dolly I said Hi." The hunched over woman waved as the elevator doors began to shut. Leaving a confused Alex, wondering who the hell Dolly was. She studied the numbers nailed to the door.
913 ... 914 ... 915 ... Bingo. 916. She lifted her hand and paused before rapping on it roughly. No response from within. Alex rapped on it again. "Miss Milton? It's your volunteer." She heard a shuffling from behind the door, and waited for it to open. Nothing. Alex sighed as she turned, leaning her back to the door. She slid down till she was sitting there. "I know you're there Miss Milton. I have to pass this class and get my volunteer hours. Could you open the door?"
Another shuffle and the door flew open, causing Alex to fall on her back and face the ceiling. A head of curly white hair virtually popped out of nowhere and hovered over her. "My, you certainly make an entrance." The voice laughed with a cracky twang.
Alex blinked before she rolled over onto her knees, and lifted herself up, brushing her knees. She held out her hand to shake. "I'm Alex Russo. I'm going to be your 'companion' for a couple weeks. Companion makes me sound so uptight ..." Alex faded thoughtfully.
The woman gave her an amused smile. Her eyes twinkled with youth, hidden under her used exterior. She glanced down at Alex's hand before quickly turning and walking away. "I'm Dolly Miller. Not Milton." She disappeared down a short dark hallway.
Alex followed her into a dimly lit living space. She widened her eyes slightly. It was nicer than she expected. The room wasn't small, it was spacious, yet homey at the same time. A sofa and two armchairs were crowded around a gas fireplace, with a piano and dresser in the corner. A beautiful red pine table was off to the side, seperating the decent sized kitchen and the living room. The walls were red and yellow and speckled with black and white photographs of people. Blankets and pillows covered with flowery patterns were covering everywhere. Even on a grandfather by the side of the room. Dolly settled herself on one of the couches rather comfortably. And Alex awkwardly followed her sitting on an armchair beside her. She watched as Dolly leaned over and reached for something in a bag at the foot of the couch.
Oh God, you have to be kidding me. Knitting Needles. Dolly looked up and laughed at Alex's disgusted expression. She pulled her reading glasses from her pocket, rested them on the bridge of her nose and started. Alex watched the woman do her handiwork. Her expression was so determined and filled with passion, her eyes flickering a glow everytime the needles made the 'clack' sound as they united. Loop by loop, row by row, Alex watched. She studied Dolly's face. She wasn't that old that she was on life support. She had wrinkles, but her skin wasn't saggy. It still had a little glow. Her lips were full but pursed determinedly. And she had a head full of white curls. She looked like such a ... grandmother. "Can I get you anything?"
Alex snapped back to reality, realizing that Dolly was staring at her concerned. She had zoned out again. Alex shook her head, then slowly smirked. "Actually, yea. A letter saying how I was such a good companion so I can leave." Alex ended by pointing to the door.
Dolly's eyes widened at Alex's rudeness. Then she slowly smiled, with a hint of mischieviousness. "Ha ha. Nice try. How about a couple cookies and a glass of milk? Cause that's all you're going to get."
Alex gave her a concentrated glare. "Sure." She watched as Dolly slowly stood up and made her way to the kitchen. Alex followed her. Just in case the old girl falls or something, Don't wanna get in trouble for that. Dolly reached up and pulled open the cupboard door. She stood on her toes, reaching for a tin cookie can. Alex hopped up from a stool. "I can get that!"
"No! I can do it. I'm not incapacitated yet." Dolly huffed as she eventually pulled the tin can down. She reached for a small plate on a lower shelf and placed it on the counter. Taking out 4 cookies, she placed them carefully on the plate before setting the lid on the can. Dolly opened the fridge and took out the milk, she poured it carefully up to the brim before putting the carton back in the fridge.
"Thanks." Alex mumbled as she reached for a cookie and nibbled the end. Dolly stared at her quietly watching her movements for a minute before she made her way back to the couch. Alex sat there for a minute before standing up , juggling her plate and glass and made her way back to the arm chair gracefully. They sat in awkward silence as Dolly knitted and Alex nibbled.
