The Park Collaboration

[Pheonix791989]

wow this is cool. sine i have my day off tomorrow I will post sth lol. *hugs for all* i like this idea.

[Ravynlee]

Wednesday.

 

Bad dreams.

Waking in a cold sweat Ravyn reached out and snapped the bedside light on. A piercing light flooded the room and with it chased the ghosts of her memories away. With a huff she drew back the covers and felt the coolness beneath her trembling hand. She whimpered and pierced her bottom lip with her teeth. This had to stop. Where was he?

It was still dark as she crept down the hall, the darkness enveloping her. She didn’t turn on any lights. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hide but she feared rather what the darkness might have been concealing from her. Feeling along the wall she made it to the living room and allowed her eyes time to adjust. The soft glow of the TV set flickered across the floor. There on his side curled up uncomfortably on the sofa Rob laid sleeping. Ravyn pouted guiltily as she approached him.

“Hey,” she whispered. Rob frowned. He hadn’t been sleeping at all, merely dozing. He grunted in acknowledgement. “The bed’s free,” she said.

She smiled though she knew he couldn’t see it through the shadow. Rob stirred but didn’t make a move towards getting up. He shook his head and told her he was okay where he was. Ravyn crouched closer and laid a hand on him. His shirt was warm and so inviting, she wanted to lie down beside him and got lost inside it but there was no room on the three-seater. He was too tall and she was too round in the midsection for that to even be a possibility. Maybe that in itself had a lot to do with his recent withdrawal from the bed they were supposed to be sharing, she wondered. Suddenly stung by insecurity Ravyn drew her hand away. She didn’t speak for a few moments, choked by the urge to say too many things at once and not knowing where to start.

“Are you mad at me?” she eventually asked. She heard her voice beg like some cowering whipped dog but couldn’t apologise for it. Rob didn’t say anything to her. He sounded as if he was sleeping peacefully with his face in the blue-grey light slack and comfortable.

“If you want to go home to LA, I’ll understand,” she whispered her words tough where her tone was quavering. She cast a cautious eye around the darkened apartment before returning her focus to him. With his hands tucked together beneath his temple Rob blinked back seriously. “He’s after me not you. It doesn’t have to be your battle; you don’t have to be here.”

“Neither do you,” Rob said.

“We’ve been through this.”

“Yeah. And I still say you should have gone to the police.”

“Rob he is the police-”

“He was,” Rob corrected. “He’s not anymore, is he?”

“No,” Ravyn whispered, rubbing at her scars with her head bowed miserably. “One more reason for him to come after me.”

“Hey, he’s not going to hurt you anymore, okay? I won’t let him. Besides, we’re on the other side of the country now; he doesn’t even know where you are, does he?”

“No. But it’s probably only a matter of time.”

Rob groaned as he slowly pushed himself up. The springs beneath him protested his shifting weight. It seemed too loud in the stillness. Reaching over he snapped on a lamp, flooding the room with light. They both recoiled from its sting. Still crouching near the sofa Ravyn ran her hands over her arms as if chilled. Beneath the sleeves of her baggy tee shirt pink and white lines were scored into her upper arms; too many years of abuse, both self inflicted and otherwise. Trapped in a memory she heard another’s voice booming in her ears and saw a closed fist flash in front of her eyes before she sniffed and looked up anywhere else but at him. She hated this, feeling so vulnerable, feeling so dependant on him or anyone else for the hypocritical façade she showed the rest of the world. Rob reached out and clasped her hand beneath his.

“I told you, you wouldn’t have to go through this on your own.”

“I know. But I bet you didn’t think you’d have to give up everything when you said that. All your friends and family and… you know.”

“Hey, am I complaining?”

“No. But why are you avoiding me?”

“Avoiding you? Who said?”

“You won’t even sleep- forget it.”

“Rave, I just thought,” Rob sighed, clearly struggling for the right words as she looked at him anxiously. “Like, after everything you went through, I didn’t want you to… you know. Pressure. I thought we agreed to take things slower this time.”

Any slower and they may as well have been separated again, she thought. She didn't say it.

Ravyn chewed her lip to stop herself from crying. She had never been one for showing her emotions and cringed internally every time she did so now, but it felt as if the last few months had been beyond her control, that now she was paying the price for being emotionally shut-off. Rob put his arm around her and she tensed up as she leant against him, knowing as always her signals were screwed up. She swept the unshed tears away and merely nodded in acknowledgement.

“I hate him,” she muttered. “I hate what he’s done, what he’s still doing to us. It was a stupid mistake; I should be over it now, why can’t I get on with my life? Hasn’t he taken enough?”

“Give it time,” Rob sighed.

He leant his cheek against the top of her head. She wanted him to kiss her but knew he wasn’t going to. Though they had known each other for years Rob had always been a far better friend than he had been a partner, not because they were incompatible, but because he was just by nature too casual when it came to relationships. Though they had tried and failed and tried again on and off too many times to count, Ravyn appreciated his company more than anything else. He wouldn’t be completely satisfied with her but he was too kind-hearted to hurt her let alone to raise a fist to her in anger. Rob was, in short, the ideal boyfriend never really wanting for anything, but having been abused and battered down and treated like shit her entire life Ravyn couldn’t appreciate him as he deserved to be and they both knew it. He was locked to her by compassion and she to him in desperation and it left little room in between for intimacy. Rob was in all reality little more than an over glorified body guard against an enemy he had never met, never seen first hand, and only knew vicariously through her and the scars that had been inflicted upon her all thanks to someone else’s idea of love.

“I won’t let him hurt you,” he said again, if only to add something meaningful to the early morning confession. “We’re safe here… you’ll see. Trust me.”

Ravyn nodded glumly thinking that the last time she had trusted anyone had seen her in the emergency ward at some county hospital nursing fractured ribs, missing teeth and a shattered heart. She didn’t say anything as he suggested they go lay down in bed together knowing nothing physical was going to happen. She was damaged goods after all, and if they hadn’t broken up and she hadn’t crossed paths with this other man she wouldn’t have been here in the first place, her and Rob could have been happy somewhere else doing anything but laying low in New York like common criminals. It wasn’t fair at all.

 

The sun rose and brought with it another day with nothing constructive to do.

The apartment had been set up now for the most part and Rob had finished converting the closet into shelves in what was now referred to as their study. He had set up a computer in there and the bookcases were choked with volumes on criminal psychology, serial killers, self help guides and religious texts. Despite being raised a practicing Jew Rob had the same take on his faith as he did the rest of his existence, taking things nice and easy and laid back where he could help it. He didn’t go to Temple and didn’t feel the need to reach out to the Queens community to broaden his religious horizons. Rob’s explanation was blunt but arguably simple.

“I don’t want to. I’m happy enough. It’s all good. Besides, he knows you’re with me. You changed your name, I didn’t. May as well like put up a billboard and tell him we’re here,” he uttered with a mouth full of omelette.

Outside in the hall they could hear movement. Hugh, the Super, could be heard murmuring in his distinctly acerbic tenor. No doubt he was welcoming another tenant in. Still rattled by their earlier conversation, Ravyn frowned at Rob. Worry was gouging canyons across her face.

“Maybe you should go out there and help them?”

Rob shook his head. He knew her well enough to assume what she meant was ‘maybe you should go out and see what’s going on and what the new people were like,’ and he wasn’t in the mood to spy right this minute. They could manage without him, he assumed as he wiped his mouth and goatee with the palm of his hand. “Besides, I have other things that need doing.”

“Like getting a job?” she asked him, clearing away the breakfast plates.

Rob smirked. “No. But some people might consider Halo a job.”

“Video games again? Rob, you’re 30, not 13. You know, I don’t know whether you noticed or not but we’re running out of money here, fast.”

“So why don’t you get a job?” he shrugged. He soon settled down in his usual place on the sofa. “You can’t stay couped up in this place forever.”

“Like you’re one to talk.”

“Hey, for your information, I’m hanging out for a while. I’ve earned it. Besides, if you must know, I ran into Hugh earlier when I went down to fetch the paper. He said he could do with a spare set of hands.”

“To do what? Play Tekken or some crap?”

“No. You know, do a few odd jobs around the place. He said he’d chip a few dollars off the rent each month, I thought it would help.”

“You weren’t going to tell me this?”

“I was,” Rob defended with a shrug and sunk back into the cushions. “I just… forgot. Sorry.”

Ravyn scoffed. Sorry was the most misused word in history along with ‘I love you’ and ‘I’ll never do that again, I promise.’ Dumping the dishes in the sink with a clatter Ravyn frowned, lost to her memories. What else hadn’t he told her? She wondered. She didn’t mention another word about it.

 

By lunchtime Ravyn was feeling bored and restless and the sounds of gunfire still ringing from the TV set threatened to split her head in two. She had spent much of the morning trying to keep busy but there was little left inside the apartment to hold her attentions. She decided to shirk her hermetic lifestyle and step outside again for a while. The corridor all was quiet. It was an eerie sensation. By her best estimation every room up here was taken now but for the stillness you wouldn’t have known it. Everyone must have been asleep. No, on the other side of a door she could hear someone talking. He sounded as if he was on the phone. Ravyn made her way to a familiar door and knocked gently. A moment later she knocked again.

Mike answered. He wore a sheet and little else. She stammered as she asked him something and was quick to get away from him. Her flesh crawled for a good solid half hour afterwards just thinking about it, and the thoughts such a relatively innocent sight, triggered.

Later she stood outside beneath the sun. It baked her shirt with that freshly-ironed smell. Cars continued to pass in a steady stream as she stood staring off into the distance. She returned inside to an empty mailbox. A voice out of nowhere startled her.

“Not popular, huh?” a woman asked.

Ravyn looked up blushing. It was Mike’s partner, the woman she recognised from her first drunken night here and from the sounds of her voice yelling down the empty corridor for seemingly no good reason.

“Sarah,” she greeted.

“Ra- Ravyn.”

The two women awkwardly shook hands and Ravyn consciously gripped a little harder than she normally would have. She was putting up a front again to show she was no mere push-over, but Sarah just smiled back at her clearly ambivalent. She looked as bleary-eyed as she had when drinking, Ravyn thought, and quickly withdrew contact. A diamond ring sparkled on her finger. So she was engaged, that explained it, she was another love-struck puppy. Ravyn felt her stomach roll and tried to ignore it as the other woman made idle conversation.

“I remember you, the one from the party the other night. Sorry about that. Mike’s a bad influence on me sometimes, I know, but I love him.”

“Yeah,” Ravyn said, “We met.”

Sarah laughed when Ravyn elaborated what she had seen, or thankfully not seen, upstairs earlier. That wasn’t unusual, Sarah dismissed. She mentioned something aside about her mother that Ravyn couldn’t quite catch. She smiled back politely. The instinctive urge to go back inside now was growing by the second as Sarah continued talking, oblivious to the fact it was by now a one-way conversation. Clearly she could talk underwater but Ravyn wasn’t listening. Distracted by movement they watched as a man clad in all black with a bald head and something shiny on his chin stride out of the apartment and afford both women a serious frown as the door to the lobby squeaked to a close at his back.

“What?” he grunted, as he kept on walking.

Ravyn turned to Sarah to see that same doe-eyed smile and rosy-cheeks and frowned back dubiously. She was looking at Sarah but she wasn’t really seeing her. Excusing herself Ravyn hurried upstairs to Rob and locked the door behind her.

 

In room 23, nightfall came and went again without so much as a murmur. Ravyn didn’t sleep at all that night. Her mind was reeling. Rob as usual slept like a baby. For the first time in what felt like forever he was in bed along side her. But in the dark Ravyn wasn’t thinking of him or the gulf of mattress between them. She was thinking of that man she had seen down stairs with the cold eyes and the defensive scowl and the way he had looked at her like something he’d wiped off the bottom of his shoe. She was thinking how familiar he was, not in body of course, but in another way that she couldn’t mentally process. Tugging the sheets beneath her chin Ravyn closed her eyes and sighed. Why was it, she wondered, after all the shit she had been through in her 30-plus years that women like her always seemed to fall for bad guys? Would she never learn?

[Pheonix791989]

i really think this is a cool idea. *sings happy birthday to me* its a good day today even though some things happen.

___________________________

 

Thursday

 

Mel woke up and gave a sigh. her brain was a tiny bit fuzzy as she sat up in the bed rubbing the back of her head. She looked over the sleeping figure beside her and on towards the window 13th room on the second floor. The single window dominated the bare wall, save for the lone Irish flag that was over the bed. A phone rang amidst the carnage that was her bedroom. Mel dug under a pile of clothes that relinquished her ringing cell phone. Her eyes scanned the room, it still looked like the day they had first moved in all those years ago when the apartment was first built. Phoenix decided that for all three of them would have been better off there so they could lay low. Mel had noticed people coming in after all the years but never stopped to say hi to any of them. In her line of work, friends tended to be a hazzard. Because Phoenix had asked her to, she kept mental tabs on the many people that had moved in earlier this week. Mel shook her head as she thought about the couple that she had seen earlier this week. Mel had laughed because the two looked rediculous together. She could have sworn that the woman barely even came up to her man's chest.

"mmm'hello?"

"Mel, this is Phoenix, you have a job."

Mel grunted a response and sat up compleatly, phone to her ear and yawning widely. She hated her job, it put food on the table, even though she could get it for free in this little section of town, her room and board was free, but it was all she knew. Her entire life she grew up with the irish mob, her father was one of the main go to men that was higher up in the chain. She was now even engaged to one of the bosses. But the man in charge of it all, Phoenix, was like her brother. Some times she wished that she was born just a farm girl.

"You ok babe?"

Mel looked over and gave the man beside her a kiss.

"I'm alright Benji, Phoenix is calling me in. The job."

The tattooed, scruffy punk didn't look anything like a mob boss, but mel loved him because of his impulsiveness. Mel smiled, sometimes that impulsciveness got him in trouble.

"Whatcha doin later on?"

"Enforcing rules, you know the usuaul. Let's meet up later?"

"Aye, the park as always?"

Mel nodded as she pulled on a fishnet shirt over her black corset tank top and her red plaid pants.

"Don' you work too hard now."

Mel said planting a kiss on Benji's forehead. She slinked out the door and headed towards another building about a block away. the sun overhead made her start to sweat.

"Mel.."

She heard a familiar voice and automatically turned towards the voice, seeing her usuaul contact. It was a never ending cycle of meeting her contact, scaring protection money, enforcing rules, and killing people if Phoenix asked her for it. Mel felt a sigh errupt from her chest as she was given a rather small list of names compared to normal days. this was only a five name list compared to a normal twenty to thirty names. This should be easy, mel thought as she approached a small produce stand where she saw the owner.

"Morning to ya Miss,"

Mel said to the young lady who had taken over the store.

"I have the money for you."

She said handing the money to mel. mel smiled as one of little boys smiled up at her. She ruffeled his sandy hair before moving on. Mel found that it was hard living in a world where she was feared, making friends and keeping her life from going under was much harder then she thought. Besides, living with two drunk irish mob bosses didn't make anything easier. Atleast Benji loved her and Phoenix kept the roof over her head. Mel chuckled as she stopped at the next place on her list. This one would be slightly harder then the last. the list was soon over fast and mel only had to bloody her knuckles up once durring the entire run through. Mel hurried up the stairs of Phoenix's building where he worked. Mel walked past his secretary without a second glance, the secretary giving her a look of terror. Phoenix looked up at the other scruffy punk that he shared a room with. the look on his face was unreadable, but then it broke into a smile.

"Here's your money. You left early this morning."

Mel said with a shrug. Phoenix dusted off his business suit and laughed.

"I know you think this monkey suit is rediculous. I have to look presentable if im working as the boss here."

"Aye i know. But still."

"We have a major job tonight, don' be late for it."

"You know me phoenix. I never am."

Mel said with a smirk as she grabbed a rag from beside his desk and wiped off her brutal looking knife. Phoenix gave a small smile.

"And who did you have to slice this time?"

"number three on your list today."

"Its a shame, I liked him."

Phoenix said with a chuckle.

"He deserved it. no man spits at me without getting a hand cut off."

Mel said darkly as she nodded towards a bloody stain on her shirt. Phoenix laughed as she replaced her knife.

"You could have just nutered him and been done with it."

"Don' think his wife or mistress would have been too pleased. Although why you don' just let me kill him and be done with it, is beyond me."

Mel grunted. looking up at the clock, mel smiled before turning on phoenix.

"Meeting up with benji are we?"

"Aye. I have to have some sanity left. its not much but some."

Mel nodded before going back to her apartment to change, spotting the women and their guys before stopping and watching them for a brief moment. She wished that instead of having a life of the mob that she could be like them. Mel clicked open the lock as she frowned. the room was actually furnished and the boxes were gone. Benji sat down on the new couch that was in the apartment before pulling off his sweaty shirt.

"How did you get this stuff in here?"

"Some of the guys from the third floor helped out. umm.. one guy named David, the other was Rob i think... and the other might have been mike I don't rember."

I laughed as I tossed him a towel from across the room.

"put on yer beater, lets get something to eat before we have to be back for Phoenix's little soiree."

Mel grouched. they went out to lunch before coming back around 2pm. Phoenix had already started to set up the party when they had gotten back.

"Hope you remembered to threaten the super not to bother us."

Phoenix reminded. Mel gave a twitch of her mouth before grabbing benji's arm and heading back down to the super's floor. She knocked and waited for the door to open. Benji jerked the super up before he could say anything.

"look we're having a party tonight and you will not interfer. If you do, the irish mob will make sure you won't survive the night."

BEnji growled. Mel smiled as she brought out her knife and gently caressed it against his skin. The super's eyes went wide before benji dropped him and and watched him faint. Arm in arm, benji and mel walked back up. looking at phoenix talking with the other tenants saying they were invited to the party tonight around five. Mel laughed, phoenix looked like a door to door salseman in that suit of his. they made it back into their room while a few other irish mob members finished setting up for the party. Mel nodded in approval at the back wall becoming a huge over/home grown sound system as the men finished putting the speakers into place.

"Alls we gotta do now is wait for the people to show up."

Benji said as he rubbed Mel's back where it was tattooed "Only God will Judge me" across her shoulders. Mel smiled and pecked him on the cheek. Maybe after a few drinks she would unwind, even if she wasn't old enough to drink, it was all on irish terms. drinking started at the bottle. Mel fell asleep against benji for a moment before she was waken up by Phoenix.

"Get ready to get your game faces on. this is work now."

Phoenix said as there was a knock on the door. Mel shook her head and cracked open a good and cold irish beer.

[MrsBennington-Delson]

Thursday

01:17pm

 

 

"Thank you" I said as I paid the taxi. Turning around to a big building I slowly started to realize where I was. Finally, my dream turned into reality. While I was looking around, trying to find the name of the road my heart felt like it's blooming. Is this real? Is this MY life? Well seems so.

There you go: Gethsemane Park Lane. The apartment looked exactly like the picture I found on the net. "So let's start this new adventure haha" I said to myself and walked past the front door. I stepped in and stood in a nice looking lobby. Nothing huge but it looked very pretty and comfortable. Carrying my bags upstairs into the... oh no... 3rd floor! Well tired from the flight and long trip I took all my energy left, picked up my bags and started walking up the stairs. 1st floor... 2nd floor... just one more floor! Am I exhausted? I can't think right now I just want to see my new apartment!

There I am. The 3rd floor. I looked around to see which room number there is first. Right in front of me there was room number 21. I looked left of the room and saw number 23 and right of it there was room number 19. Where was 22? I’ve been confused. I walked right and didn’t see any room number 22. “Gosh I hate this room number searching so much.”

Pulling my bags I was concentrating on finding the number. Interesting how everything else is turned off in my head. No sounds around, no thoughts. Just the number 22 in my eyes. I walked back and there it was. Room 22. I searched for the key in one of my bags which the owner Hugh Laurie left in my new letterbox, like we arranged it.

I opened up the door and stepped in. Relived I let my bags down, closed the door and looked around. "Really nice."

Suddenly my phone rang which waked me from my "dreaming away". Haha. I wondered who it was so I looked at it. Mh nice, a text message from... I stopped breathing for a second. It was Brad.

It's that kind of story connecting him and me that has no end yet and makes me happy all the time. From the first time I met him, I remember it well it was when I was on vacation here in New York, until now I had this feeling about him I can't explain. It just makes me feel complete all over.

"Hey sweetheart!

Dunno if you arrived yet, I guess so you should have!

Let me know when you're in your new appartment.

Can't wait to see you again.

xoxo

Brad"

I honestly don't know if he's the reason why I moved here but I think back in my mind he is.

I dialed his number and called him up. No time to unpack my bags. No time for taking a brake. No time for anything. Just him.

"Jos??"

"Hey Brad!"

"Hey!! Welcome to Queens! Haha. How are you? How's been your flight?"

"Thanks! I'm fine. Oh it’s been good... It was all fine, I'm happy to be here finally! How are you?"

"I'm good too thanks. Just came home from work. What are you doing?"

"Hmm well nothing... gotta unpack my bags but you know me... too lazy for that right now haha."

"Mind if I drop by my sweetness?"

"Aww Brand of course I don't! You know the street?"

"Yeah sure! I remember it you told me once. Gethsemane Park Lane. Room 22 right?"

"Yeah right. Oh and it’s the 3rd floor just so you know haha"

"Oh. 3rd floor? I'll have to walk some steps oh hell... ok well I'll be over in a sec ok? See you honey"

"Ok see you "

My heart melted like ice cream in the sun. Oh he's so sweet.

I looked around. An old couch, a table and two chairs. Not much but enough for the start. As soon as I get a job I'll make this apartment just like I've imagined it! All cozy and nice.

My mind was flooded by thoughts again. How's my future going to look like? Will I end up living here in 20 years and be old and ugly without a husband and kids? Or will I even go back to Europe again, back to my family and my roots? Wait, wait. I need a break.

I took my bags and put them into my bedroom where a bed was in it. It didn’t look too comfortable or pretty but well. I can't expect everything to be perfect from the start. It’s better than nothing. Mr. Laurie left the furniture inside so I could use it until I don't get myself my own ones. Mr. Laurie seems so be a nice guy.

*Riiing* The doorbell rang. Is it Brad already? I walked to the door and stared at it.

I looked through the little glass hole in the door and saw a young men standing outside. His hair was dark brown that curly that it was already an afro. His beard is grown a bit long. Just the way I remember him.

*Door opens*

"Brad!" I smiled at him.

"Hey girl! Wow you look great! Haven't seen you for so long!" He hugged me tight.

"Yeah it’s been so long! Come in"

"Thanks.” Brad walked in and looked around.

“Oh looks sweet your new apartment"

"Yeah I know its kinda empty but yeah I just arrived"

"Haha nah its all good. Mine looks like that even now although I've been living there for 5 years!"

"Oh Brad haha."

I couldn't stop smiling. I felt my heart smiling, dancing and laughing at the same time! And I suppose you could have seen that on my face. Brad looked at me with his stunning brown eyes and smiled. It was like he wanted to tell me something. He walked towards me and pulled me close.

"May I take you out?" he said passionate.

"Now?"

"Yup right now"

"Oh well how could I say no."

"Well then lets go."

He took my hand and we walked out.