"Hey, why do you knit anyways? Isn't it like the most boring thing in the world to do?" Alex questioned, taking a sip of milk.
"Well. Why do you watch TV?" Dolly replied, still focused on her knitting, nearing the end of her row.
"Idunno. It's entertaining, I guess." Alex shrugged nonchantedly, placing her glass back down on a coaster on the tea table.
Dolly hummed as she swiftly tied a knot and extracted her knitting needles. "Well, knitting is just like that. Except, at the end, you get something beautiful." She lifted her finished project slowly. A pale cream blanket dotted with beautiful yellow roses.
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"Bye Mom. I'm going to the Villa." Alex waved goodbye before she picked up her bag and ran out the door. 20 minutes later, she was almost jogging to the entrance of the Villa. She was almost late on her third day. She gave a smile of acknowledgement to Geraldine and hopped onto the elevator, breathing a sigh of relief that it was empty. She hummed and thumped her foot impatiently, till finally the elevator came to a stop and the doors open. She walked out and made her way to the familiar door. "Hey, Miss Miller. It's me, Alex. You know, your companion."
No response. Alex wasn't going to do this again. I can say I tried. Alex numbly stood up and began to shuffle away when she heard faint sniffing on the other side of the door. She frowned as she stepped closer pressing her ear to the hard wood catching some murmuring on the other side.
"Again? But Denise, you said you'd stop by. No ... I understand. Busy busy boys. No, dear. I'm okay ... Ha ha .. I've been spending a lot of time out. Don't worry. Lot's of friends. You have to go? Oh .. Okay. Bye dear. Send my love." And the beep of a phone followed by more sniffles.
Alex stood there, not knowing what to do. She paused before lifting her hand to tap on the door quietly. "Dolly? It's Alex." She whispered quietly, taking a chance that Dolly could hear. The door creaked open and Alex stood back not knowing what to expect. What she didn't expect was a cheery looking Dolly with a bright smile plastered on her face. "Hello Alex."
"Are you okay, Miss Miller?" Alex asked hesitantly before stepping into the lowly-lit hall, shutting the door softly behind her.
"Why wouldn't I be, dear? Come in." Dolly wandered into the living room and settled herself on the couch. Alex followed her, slightly confused as to what she'd heard before.
The oh-so-familiar knitting bag stood at the foot of the couch and Dolly leaned down to pick out her knitting needles. She was starting a new sweater.
"Hey, Miss Miller?"
"Call me Dolly." Dolly replied, pulling her glasses out of her pocket again.
"Could... Could I give knitting a go?" Alex asked hopefully.
Dolly slowly lifted her head, meeting Alex's eyes. They lit up. "Sure Dear, here sit beside me. I have an extra pair of needles." She patted the seat beside her on the couch and dug into her bag once more.
Alex nodded quietly, before standing up and making herself comfortable on the couch. She'd never sat there before. It was comfy... kind of like a cloud.
"Here you go." Dolly passed her two knitting needles and over the course of the hour, showed her step by step on how to do it.
Alex kind of found herself enjoying it. Odd. She was laughing at her product. A small dishcloth. She giggled and looked over at Dolly who had tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Dolly?"
"Nothing. You just remind me of someone." Dolly wiped away the tears and resumed her knitting, quietly.
Alex stared at her before questioning quietly. "Dolly, where are your family?" She pointed at the photographs on the walls. She had studied them earlier. They were family pictures filled with little boys, laughing young women, and sturdy young men.
Dolly looked up at Alex with eyes filled with sadness. No more glow in them, no more fight. "My daughter's grown up with her own family. She moved away and she's far too busy to visit. It's .. lonely sometimes."
Alex watched the older womans eyes start to moisten before she did something. Something Alex Russo would never do. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Dolly's frame, patting her softly on the back. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm visiting. I care. And ... I'll come back."
Dolly rested her beautiful white locks on Alex's dark hair covered shoulder. "I know you are dear, I know you are."
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