 

06:43pm

Back home. My new home. I spend my afternoon with Brad. It was beautiful. I never thought I would say this again but it seems like I was in love again. I walked into my apartment and lay down on the couch. Looking out of the window I’ve seen lights from the streets and backyards. Beautiful. This is what I always wanted.

My past wasn’t easy. Life in general was never easy for me. I’ve been used my people for every little thing. Sometimes I even felt that empty and hurt that my only light out there was death. But then I met him. I’ve seen that life can be good to you and right now, here laying on the couch in Queens I feel completely new! This is MY life now and no one can change this.

I closed my eyes and thought about the day, my flight, my way to the apartment and my day with Brad. Listening to all the sounds. Neighbors talking, cars chasing, dogs barking.

So beautiful… just beautiful… and I faded away into my dreams… my dreams which became reality.

[DarknessLover]

Thursday Part 1

 

I awoke the next day, cold, yet again. I had luckily found the thermometer in the apartment. It read 87 degrees Fahrenheit. Why the hell do I keep waking up cold? I stood up, and put the same clothes on as yesterday, they weren't dirty, not one bit. I yawned again, and looked at my cell phone 8:12am...pretty early for me. I wonder if Justin got my letter? I sighed and looked at the door. I don't really feel like leaving yet, I then looked towards the kitchen, and saw the Mikes. It's still pretty early to grab a drink. I then looked over at my guitars. Do I really want to play right now? I guess there is nothing better to do. I went over to my beginner Behringer I grabbed my acoustic pedal, and hooked it all up. For some reason, the acoustic pedal never sounded right on my SG. I thought about what I wanted to play, and ended up deciding on some Offspring. I turned everything on, and set up. Kristy, Are You Doing Okay? I couldn't help but to sing along.

 

There's a moment in time and it's stuck in my mind

Way back when we were just kids

'cause your eyes told the tale of an act of betrayal

I knew that somebody did...

Oh waves of time, seem to wash away the scenes of our crimes

For you this never ends

 

Can you stay strong, can you go on,

Kristy are you doing OK?

A rose that won't bloom, winter's kept....

 

A sudden knock on the door startled me. Shit the volume probably irritated the landlord again. I turned everything off, and walked to the door. The door knob was cold. Why?

"I guess we didn't talk yesterday?" Said the sarcastic voice of our Landlord.

"Yeah, we did speak about this." I rolled my eyes and looked over at the Mikes, in clear view from the door.

"Well, this is just a friendly warning, soon we'll start getting more serious." He walked away. How bitter can you fucking get? I closed the door, and heard my cell phone ring. I looked down, and it was my dad.

"Hello." I said plainly

"Hey, you're stuff will be there in about an hour and a half."

"Great! Thanks, you got everything out of my room?"

"Yep"

"Thanks"

"No problem."

He hung up, he never wanted to speak to me for longer than 10 minutes, we both knew we would start fighting if we did. I looked down at the time 8:42am. So around 10:15am? Alrighty I guess I should go down to see if I got any mail. I grabbed my gauntlet, and gloves. And walked over to the door slowly, I wasn't really in the mood to do much...shit I hope Justin read that letter. I went down the stairs, one flight, two flights, three flights. I sighed, I have to carry furniture up all these fucking steps? Great!

 

I walked over to my mailbox, 3 pieces of mail, all relatively the same size. The first one, Junk, second one, junk, third one. Yeah I knew it! YES! FINALLY! Junk. I sighed and threw them into the trash next to the mailboxes, I decided to be a bit nosy, and I looked into Justin's mailbox, it was empty, I guess he must have got my letter, wonder if he'll be around to help. Come to think of it, he looked a bit familiar...

 

I decided to blank this out of my mind, it wasn't important, no need to worry about it then. Only 10 minutes had passed since my dad had called. I yawned again, and decided to run down to the deli, nice and quickly, just to make sure I can get some food, and come back before my stuff gets here. I noticed a lot of people on the streets today, a lot of them stared at me. What's there problem? A kid in spikes is something remarkable? What assholes. I got to the deli. And remembered the taste of the food, and decided to skip breakfast. I stepped back and walked back to the apartment complex.

 

I walked up the steps and looked down at my cellphone. 9:16am. Today is going slow as fuck. I looked up and bumped into a half dazed man. "Oh Jeez, I am so sorry man" I looked down to the now knocked down person, it was Justin. "Holy crap, hey sorry." I helped him up.

"Yeah, no problem, I got your letter." There was a large smile across his face. What's up with him?

"Hey great, you in?" I smiled back, just to make sure things weren't awkward...

"Yeah definately, just wanted to come and tell you I could help, you weren't in your apartment, so i'd figured I would just meet you down here" I nodded

"The stuff is coming in at around 10:15am. I'll meet you here." He nodded and walked back up the steps. I yawned again, I can't believe I am so tired. I decided to just relax down here at the bottom of the steps.I turned my mp3 player on to some Queens of the Stone Age. Once again singing along

 

We get some rules to follow.

That and this

These and those

No one Knows

 

We get these pills to swallow

How they stick

in your throat

tastes like...

 

I then realized I was in public and just shut up, since I don't want to be that weird kid singing on the steps. I zoned out, and started to think about my old town. How happy I was, in a large house, a spacious bedroom, my girlfriend, my best friends, but my parents were torture, I HAD to get out of there. I knew once it came my time, i had to leave. So the first chance I got, I was out, and now I am stuck in this shit hole apartment building in the Queens....I looked up and saw a moving truck pull in, I looked down to my cellphone. 10:11am. Oh...wow... I looked back and saw Justin walking down the steps, fantastic, at least i got some help with this crap.

 

************************

 

Can I continue this later? It's pretty long and my tummy is rumbly lol

[FM2005]

Thursday.

 

“Urggggg ahhhhh” I kicked the covers off stretching which quickly turned into a muscles locking up, man it freaking hurt! I ruled that it was from a mix of sitting in a car all day and doing some lifting yesterday. I spent the morning getting ready; it’s always been the same. Ever since I was a kid I would not be caught dead being dirty unless it was my mind. I ran over to the computer and slid in a album a friend gave me before I left the label read Flobots: Fight With Tools. Political hip-hop, he would and I laughed to myself. Below I heard a car pull up I see a younger girl get out of a taxi and enter the building, I don’t move but listen as she eventually came up the stairs. “Hey she’s on my level” And the door shut and that’s the last I heard. The rooms sounded alive around me meaning I was right about this being the full floor.

I felt so lazy for some reason like my body would NOT move. First time I’ve felt like this in a long time. Time was flying though, the clock said it was 2:12 pm, 3 hours since I woke up and I had done nothing productive.

Thinking to myself that I needed to do something to get familiar with the town I got up snatched a belt out of the closet and a button down shirt and headed out the door locking it behind me. As I went out the door and onto the sidewalk I noticed something wrong…a couple lines covered the passenger side of my door.

“GREAT! Someone keyed my car, one day and ohh man look at that!” I yelled, my car is like my pride and joy. My first BIG purchase. There’s nothing I can do about it right now so I drove about 10 minute into town to a grocery store. My stomach growled so I went to the candy isle and picked up my addiction, Gummy Bears. Knowing that’s no lunch or now in this case almost dinner I grabbed a sandwich, you know one of those pre-made ones that are pretty cheap and fill you up. I went to the check out lane and laid my items on the belt.

“This all for you today?” A small voice said.

“Sadly yes. Haha” I said as I glanced at this little girl, she couldn’t be older than 12. Knowing that you have to be 16 to work in a grocery store told me she just looked young. She stared at me like I was some kind of expensive ring or something, like I wasn’t right. It made me feel uncomfortable but I lived.

“Your total is $8.66”

“Oh ok thanks” I pulled out my wallet, no cash. Luckily I found my debit card.

“There you go sir, and here’s your receipt.”

“Thank ya, have a good day.”

“You too” I could faintly hear it as I was walking away.

How could I forget my cash! Must be me just trying to get adjusted, I’m sure ill get used to it.

I spent the rest of the day exploring. I didn’t even drive I just walked. Every time I would be near a girl I would try to make eye contact, feeling like a loser, yet having a sense of accomplishment. Wow us guys, or maybe it was just me.

I looked at my cell phone, 8:15 pm. I felt like I got a lot done. I got to know the city more and talked to a couple of people even if it was for a simple hey. At least the said it back. Finding a car was a pain, I walked a little too far. Found it within 30 minutes but those 30 minutes was a stroke!

I got back to the apartments a little later and walked up the stairs. It seemed quiet. Maybe everyone was already in bed? I don’t know. I opened my door fast like I was expecting some kind of surprise party. And of course my nice quiet room seemed to stare back at me. I liked it though, parties would come later. I laid down on the bed and played QWERTY on my iPod singing maybe a little too loud. Hugh came to my door asking

“Yo room 20 who sings that song?”

“Uhhh Linkin Park”

“Yeah lets keep it that way bud”

I sat there pretty much thinking I got told. I laughed it off and got ready for bed.

[LPNailz]

THURSDAY

 

(kind of went overboard here, sorry, I was bored)

 

 

So this is how it is.

 

I don't see a guy in my immediate future, and here's why: I wear too much black, I'm too in love with my pets, I play music way too loud, I'm too opinionated, I hate kids, I'm totally self-sufficient, all the guys my age are immature or assholes, and the older guys who're worth something aren't interested in a nineteen-year-old goth. Sucks to be me? Nah. I'm not missing anything. I mean, I've sold four books. Not anything to make me rich, but I don't have to go flipping burgers. Writing keeps me off the street and outta trouble, as my grampa would say. Speaking of the old coot, what would he say now? Hah, he'd never try to tell me what to write again.

 

But despite all this, laying on my bed in the dark, listening to "Leave Out All The Rest," I feel inexplicably sad. My little dog, Prince, is curled up at my side, and my cat Houdini is graciously sharing my pillow with me, but I get up softly to turn off my stereo, lace up my black boots, and head out. At my door, I find a folded piece of paper.

 

"Nailz,

I knocked like crazy, but you're either asleep, deaf, or just can't hear me over that wracket. Just kidding, yeah yeah, I bought you that CD, but Christ, Sis, play it a little quieter, will ya? You'll make your neighbors go deaf, and might I add it's amazing you haven't? But I didn't come here to rag you about our bad musical habits. I was going to tell you that me and the band are performing at that trashy little place again. Thought you might want to come see Steph, if not me. Don't worry, baby sis, Mom won't be there, you know she can't abide the stuff we play. Show's at 11 tonight. See ya there, or if not, we'll come by again. I know you'll be awake, you vampiric little creep, so don't pretend not to be.

Love, despite your anxiousness to be away from us,

Con."

 

Ah. I had been listening to the Disturbed CD my brother Connor gave my earlier. No wonder I hadn't heard him. Con plays guitar in the band "Easily Amused" with Stephanie (who sings), Mitchell (bassist) and Gabriel (drummer.) Steph and I have been friends forever, and though I sung with the guys for a while, it was taking too much time away from writing, so I convinced them to take her on. Now, two years later, Con and Steph are engaged. He's two year older than me, and Steph's three years older than him, but who's counting. Steph and I are friends for life: something that can only be achieved by sharing a love for knives, throwing stars, sharp object in general and blood.

 

Hell, I think. I'll go to their show.

 

Glancing back to see the one clock I set, I see that it's only 10, and I can walk to 'that trashy place' in no time. (I don't know the name of it either, but it's certainly trashy, so maybe they should just change the name.) Well, Con and the band are probably already there, so I decide to go on.

 

When I walk in, some terrible local band is playing with out-of-tune guitars and and off-key dude warbling about heartbreak and a chick named Marlene. I think he's the owner's son; they play here every night. He sucks, his band sucks, the place sucks, and forgive me but the best thing that's every happened to this place is my brother's band. The owner's son and his bandmates finally get off the stage, amidst applause from only the drunkest fools in the building (and the bartender.)

 

I spy Steph's pale skin and long blond hair by the bar. Con is next to her, tall, not quite as pale, short almost-black hair and dark brown eyes as familiar to me as myself. People always think we're twins, don't know why, maybe because we're siblings who get along with each other. We better get along, as he's marrying my best friend next summer. I come up behind them quietly and put an arm around each, which is hard. Steph's my size, and Con is a head taller.

 

'Hey guys." I say loud enough to be heard over the next band, who actually aren't bad. "Where's Mitch and Gabriel?"

 

Oh yeah, Gabriel is a guy, and the first person to call him Gabe will have their butt beat. Gabriel's only fourteen, but an amazing drummer, and a third degree blackbelt.

 

"Little sis!" Con laughs. "Nailz has seen fit to honor us with her prescence." I hit him lightly on the arm and hug Steph. "So how's the apartment?" He asks.

 

"Great," I respond. "The neigbors don't complain about loud music, unlike some people."

 

He grins again. He's always hyper before a show, and I love being around him then. He's got a nice smile, always sincere, and apart from the fang tooth braces couldn't conquer, very straight. God, I'm so used to appraising him; I did it endlessly when he and Steph started dating. He's not the guy for Steph, well he might be, don't be ridiculous, I don't know... You get the picture.

 

He puts me in a brief headlock and runs off saying something about his guitar. Polishing it? I can't tell. The band on stage is kind of rocking now; I like it, reminds me of Nickelback. The guitarist's cute, too...I tell my hormones to shut up. I turn to Steph and ask about the guys again.

 

"Mitch's in back, flirting with a girl from a band that played earlier." She explains. "Gabriel's sulking in a corner because no one'll make an exception and give him a beer."

 

I smirk. "Mitch can't get used to this 'married' stuff, can he? Robin won't be happy." Steph laughs. She used to have a crush on Mitch, but realized he was kind of shallow. "But I guess what she doesn't know won't hurt her. And what, Gabriel couldn't fake people out? Usually they believe he's eighteen, or older."

 

"Not this time."

 

Steph and I chat for a while, until she decides to go check up on Con. Not like he's gone far, but Steph's a little possesive. It's ok, though, because Con worships the ground she walks on. I go say hi to Gabriel, then park myself on a barstool with a can of Mountain Dew. I don't drink. I've tried, but it all tastes like sewer water to me, so I'll let people poke fun at me while their brain cells rot away. Easily Amused should be playing soon, and then I'll leave, crawl on the night some, go back home.

 

"Hey."

 

I control my jump and turn around. There stands a guy with a dopey grin, spiky blue hair, multiple ear peircings, and a can of Mountain Dew.

 

Hmm...

 

"Hi." I respond uncertainly, and somwhat lamely. I don't mind the hair: not an offensive shade of blue, and I like spikes. I don't mind the peircings: in fact I kind of like them. Also, he has pale skin and black, somewhat ratty clothes, like me. Therefore, I am tongue-tied.

 

"Hi." He says again. "Can I sit here?" He indicates the stool next to me with his free hand.

 

"Sure." I mumble, feeling like I'm thirteen again, crushing on an unattainable guy. Those days are over, I tell myself firmly. But he really does have a nice (dopey) smile. Trying to be tough, I snap, "What are you grinning at?"

 

He ceases smiling as he sits down, and I wish I hadn't spoken. He assumes a serious face and motions towards the ashtray on the bar. "You smoke?"

 

"No." I push the ashtray away. My father died of lung cancer years ago. No way do I smoke, it would ruin my voice besides. "I hate smokers."

 

"Me too." He says seriously. "One of my friends got lung cancer, and I haven't touched a cigarette since."

 

"I've never smoked." I mumble. Then I swallow the lump in my throat and cut my eyes over at him for a second. He's watching me intently. Plainly, I am expected to say something. "So...are you...going to introduce yourself?" I manage.

 

"Oh, right." He hastily plunks his drink down and extends his hand. "I'm James. Please don't call me Jimmy."

 

I shake his hand. It's warm and dry. I fear mine is clammy. "Nailz."

 

"As in tough as nails?"

 

"With a 'Z'." I inform him. He cocks his head to one side and raises and eyebrow.

 

"That can't be your real name."

 

"It is now." I scowl. I hate my given name, but my mother refuses to call me Nailz. What friends I have call me Nailz, but not Mom. Go figure. James just shrugs and takes a drink.

 

"So, Nailz -."

 

'Oh, that's my brother's band." I cut him off, because I just know he's about to ask, "Come here often?" and shatter all my stupid hopes that he might actually be a cool guy.

 

"Oh." James doesn't seem to mind the interruption. He squint up at the stage. "Which one's your brother? The drummer?"

 

"No." I give him a funny look. People always say we look so similar. "Guitarist. The tall one."

 

"Ah. Ah, now I see the resemblance. Are you twins?" He asks interestedly.

 

"No." I sigh. He blinks a few times as he looks back to me. I frown at him. "What, can't you see?"

 

He blinks rapidly a few more times. I notice he has gorgeous green eyes. That just isn't fair; I'm partial to green eyes. "Well." He says, sounding embarrased, "I broke my glasses."

 

"You wear glasses." I state. (So do I.) He looks embarrased again.

 

"I tried to get contacts, but I couldn't get them in. I thought I would put my eye out..." He explains and Con's opening guitar screech almost drowns him out. I know the song. I wrote the lyrics for it. But if Steph ran over to me and begged me to sing it, I wouldn't know half the words.

 

"Oh. Really? Mm. I tried to get contacts too. I had trouble like that."

 

"Maybe it's a common problem." He says cheerfully, and drains his Mountain Dew. Having forgotten all about mine until then, I take a sip. "So, like I was saying, Nailz -."

 

Agh. Here it comes. Goodbye, hopes and dreams...

 

"...Do you, like, live around here?"

 

I blink at him. "Do I...?"

 

"Yeah." He's kind of cute when he's embarrased. "I, um, I'm looking for a place to stay. And I thought, you know, if you live around here..."

 

I'm not following. Does he want to move in with me out of nowhere? What the hell? I haven't been so confused since...since my last interaction with a guy other than Con, Mitch or Gabriel. Or maybe since I started algebra II.

 

"...If you live around here, you might know if there's any good deals."

 

Ah. Now I understand. Of course. I consider telling him about the building I'm in, but realize I would then have to probably see him every day. I can't live with a blue-haired, green-eyed, glasses-wearing non-smoking guy named James in the room next to me. Damn it, but I like his name, too. "Um...not really. I just moved in myself."

 

"Really?" He says brightly. "What about the buidling you're in?"

 

"Um, no vacancies. It's full." It's not. Whatever. But he looks really down about it. So I don't have to look at him, I watch Con onstage. His dark hair is slicked to his forehead. I watch his fingers: they move way too fast. "Wish I could play like that." I murmur, accidentally. I talk to myself a lot, because usually there's no one to hear me but my pets.

 

"Huh?"

 

"N-nothing. I was watching the band." Out of the abyss comes my next statement; "I used to sing with them."

 

"You did?" James asks, cheerful and inquisitive again. "You can sing?"

 

I make an indistinct sound. "Stephanie's better."

 

James doesn't respond, and after a minute I wonder if he's left. I turn around, expecting to see an empty barstool, but he's still sitting there. He's watching Easily Amused intently.

 

"What's up?" I ask.

 

"You said the guitarist's you brother. You know the others?"

 

"Sure." My words come easily now. I can talk about the band forever. "Stephanie and me've been friends a long time. I knew Gabriel, the drummer's, dad, he was a friend of my brother's. Mitch is married now, but I knew him before. Of course, Connor's my big brother." As I say his name, Con stops playing as the song's abrupt end comes, and he shakes his hand to loosen it up for the next one. They'll probably do the one Gabriel wrote, whatever it was called, the bass-heavy one. Stephanie catches my eye and winks when she sees I'm sitting next to a guy. She leans over to whisper to Con, and he raises his Coke bottle in my direction.

 

"What was that all about?" James asks, catching on.

 

"Nothing." I growl. Unlike most big brothers, Con encourages me to get a boyfriend. He only does it to annoy me; he knows I hate kids, and that a permanent relationship will end in kids. He can really be a jerk sometimes. "I'm leaving."

 

I stand up and reach into my pocket for some crumpled bills, but James quickly slides off his stool and produces some money. "No, wait, wait. Here, I'll pay for yours."

 

"Why?" I eye him suspisciously. I'm being unfair. He's been perfectly nice to me, but now I'm in a foul mood and green eyes or no, everyone's the enemy.

 

"Conversation." He says innocently. "Can I walk you home?"

 

I just stare at him. "Walk...me home?"

 

"Can I?"

 

He's sweet. Or a very good pretender. But I swear he's sincere. I blush, but I don't think he can tell in the bad lighting. Easily Amused is playing a song I haven't heard before, a very soft acoustical thing that's very different from their last, which was definitive heavy metal. Steph's versatile voice seems to be urging me to say... "Um...sure."

 

Outside it's pouring rain, which is suprising, because it was perfectly clear when I went in. James asks me to stay in front of the bar while he runs across the street to get his bicycle. I almost laugh at his mode of transportation, but that wouldn't really make sense, because I don't even have rollerskates. His blue spikes are somewhat limp by the time he gets back to me, but he takes an umbrella he has bungee-corded to his bike and hands it to me. There's just barely enough room for both of us underneath it, and we have to stay very close to maintain our illusion of 'dry.' James walks his bike on his other side, rain washing it free of dust and dirt. I'm uncomfottable with our closeness, but he seems totally unbothered.

 

"So I hope you live nearby." He says loudly over the spattering water on the black umbrella. I nod mutely. After a pause, he asks, "Are you sure you don't know of anywhere I cans stay? I'd really like to move out of my parents' house." This time I just shrug. In my mind, I repeat that I just moved in myself, but I don't want to say it out loud, because I would have to shout.

 

When we reach my building, I duck out from under the umbrella and run over to the door without speaking. I stop there, looking back. He looks like a blue, half-drowned puppy. I look up at the clouds and start talking before I even think about what I'm saying. "Do you want to come in? You could dry off and maybe wait the storm out." Then under my breath I mutter, "Ugh, I'm so stupid."

 

But he looks so happy. "Sure, thanks." He leans his bike up against the wall (I notice that he hasn't got a lock for it, and it'll probably be stolen, but what can I do?) and comes over.

 

On the way up to my apartment I am cursing myself. I have never been so contradictory. I can't even tell if I want him around or not.

 

As soon as my keys start to jingle, I hear movement inside my apartment. When I open the door, Prince is poised to dash out. I point my finger at him and he backs away. Houdini is sitting on top of the refridgerator; technically she shouldn't be there, because the only way she could reach such a high place is to jump up on the table, where she isn't allowed. But I don't really mind. James stares.

 

"What?" I ask him angrily. He's going to turn out to not like animals?

 

"Nothing." He says a little oddly.

 

I send him into my living room \ bedroom \ computer room. My desktop computer is temporarily set up on top of my dresser, and my laptop is open, but turned off, sitting on the futon I call a bed. I walk past the fridge to get a towel for James, and Houdini uses my head as a stepping stone to get down. Luckily she's declawed; I hated having it done, but when she started climbing doorframes my dad said she either got declawed or went outside. She's a small cat, and we lived out in the country, and I was afraid an owl or a hawk would get her, so...

 

When I go into my living room \ bedroom \ computer room, James is standing rather awkwardly in the middle of the room while Prince sniffs his boots. I wait silently in the doorway, and after a second Prince sits down and the two regard each other solemnly. I am unable to restrain my giggle. James looks up at my laugh, and a little water drips off his spiky hair. I hand him the towel in passing and go over to the window.

 

"Storm's almost passed." I comment.

 

James comes over to stand next to me. He's drying his hair. One of his earrings gets hung on a loose thread and he pauses for a second to fix it. "Uh-huh."

 

There's a knock on my door, and we both jump. Irrationally I think, Oh god, it's my mom. Then I remember that Con said he would visit after his show was over. When I crack open the door, he and Steph are standing there, and I let them in reluctantly. They'll have a field day with James being there.

 

"Hey, Sis." Con welcomes me. "Didn't you enjoy it? You left early."

 

"I think she had someone to meet." Steph winks at me. Then James steps in.

 

Somehow Con engages him in conversation while Steph draws me aside. "Sooo?" She says, face composed except for gleeful brown eyes.

 

" 'Sooo' what?" I demand.

 

"Who is he?" She laughs.

 

"No one."

 

"You let no one into your apartment?"

 

I sulk. "I don't know, his name's James."

 

She stares me down. Steph knows I like the name James. She glances over at him. "He has green eyes, Nailz." I shrug, acting like I hadn't noticed.

 

Next thing I know, Con is ushering James out. I wave to him silently, feeling helpless. He looks confused, and I realize he still has my towel in his hand as Con closes the door and turns to me.

 

"Baby sis." Con states, as though that says it all. I raise an eyebrow at him. "How long have you known him? Where did you meet him? Do you know his full name? Have you exchanged phone numbers?" Then the final test: "Has Mom met him?"

 

"For god's sake, Con, I just met him!" I cry. "And he has blue...spiky...freakin' hair and earrings. I wouldn't introduce him to Mom I was marrying him tommorrow. And I'm not!" I add at his grin. I try to calm down. "I just met him tonight while you were playing. I'd never seen him before in my life."

 

"And you invited him back to your apartment?" Con asks, aghast. His protective side is finally coming out fully.

 

"Not exactly..." I hedge. At Steph's look, I say, "He offered to walk me home, and it was pouring rain, so I asked him if he wanted to dry off and wait out the storm..."

 

"Sis -." Con starts, but Steph takes is arm.

 

"I'll call you later." She promises. "Gabriel's waiting on us in the truck. C'mon, Connor."

 

After she drags Con out, I lock the door and sit down on my bed to think about James. Mom would hate him, no matter how sweet he is. Dad would shoot him, but that was his threat for any boyfriend I'd ever had while he was alive. Con is going to be upredictable this time: I think he has a feeling about James, whether it's good or bad, I can't tell. Steph will stand by me, no matter what.

 

After a moment, I realize that none of that matters. I like him; who cares what they all think?

[woodyloveslinkin]

****

Thursday.

1 am.

Sarah’s cell phone started to ring. She was deep asleep in her empty bed as she bore no notice the Mike’s missing body that traditionally stole the covers from her. She couldn’t hear her cell going off because of several factors including that she didn’t answer her phone at this time of the morning and that she was deep asleep. The cell rung out, as a missed call notice appeared on her screen. Then the home phone that was still lying on the floor next to her started to ring. She groaned as she rolled over and picked up the receiver.

“Ma, this is getting ridiculous, I am trying to sleep here!”

“Ah Ma’am, this is Officer Riley from down at the NYPD,” replied the unfamiliar voice as Sarah woke up instantly, as she noticed that she had the bed sheets to herself and hadn’t woken up several times to snatch them back.

“Oh holy shit,”

“Your partner is currently being detained and we wish for you to come down to the station as soon as possible,”

“Is this some sort of prank?”

“I wish it was,”

“I’ll be down there as soon as possible,”

In a matter of minutes Sarah was out of bed, putting on something that made her half decent and wouldn’t cause a fright when people saw her. She tied her hair back, not bothering to brush it, put a beanie on, grabbed her keys and was out of the door so quickly that she would’ve never thought that she could get out the door as quick as she did.

Sarah closed the door and rushed downstairs to hail a cab as NYPD’s office was on the other side of the town. It was only when she had closed the door of the cab that she realised that she had left her cell phone back home, yet again. She told the cab driver to hurry and that she would strangle him if he didn’t run a red light. Of course, she was lucky again, they had all green lights. It was about fifteen minutes or so now, that she had left the safety of her apartment and now was out and about, and panicking at the earliest possible time that someone had rung her. She paid the fare and farewelled the cab driver.

She rushed inside to see what trouble Mike had wound himself into this time, as she could never recall Mike getting into this much trouble. The law was the only thing that really prevented him from murdering her mother and her antics.

It was another hour or two before Sarah managed to pay the bail for Mike’s drunken and disorderly charge that he had gotten himself that night at a pub with some friends. Sarah wasn’t happy at Mike, not the fact that she had to get up and bail him out, it was more the fact that she could have never pictured him doing such a thing. Sure Mike was a stupid man when he was intoxicated, or even sober in some cases, but never to this point. Sarah felt like she didn’t know Mike at all. They didn’t talk at all in the cab on the way back, as Mike’s car had got impounded because of Mike’s actions.

“Sarah! Hear me out before you judge me!” yelled Mike, as Sarah slammed the front door on him, leaving him on the opposite side of it. “Let me back in!”

“Why? So you can get more drunk?!” yelled Sarah, as she noticed the alcoholic beverages in the corner of her eye. She stormed off into their bedroom and started to grab his clothes. She wasn’t going to kick him out just yet, but she felt like she just wanted to right now. He deserved the embarrassment that he was getting.

“Sarah! Let me in! It was once! Come on!” yelled Mike, Sarah didn’t want to hear it though. “We were just driving around with some grog beside us and we were doing some tricks. Things got out of hand when we got pulled up, I shoved an officer here and there, I didn’t do any damage to him! Not even a scratch!” Sarah walked back to the door, as she realised it was almost three in the morning now, with a handful of his clothes. Opened the door and tossed the clothes to his feet.

“You’re sleeping at your mother’s place tonight,” said Sarah calmly. “I don’t need dramas in this household Mike!”

“Then stop creating one!” yelled Mike, angrily. “I’m trying to explain myself and you’re acting like a snotty little bitch!”

“Well here’s a suggestion then, pay me back bail and then move back in!” yelled Sarah.

“Here’s a suggestion, shut the fuck up! It is 3 am!” yelled Rob.

“Shove it up your ass!” Sarah yelled back at the neighbour as she heard a door slam. “Come back when you act half decent!”

“Fine! If you’re going to be like that, just fucking fine!” yelled Mike, as he picked up his clothes, a bit tipsy but not utterly intoxicated like he was before when he got arrested. “But this is my place as well and you can’t kick me out like that!”

“Go to your mother’s place and think about what you did!” Sarah yelled back, as she slammed the door in his face. She cried in anger for a moment or two and moved back into her bed where she cried some more.

It was now midday as Sarah woke up and stretched. What was she going to do today? Go for a coffee, that’s all Sarah could think about. Should she call Mike and see how he is? No, let him dawdle back to her in a couple of days when he comes back grovelling and pleading for forgiveness. She hoped out of bed and realised that her beanie slipped off while she was sleeping. She shrugged as she picked up a brush that had been left on the floor, got to her feet and ripped the brush through her hair. She took her clothes off and drenched herself in the shower.

After recovering from her shower, she put on a new attire that made her feel a bit relieved and fresh, and headed out the door to Central Perk. She was there in a manner of minutes. There was something interesting on the window. It basically said that waitresses were needed and she said to herself that no matter what she thought about getting a job, again, she needed to go back into the workforce. She inquired within after receiving her usual strong coffee that she had grown to like a lot, and she got the job on the spot after a couple of questions were asked by one of the male managers that Sarah had a feeling that he was checking her out. He shook hands with her as she accepted the full time position working as a waitress and he congratulated her with a strong and corny smile. She smiled and decided that she might go to a nearby pet shop and inquire into getting a pet, anything but a cockatiel for the sake of Mike returning and making a joke about it. She looked at a couple of puppy dogs that looked cute, but she decided against breaking the rules of Gethsemane Apartments about having no pets. She smiled at the attendant as she left the pet shop and continued to walk home, knowing that she had scored herself a cheesy and most probably badly paid waiting job at a place that served the nicest of coffees.

She walked up the stairs and eventually found herself at the doorway. She opened it as she heard the sound of baggage being carried and footsteps doing there job walking. Must be the people moving into room twenty-two as it was the last vacant apartment on the third floor, or so Sarah assumed by the amount of racket that was going on in between the apartments on the same level as her. She walked inside, closed the door behind her softly and chucked her keys on the dining table that still had bits and pieces still all over the place. I was getting quiet, and too quiet for her liking. She walked into her bedroom and sat on the bed as the thought about calling Mike.

She picked up the phone from the floor and laid it onto her bed. She picked up the receiver and started to dial his mother’s place.

“Hello?”

“Mike?”

“Oh hi, Sarah,”

“I’m sorry about what i did and said this morning, it’s just, I know it was an overreaction, but, I couldn’t just believe that you were actually been arrested for something that you did when you were drunk, you get what I mean?”

“Yeah, does that mean I can come back?”

“I miss you Mike already,”

“Is that an answer or a comment?”

“I got a job today,”

“Full time or casual, and what job?”

“Full time waitressing down at Central Perk, you know that café we went to when we first moved in a couple of days ago? Yeah, that one. They are advertising for more waitresses, full time to be honest.”

“That sounds like you are getting your act together, I’m proud of you,”

“Thank you,”

“I’ve decided I should stop looking for jobs and maybe create an insurance company. Maybe I should start recruiting people around the building to come and work for me?”

“Sounds like you’re ahead of yourself,”

“No, really, it would get me off my ass for once in a while, in fact, I’ve got the flyers for employees and business partners in my hand,”

“Is this one of your get rich quick schemes that is going to drive us into debt?”

“No, because successful people don’t go into debt, they remain successful,”

“Oh okay, well, the answer to your unanswered question to your previous question about moving back in, well, I never kicked you out, I was just angry and I do stupid things when I’m angry,”

“I understand, I’ll be around in an hour or so and then I’m going to ask Rob to come join me in my business, no wait, he seem a bit stuck up,”

“Just ask him, his partner sounds really nice,”

“Alright then, love you lots!”

“Same here, bye,”

“Tootles,”

Mike came out of a cab and it was now four. He paid the taxi with a fifty dollar bill and told him to keep the change knowing that Mike someday will be a millionaire, or so he was hoping so. He saw Rob at the mailboxes and approached him.

“Hey,” Mike said to Rob, as Rob looked to him oddly and cautiously.

“Hi,” Rob bluntly replied. “What’s been happening?”

“Nothing much, I want to propose you something,” Mike started to explain, as Rob shook his head automatically. “What? You haven’t heard me out.”

“And I don’t want to,” replied Rob. “I don’t know what you’re thinking whenever you’re up to no good, but I swear if I hear you two yelling at each other at ridiculous hours of the morning, I will the cops about you. I don’t know why they haven’t heard about you, after what you’ve done. Sickos like you deserve time to death.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mike, a bit confused. “I’m only planning to start up an insurance business and was wondering if you wanted in as well.”

“So you can break the law again by committing fraud?” asked Rob. “No way and just for the record leave me and my partner alone. I heard about the no pants incident.”

“What are you on about, seriously?” asked Mike, as Rob held the mail in his hands and walked away, slamming the front door in his hands. “Wow we have freaks as neighbors.” He walked through the front door making sure Rob was out of sight. He walked up the numerous flight of stairs and into the hallway where he saw Sarah outside the front door and was trying to fix the numbers on the door. “What the hell’s wrong with the numbers?” Mike approached Sarah as her attention was diverted to Mike for a second as they pecked each other on the second.

“I don’t know, they keep falling off and it’s annoying me,” answered Sarah.

“Congratulations on the job,” smiled Mike, as she smiled thanks, as she removed her fingers from holding the numbers in place, as they only fell on the floor. Sarah bent over and picked them up in her hands. She sighed as she gave up trying to make them stick to the front door.

“I have to get Hugh to nail these guys on, I can’t do it,” said Sarah.

“I can do it,” offered Mike. “Just give me anything lesser of a sledgehammer and some nails and your wish will be my command.”

“Can’t destroy the place without Hugh’s permission,” Sarah pointed out. “Nah, I’ll do it tomorrow.” She opened the door, as she realised it was unlocked and walked back in. He noticed that more things had been put up and had been arranged so half of the place looked like it was a bit tidy.

“I hope you’re not planning on kicking me out once I become a millionaire with this project I have in mind,” said Mike, as he closed the door behind him. Sarah turned and crossed her arms in disbelief.

“Okay, whatever, but don’t drown us in debt, that’s all I’m asking and don’t put anything under my name,” requested Sarah, as she turned around to her bedroom, to get ready for a big night out on the town.

“Where are you off to?” asked Mike. “I know the look and the mood you get in when you are going out to something, I don’t know why I think this, but is it something kind of special?”

“Maybe,” answered Sarah.

It was now 11 pm when Sarah came through the door. She was as trashed as ever, as she groaned that she had to start work tomorrow as they had agreed on that she would start the 2 pm shift that worked right through to closing time at nine. She stumbled into bed, next to the sleeping Mike as she had a bad feeling that the next day would bring something that might cause some uproar. Because she couldn’t even remember how the hell she had gotten home and what had happened that night.

Only time would tell.

****

[Peterdea]

Hey everyone Peterdea is entering the place. My character is inspired by a TV show I've heard about but not seen, Well, sweet, enjoy!

 

__________________

THURSDAY (AKA PETERDEA DAY 1)

 

My secret is one I know that I should never tell anyone. Not my mother, my father, my best friend, my brother, the guy in the coma or even the blades of grass in my old house backyard. It was a secret that drove me to have to leave my house and find a new place to live. I got the feeling my neighbours were on to me, or at least, beginning to catch on to what was going on in my house.

What better place to move then New York City to start again. Even though where I used to live my friends outweighed my enemies, I was still happy to be moving. And I’m better safe then sorry. That’s especially true in my case. For me safe is freedom, sorry is… We’ll most likely death.

But enough about my secret, I can’t tell it to you. You’ll probably pick it up eventually anyway. Just if you do, hope to God that I don’t find out.

Anyway, my name is Peterdea. I’m a tall, long haired guy who lives a mostly normal life. I have… Well I had a job, I had a girlfriend, I played soccer for my local team and I had my own place. Now that I’m starting again I hope I can restart the whole thing again. Maybe do it right this time, and cover my tracks a lot better. My first day was pretty eventful. Now it’s time for me to write about my day, enjoy it if you can friends.

 

I arrived at my apartment early in the morning. Room 3, easy for me, and hopefully there won’t be any problems with my projects. I wanted to slip in without being noticed and hopefully not attract too much attention. I wasn’t ready to meet people yet. I don’t know why I was so cautious. It’s probably just because I’m so used to forcing myself to.

I unlocked the door and walked in.

Seems to be enough room for my projects I thought to myself. I was hoping to get one done tonight. At least started or planned. But to say started is a silly idea because so much can go wrong if one is left for more then a few hours.

All I had was a suitcase full of clothes. I’d had my beds and everything else I needed moved in earlier.

I walked into my bedroom and threw my suitcase beside my bed. I wasn’t tired, which was good since back where I used to live I was tired all the time. But I had good feelings about New York, the people seem to be more wanting to mind their own business which is perfect for me.

 

It was almost 12pm by the time I finished putting things away. I had no food, so as you could imagine I was very hungry. I hadn’t eaten in a very long time. This proved to be a good thing for me, since I would have to go out to get some food, and since money isn’t a problem for me now that I have this cheap apartment I could go everywhere and pick out more then just the best food to eat.

I put on my best black clothes and headed out the door. I was still hoping to avoid the other people living around me. I was only interested in trying out a project here, putting my past to the test for the sixth or seventh time. I was excited. I headed out as fast as I could and got in my car. I drove around for what could have been an hour, and I was looking around. Maybe I should go to a bar. Try to make some friends… Or better.

The closest bar was nice… Nice and scummy. It was the worst bar I’ve ever been to. But that’s how I liked it. More opportunity in there. On top of that I saved myself some cash which means I can indulge some other time. I was thirsty so I decided I’d eat later and grab a drink now.

I sat down and looked around.

“What you want?” The barkeeper asked me.

“Anything, I don’t care what it is or how much it costs just get me a drink.” I said pointing at the guy sitting next to me.

“Coming up!” The bartender said almost enthusiastically, but also very depressively.

“Hey man you love surprises hey?” The guy leaned over and said to me.

“Yeah, sure.” I said

“The names Garry, Garry Smith.” He put his hand out, offering a hand shake. He looked like such a scum bag. It was easy to tell he had problems. That was a good sign.

“Peterdea, new to NYC.” I shook his hand. He was so unlucky.

 

Half an hour later he was hammered.

“Ah hell man, lucky I’m not working today, I gotta drive home boy.” Gary told me. “I’ll drive you buddy, let’s go.” I offered him.

“You’re a real pal you know that!” He got up and started to stumble out of the bar.

“Hmm, lucky for you.” I mumbled. I followed him out of the bar.

I showed him to my car and he hoped in.

“I need to go get gas first, but that’s not a problem is it?” I asked him.

“You do that.” He said shutting up instantly.

“So what are your sins?” I asked him.

“Goodnight Garry.” I elbowed him in the face and knocked him out. I reversed out of the alley and drove on home.

 

I can’t exactly remember my exact actions between then and three PM but I know I took him home and dumped him on my small extra bed. I was thinking, so I just left him there. The drugs helped to keep him form doing anything.

I tied him up. I taped his mouth and pulled up a chair and waited for him to regain consciousness.

 

It was four PM by the time he woke up. He looked so scared. As much as I’d like to uncover his mouth and let him scream I knew I couldn’t. The risk of being heard was so high that it was a guarantee the cops would show before I was finished and bust my little scheme.

 

I won’t go into too much detail of what happened. All I can say is Mr Garry Smith is no more. Now I’m ready to let you in on my little secret. I’m a serial killer. Plain and simple. No motives, random victims (most of the time) and I enjoy it. You may look at me as if I’m a freak for it, but to be quite honest, I don’t care. I love the feeling of holding someone else’s futures in your hands. I love having the ability to take people lives. But of course, I try to kill nobody’s and criminals more often then not, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

 

I was disposing of the body in the typical garbage bag, very boring of me. I realized the day was almost over so I should probably go meet the neighbours. And that brings me to now, getting ready to go to sleep after a very productive day. I still haven’t eaten yet but it’s worth it for the great day I had. I’ll have a big breakfast tomorrow.

Shh!

[Ravynlee]

Thursday

 

Rob woke up in a bad mood. Ravyn could sense it from the moment he opened his eyes. The neighbours were at it again. At around 3 am it started with their voices and angry footsteps echoing up the stairwell with irritating clarity.

“You’re sleeping at your mother’s place tonight, I don’t need dramas in this household Mike!”

“Then stop creating one! I’m trying to explain myself and you’re acting like a snotty little bitch!”

“Well here’s a suggestion then, pay me back bail and then move back in!”

After tossing and turning and laying there glaring at the ceiling for what felt like hours a usually mild-mannered Rob Bourdon had had enough.

“Here’s a suggestion, shut the fuck up! It is 3 am!” he yelled. With a wince Ravyn glared at him.

“Shove it up your ass!” Sarah yelled. A door slammed. The wall, even the window on the other side of the room rattled with the force of it. Sarah kept screaming, her voice only slightly muffled by the plasterboard wall. “Come back when you act half decent!”

“That’s it,” Rob huffed. Shoving the blankets back, he sat up. Ravyn pulled herself up too, back and away from him. Her body was rigid for a whole different reason as she watched her boyfriend snatch up his tee shirt and reef it over his head in the glow of the bedside light. He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood up.

“What are you doing?” she asked anxiously. She was exhausted from not sleeping but fear had reefed her up from the covers and she clung to them now watching Rob with her eyes wide and bloodshot. “Rob, don’t-”

“Someone has to,” he uttered, tugging his shirt down. The look on his face silenced her. Though she knew he wasn’t specifically directing it at her in the sharp light he had taken on qualities of someone far more menacing. She watched Rob stride from the room and tentatively followed, wrestling with her inner demons to stay there, shut up, and mind her goddamned business, just as she had once been taught to. Hurrying out into the hall she watched Rob snatch up the telephone and start stabbing in numbers. Though she knew what he was doing a numb kind of fear impelled her to say something, anything, as the yelling continued on outside.

“Who are you calling?”

“Who do you think?”

“Rob, no, please!”

“Someone has to do something! If the rest of this fucking place is too scared to do something, then-”

“But he’ll come! He’ll know! Rob, you can’t-”

“Rachel!” he warned. Then he stopped. His hand slowly lowered, pushing the remainder of his anger out with a loud and heavy sigh. Shaking his head Rob turned away from her. His shoulders fell. “Sorry,” he said, contemplating the receiver in his fist. Thumbing the button he cut off the call. “Habit,” he excused. He smiled aggrievedly. Ravyn didn’t.

Outside, miraculously, the yelling had stopped. It sounded as if someone was making a hot and hasty retreat down stairs again. In their wake only the hum of the refrigerator motor and the click of Rob returning the phone to the wall penetrated the silence. Ravyn wrapped her arms around herself and nodded her bottom lip quivering. The smile she gave when Rob finally looked at her again was tight.

“Look, I know you think me calling the police is a bad move, Rave, but…”

Rob didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to. In the stillness it was the words not spoken that seemed that much more poignant, weighing the air down with its burden. The few steps that divided them seemed unfathomably far as he made his way towards her and reached out to slide his arms around her. Ravyn didn’t yield to his embrace. Feeling her icy reception again Rob sighed and pulled away. He frowned down over her in the poor light.

“Rave, this has got to stop. I can’t keep doing this. Every time you see a cop car or even mention the word cop you freak out. I know why, but it’s not right. It’s-”

“Crazy? No, you can say it. After all, it’s true isn’t it?” Ravyn challenged. Fear and anger had turned her tone bitter as she sneered at him. “You know, for never actually meeting the guy, you sound a lot like him. No you do. The only difference is you’re not beating me and raping me and hiding behind a badge when you do it. What, so just because it’s not happening now you think I’m not entitled to be a little crazy after that? You think this is easy?” Her voice was raised as she craned closer, stressing her point to a begrudging audience, with his eyes roaming everywhere else than at her and her 180 degree mood shift. “No one believed me, Rob! Not the judge, not the city, certainly not his cop buddies out there all looking at me like I deserved it or something! For god’s sake the only reason they took his badge away is because he went crazy, not because of what he did to me, or countless others, and god forbid there has to be. The man’s a psycho, and I stood up for myself, and the law just laughed at me and let him go. They thought I was crazy too. Why should you be any different?”

Staring down at her Rob’s mouth was opened but words weren’t forthcoming. The stillness and silence, once her words faded into obscurity, settled as usual. On the other side of the wall it sounded as if Sarah was crying. Maybe she was muttering to herself. The mood thawed with the sound of it, but just barely. Rob shook his head at her.

“I’m going to bed,” he uttered.

Ravyn didn’t stop him. She wasn’t supposed to. Moments later the bedroom door closed. They stayed that way until the sun came up several hours later.

 

“Oh and someone’s been complaining about some smell down in the basement. Probably a dead rat. Lord knows we have a rodent infestation above board,” Hugh winked cynically.

Ravyn smiled. Rob nodded with his arms folded, standing stern-faced and sentinel in the doorway. Though their landlord was by all outward appearances a rather average, though haggard, looking man, he seemed to favour the cane he had overnight acquired, excusing his prominent limp as an old football injury that had been aggravated by ‘sleeping wrong’. Though Rob had shrugged it off Ravyn smiled in a knowing way, as Hugh bid them a good day and lumbered away. The limp may have been an act but the slight bruise and the graze on his face wasn’t, and she watched him go thinking to herself she knew fear when she saw it.

Having offered his services to help out, rather conveniently now in hindsight, Rob kept himself busy for the day doing odd jobs, searching for dead rats, helping people shift, and making himself useful with Hugh’s incapacity as an unofficial extra set of hands. They had new tenants move in again today and as Ravyn stood at the window watching, she caught sight of a few strangers come and go. It looked to be a handful of young men and women, and she didn’t recognise any of them. Not only that but they didn’t stay long, prompting her to think they had either dropped in to see someone who hadn’t been home or what was more likely they had come here to score. Fear welled in her stomach at the prospect that that she now occupied a place full of drug addicts and worse, knowing full well it was only a matter of time before the officials stormed in as they usually did in places like this, and here she was a sitting duck now amongst them. So much for the promise of a fresh start, she scoffed and continued to watch them make their way up the street. They looked like they belonged in a band or something she thought, but then again, it was hard to tell with fashion these days, this was New York the alternative hub of the world after all. With the silence of their first few days here now permanently shattered, the sound of music could be heard making its way down the corridors and blending together on the sultry summery heat. Returning from the mailbox downstairs Rob groaned as he tossed the junk mail on the breakfast bar and withdrew a long thirsty drink from the refrigerator. His face was pinched with colour and the musky scent of sweat tainted the afternoon air as he made his way from the kitchenette.

“Saw Mike downstairs,” he said, making conversation.

Reading a book in the sun Ravyn looked up from her seat on the floor and raised her brows curiously.

“Just offered me a job, if you can believe that.”

“Doing what?”

Rob groaned as he sunk down upon the sofa. He relaxed back regally and sipped at his glass of water. “Insurance.”

“Insurance? What like, life insurance?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.”

“He’s kidding right? He’s probably got plans to sign Sarah up and then kill her off to get her insurance money, doesn’t surprise me. So what did you tell him?”

“What do you think I told him? I said no.”

“But I thought we talked about this, we need the money.”

Rob rolled his head back against the top of the sofa as the sound of jingles played from the TV set. Setting her book and her glasses aside Ravyn got to her feet and approached him. Rob pointed the remote at the TV screen. He frowned seriously. Ravyn mimicked it with worry.

“Rob-”

“Don’t- don’t start on me okay?” he warned with his fingers raised. He beseeched her with a look but it was capped with a frown. It had been the exact same expression he had been wearing earlier that morning during their pre-twilight confrontation. He sipped his drink and went back to watching television. He wasn’t really watching what was on but it was the universal signal for her to not say anything and to walk away from him. Ravyn did, to the kitchenette. She banged things around under the guise of making dinner. She wasn’t hungry but like everything else it was a habit and it was distracting.

Tossing the remote aside Rob stood and skulled his water and returned to the glass to the sink to rinse it. They stood side by side in silence. Outside someone was closing his door too loud. He sounded as if he had been in a hurry. Rob sighed and turned to her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, sliding his hands upon her shoulders. Ravyn flinched but continued rifling through the cutlery drawer. Rob’s grip on her shoulders increased as he pulled her backwards a fraction and leant against her. He crossed his arms across her collarbone and lowered his chin to her crown. He sighed again apologetically. “I don’t want us to fight,” he said. “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

For a moment they stood stiff encapsulated in a moment that didn’t extend beyond their apartment. There was too much noise, too much movement, too much music and chaos out there. In here things were simpler. Eventually Ravyn reached up and stroked his bicep, leaning her head back against him.

“I don’t know. Kill Vincent maybe?” she pouted.

Rob s******ed and planted a kiss into her hair. Now that her defences were down her cuddled closer and they became momentarily one person.

“I wish… Hey, I know something that might cheer you up.”

“What?”

“I know where there’s a job opening. For real, like, really.”

“You do? That’s great? Where?”

“Some café on the corner. Central Perk. We saw it when we drove in. They’re looking for waitresses.”

Ravyn chuckled as she turned in Rob’s arms to face him. He grinned down with his goatee lost against his shirt as they stood with arms draped around one another.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I think you’d look cute in that uniform.”

Rob blushed, stooping closer to nuzzle against her. God knows when she would be this loving and carefree again. Again, he s******ed.

“No not me. I’m talking about you. You worked in a restaurant once in your old life.”

“I was a cook.”

“So? How hard can it be? Come on, it’s something isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Ravyn sighed, seeking shelter against his musky shirt. Rob was stroking her back tenderly. It was hypnotic. She closed her eyes and smiled. It was rare she felt this comfortable around anyone and she relished in it. She breathed in deeply.

“So how do you know about it?”

“Sarah,” Rob said.

Ravyn tensed up and pulled back. She frowned at him.

“What?” he shrugged.

“You can’t be serious. Sarah? Mike’s Sarah? No- no way.”

“Well, babe, you said we were getting desperate-”

“I know, but I didn’t mean that desperate. I have to hear her at all hours of the night, the last thing I want is to be working around her all day too.”

“You’ve done a lot worse,” Rob reminded.

Ravyn’s frown took on a darker tone as she pulled completely away from him. Though Rob still smiled it was clear he had no idea what he had apparently said to offend her. He went to embrace her again but Ravyn put her hands up and backed away from him. She left the room without saying anything more. The door slammed and Rob found himself shaking his head incredulously.

Women! He snorted as he scratched the back of his head in frustration. What the hell had he done wrong this time?

[MrsBennington-Delson]

Friday

9:52am

 

Slowly I opened my eyes and saw the sun shine in.

I groaned and sat upright. “How late is it?” I was thinking while I was scanning for my phone. I wore the same cloths as I did yesterday, seems like I fell asleep yesterday evening.

Finally I found my phone in the pocket. That’s typical for me, forgetting where it is although it’s in my pocket.

I looked at it but couldn’t read anything. I rubbed my eyes and looked at again. 9:56am. And again I groaned. While I was looking outside the window I thought about what I’d have to do today. Go buy some food and get a job.

I’ve already informed myself about a job before I came here and now I just have to get sure about it.

With heavy legs I stood up and lingered into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror and made a grimace to wake myself. As stupid or childish as it may seem but it helps, plus you make yourself laugh and the day already starts lovely.

“Mh a shower!” I took off my clothes and went into the shower. I felt every single water drop on my body. It feels so good.

All refreshed I walked into the living room and pulled out some new clothes out of my bags. Outside I heard some noises. “Neighbors?” I thought and looked at the door like it would disappear and make me see what’s up there. I shrugged and put on my clothes. For the first time I heard almost everything that was happening around me. Music playing from the room next to. Not too loud but I could hear it. But it didn’t annoy me at all. No, I actually make me smile for some reason. Probably because the guitar made me remember of Brad.

He’s playing the guitar almost his whole life and also played a few times for me. I absolutely adore it!

And again I started smiling like a retard and my heart beat faster and faster.

I took my keys, phone and money and put them into my purse, looked around too be sure that I got everything I needed. Got everything. Opening the door I stepped outside and locked the door.

No one’s outside yet. I guess most of people living here already went to work since it’s 10:44am. I walked the stairs, I actually I hobbled them down into the lobby.

Downstairs an old men was standing at the entrance door and smiled at me warmhearted.

“Good morning Miss!”

“Good morning! Excuse me Sir but are you Mr. Hugh Laurie?”

“Yes that’s me. Are there any problems?”

“Oh Sir, no. I just wanted to introduce myself since I moved in here yesterday.” I put forth my hand “My name is Jos. I moved here from Germany, maybe you can remember me. We were talking to each other a few times on the phone”

“Oh yes sure I remember you! Well welcome to the United States and welcome here in Queens!”

“Thank you Sir. I have to excuse myself but I have to go now. Thank you for everything and have a nice day!”

“Thank you Miss. I wish you a nice day too and if you need anything just let me know.”

“Thank you!” I turned around and walked outside.

 

I walked down the road, looking around and seeing the sun shine through the trees and birds singing. Is this really all so nice today or is it just me seeing everything through red glasses? Funny? Stupid? Whatever I didn’t care. I continued walking until I reached a little grocery store.

I collected all the important stuff I needed and walked to the cash point. On my way I was watching all the other people curiously. Some kid was pulling his mothers trolley although she was demanding him to stop. Hah funny those kids sometimes.

I paid my shopping and walked out of the store.

It was about noon. Perfect time for lunch. A moderate breeze pulled ahead like it was soon about to rain. Rain on such a nice day? Mh I hope it won’t rain.

As I got back and walked into the lobby, I suddenly had to shiver. But it wasn’t one of those normal shivers, it was more like one of those which tell you that something’s wrong. I didn’t feel well that moment. Astonished I was looking around. There was no one. Still it felt strange. Stupid vanities, I thought and went upstairs.

While I was unlocking the door I heard some music from one of my neighbors. Isn’t that Linkin Park? I walked towards the door where I heard the music from. I know you usually don’t do that but I had to haha. I laid my ear against the door and listened. Good old Linkin Park, I smiled. All of a sudden someone walked up the stairs. Quickly I stepped away from the door and walked towards mine.

“Good day Miss” The woman said in a Russian accent.

“Good day madam” she glared at me like I was god or something. I guess it’s because I called her madam although she’s so old and just a cleaning lady and not used to something like that.

I smiled at her and opened the door.

It’s interesting how some people make the best of their lives and even a little gesture or just a single word can make them happy and make them forget the bad side of life.

I walked into the kitchen and unpacked my shopping. Gosh I’m hungry. I cooked myself some microwave food as I call it. Quickly done and sometimes even very tasty. Well it’s not as good as self-cooked food but right now it’s better than nothing.

Some music would be nice too now. I walked into the bedroom and looked for one of my bags where my laptop was in it. Ah there it is, I walked over to the bag and opened it, pulled out my laptop and walked back into the living room. “Hm where is my phone?” I was thinking while turning on my laptop. I put it away next to me on the couch, stood up and went looking for my phone. It should be somewhere on my bed. Yup there I go. I looked at it and thought about calling Brad. “Should I?” I called him up.

“Yeah?”

“Hey Brad it’s me Jos”

“Oh hey darling! How are you?”

“I’m good thanks, just making lunch. And you?”

“I’m good too, just at work at the moment.”

“Oh oh sorry for interrupting you! I was actually just wanting to hear you…”

“Haha nah it’s all good. You can call me up whenever you want to. Hey uhm you free tonight?”

“Yeah uhm sure I guess. I gotta go to town later on again for that job I was applying for but apart from that I don’t have anything to do.”

“Well ok I’ll come over after work ok? And good luck with the job I’m sure they’ll take you”

“Ok that’s cool. Thank you! See you later”

Alligator, I thought and started laughing. Silly me sometimes.

 

12:47pm

After lunch I got ready for my interview at a school. They were looking for a German teacher so I contacted them before I moved here to be sure that I’ll have at least some kind of job to start with. The head teacher guaranteed that there shouldn’t be any problems since I’ve lived in Germany pretty much all my life and studied English, so I know how to teach.

When I arrived at the school, I saw all the kids and teenagers running around, playing or just lying in the grass and talking about the newest stuff happening. It made me think of my childhood. Nothing huge, not any big depressions or anything but still there was something missing. Something I didn’t have all the time.

I walked through the big door into the long hall of the school. I looked around searching for some sign saying “Head teacher’s office” or something like that. I walked on but couldn’t find anything.

“Excuse me girls I’m looking for the head teacher’s office. Could you tell me where it is?” I asked some girls who passed me by.

“Uhm it’s… it’s down the hall then right and then straight at the end.”

“Thanks.”

As the girls told me I walked down the hall, then turned right and walked straight to the end where I already saw written on the door “Head teacher’s office”

I knocked.

“Yes?” I slowly opened the door.

“Hello. My name is Jos Fischer. I’ve been applying from Germany for your job as a German teacher here at your school.”

“Oh yes sure. Please come in!” the woman stood up and pointed at the chair in front of the desk. “You can take a seat if you want.” I walked in and she reached out her hand. “I’m Ms. Richards. The head teacher of this beautiful school.”

I nodded politely, shook her hand and sat down.

“So you’re finally here in New York?”

“Yes, I arrived yesterday and moved into my apartment.”

“Oh nice. I hope the journey wasn’t too exhausting?”

“Oh no, it went all good. Thank god I didn’t have any problems.”

“Nice. So you were applying for the job. Well as I already told you there shouldn’t be any problems with you getting it. You still want it?”

“Yes of course madam!”

“Ok well I honestly didn’t expected anything else from you. Haha. Well ok we’ll make the work contract and then I’ll show you around, is that ok for you Miss Fischer?”

“Yes sure. Thank you.” I smiled.

“No problem at I all.” And she pulled out some papers and started filling them out.

After we were done with that she showed me the school.

“So I gave you all the information you need and your timetable. If you have any questions you can get in touch with my any time. I hope you like it here and I will look forward on seeing you work here.” Ms. Richards smiled it me.

“Thank you Ms. Richards. I’ll let you know if I need anything. I can’t wait to start.”

“Well see you next week then! Have a nice weekend Miss Fischer.”

“Thank you. You too”

We shook hands and I walked off.

 

I was happy. I got my own apartment. I got a new job now and it all seems nice there and I have someone here I could rely one.

 

Back at my apartment I sat down on the couch and just relaxed for a while, closed my eyes and listened to all the sounds I could here. Remembering the album of NERD called ‘Seeing sounds’ I had to grin. Good old stuff back in the days. Where would I be now without the music?

The doorbell wake me from my little flashback.

“Who is it?” I called out.

“It’s me Brad”

“Password?” I said and laughed inside of me.

“Oh uhm… Ick liebe dick”

I stood up, started laughing out loud and walked to the door to open up.

“Was it that wrong?” Brad asked me embarrassed

“No its ok honey. You actually say ‘Ich liebe dich’ not ‘Ick liebe dick’. Since you’re not loving dicks are you?” I almost rolled myself on the floor.

“Oh gosh haha no! You know that my German is awful.” He looked down on the floor.

“Nah it’s ok” I took his hands and pulled him in. “You know I don’t need you to know German.”

“Yeah I know. And I honestly have to say I’m happy that you talk English. But as I know us we don’t even need to speak right babe?” he smirked at me.

“Oh Brad… no we don’t”

He hugged me tight, kissed me and pulled into my bedroom.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------To be continued----------------------------------------------

 

ps: names are changed or lets say mine its not my real name just so you know ^^ lol

[Pheonix791989]

Friday

____________________

 

I awoke amidst the ruins of what was another successful mob party. Of course when things really started to heat up some big, drunk arse decided to come and gatecrash. Some asian idiot that we'd toss out on the front stoop for the night. Made for an interesting turn of events seeing that he was much like our buddy Tim that had come by for a visit being that his band was playing a show later tonight. Benji and I had fallen asleep on the couch in a very compromising position, you can guess what happen and your imagination is giving you better images then what actually happened. I took a deep breath before Phoenix came in with a grunt.

"Someone moved in and our good friend Hugh didn't bother to alert us. I think its time we went to say hello."

Benji stirred beside me at the thought of saying hello to someone new. The three of us gave a chuckle before Phoenix tossed me a paper.

"You two know what to do."

Benji pulled out his knife and licked it was a passion. I smiled before giving him a morning kiss. I dressed in the same clothes from yesterday before heading to Hugh to get some information from him. Benji watched him limp around his office with his cane for a bit before slamming the door open and watching him jump a mile out of his skin.

"I-I-i didnt call the cops or nothing!"

"We know, we also know you didn't tell us that you allowed apartment 22 to be filled. Who are they?"

Benji said in a deathly low voice.

"I don't know!"

I grabbed his arm and jerked down my knife right inbetween his fingers.

"Oh you know Hugh, so why don't you spare us the suspense and just tell us."

I said as i gently caressed the knife.

"Some girl named Jos and her boyfriend Brad."

"That was easy wasnt it?"

I growled, jerking my knife back as benji then grabbed Hugh up and tossed him into his wall near the door.

"We'll be watching to make sure you comply. have a nice day."

Benji said with a chuckle. We walked up to apartment 22 and stuck an note on the door telling them that the someone would be collecting their protection money from the couple as well as rent at the end of the month if they wanted to stay alive and continue to have their families safe. They then set the same note on all the doors of the third floor, each stuck on the door via tape.

"Time we up the ante on this hell hole."

Benji laughed. I smirked.

"Aye and Tim will be doing the money collection."

i laughed.

"Phoenix wants us to shake up some little cafe while we're out and about. Some shitty place called Central Perk"

Benji commented as he wiped the grime off of his knife.

"Lets go for a walk."

I said with a low laugh. we headed to the contact spot where we got the usuaul list of miscreants to kill/scare. It was a nice change to have benji with me today. I smiled as we came upon that new coffee place. I pointed at one of the waitresses that i noticed, she was one of the tenants that Phoenix had okayed to live in the apartment.

"You, who's the owner of this place?"

She looked at me with a look of questioning before pointing out a guy to me. I nodded to benji as we went over towards him and asked him to step out side with us.

"We have a business proposition for you my friend."

"And what would that be?"

He said in a snotty voice. I raised an eyebrow, ready to slit his throat already.

"You pay my boss protection money to make sure that nothing happens to this little establishment of yours."

"What are you some kind of mob boss?"

"As a matter of fact I am. One of the main four. I am good for my word."

"I'm not paying you a damn bit of money!"

"Aye thats a shame! Mel take care of our friend here."

"Gladly my love."

I said with a smile as i took a step forward and grabbed the idiot by his shirt. before he knew what hit him I carved into his back a clover before throwing him through his own coffe shop window. Benji looked on as people were crowding around the owner.

"Aye thats what happens when you're stupid enough to mess with the Ferrall clan!"

Benji shouted before we headed off again. We could hear the sirens, but to be honest I wasn't worried, there were few cops that wernt on the pay roll. Other then that the day sucked. The concert later that night at CBGB's was kick arse, good old Flogging Molly. I could hear more shouting from the floor above us before hitting the sack myself, benji's arm draped lazily around my stomach. I thought to myself that out of all the people, the idiots on the room above us needed to be silenced. but unless Phoenix wanted it, I wouldnt touch them.

[Ravynlee]

Okay am going to post this in two parts. Have first part done now, will finish and post the second half after work in a few hours

 

***

 

Friday (part 1)

 

Another party downstairs. Another sleepless night for the residents of Gethsemane Park. Despite the fact tensions had run high the night before in apartment 23, Ravyn and Rob slept, but they slept fitfully. After listening to the arguments the night before even broken sleep was better than nothing. Stirring against the covers Ravyn sighed, feeling an arm draped around her. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled.

“Mm, morning.”

“Morning.”

Sheepishly she sunk back a fraction, allowing him to peck a quick kiss upon her lips. She smiled when he pulled back, remaining on an outstretched arm above her. Her cheeks were hot and red beneath such a close and intimate gaze as she turned away. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around his shoulders and have him smother her but that was never likely to happen, at least by her bidding, and with a tiny voice she patted him off and excused herself to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet fully clothed trying to come to her senses. Outside Rob was making his way to the kitchen. There was a loud banging on the door. Ravyn froze. Her heart suddenly caught in her throat. She heard the door open and a masculine voice murmur. Rob’s distinct monotone seemed dubious. She didn’t hear what he said but couldn’t will herself to get up to go investigate. Her legs were suddenly like jelly. She scanned the tiny bathroom again with its cracked walls and mouldy tiles looking for a way out. There was only one door in just like the apartment, save for the fire escape, but the window here was too small for her to climb through and it was set up too high. Ravyn looked at it with desperation. She felt like a caged bird. When she heard the voices speak again, followed by the closing of the front door, Ravyn felt relief flood her insides. She flushed the cistern and made her way out. Rob stood in the kitchenette with his back turned to her. Though she couldn’t see his face she could instinctively feel something was wrong. In the silence the mood had shifted and his stooped shoulders weren’t helping any. When he heard her approach he turned around and picked up a tight smile. She had know him long enough to recognise insincerity and quickly asked him what was wrong.

“Oh nothing, just… pranks. Some kids in the area, just must be like bored or something,” he said.

In his hand he scrunched up a piece of paper and tossed it in the trashcan. Ravyn followed. He had no sooner let it go before she swept down and snatched it up. She unfurled it as Rob stood watching.

“Insurance money?” she read. She scoffed. For a good while she too was lost for words as the two of them stood wrestling with the concept of it. “I don’t… Is this someone’s idea of a joke? If it is I’m not getting it.”

“It’s probably nothing,” Rob said, and went to take it from her hand. Ravyn pulled it away from him and sternly stood her ground.

“First Mike’s little scam and now this?” she said, referring to the previous day’s conversation. “If that… drunken idiot thinks he can blackmail you into working for him, he’s got another thing coming.”

“I don’t think it’s him,” Rob said wearily, “everyone got one, apparently.”

“And Hugh’s okay with this?”

“I don’t know,” Rob shrugged. He was wandering away from her. “Some young guy from across the hall was asking for him. Said he went down but didn’t get any answer in his office. Should go down there I guess and make sure he hasn’t like… fallen over his own shadow or something.”

Though he s******ed at his sarcasm, the look he afforded her said something quite different as he went off to change his clothes. When he came back a few moments later Ravyn was still waiting.

“I can’t believe this. You know, no one mentioned this when we signed the papers,” she said, sounding more as if she were thinking aloud rather than to him. “If I didn’t know any better this sounds like extortion. You don’t think Hugh’s… you know… corrupt do you?”

“Corrupt? Rave, this is New York, think about it,” he said, knotting his shoe laces quickly.

Still wearing his small smile he gave her a quick kiss and assured her not to worry before snatching the paper from her hand and shoving it inside his hip pocket - at least that way she didn’t have anything tangible to stew over in his absence, he told himself. Stealing a green apple from the bowl on the bench he winked at her as he snatched up his key, wallet and glasses.

“Won’t be long,” he told her with his mouth full.

Ravyn nodded as she watched him go. The door closed quietly behind him. Only when he was gone did she truly start to panic. She turned around and surveyed her apartment. In her mind’s eye she was looking for all the logical places where someone might lurk or where she could hide a knife or some heavy object discreetly, somewhere where it wasn’t obvious and she could get to in a hurry - just in case the inevitable happened. Rubbing her scarred wrist Ravyn snatched all the sharp knives from the kitchen drawer and started concealing them. It was time to start thinking survival again, she thought with a determined pout, feeling a kind of sick hot adrenalin coursing its way through her system. In her memory and her half-focussed state she could feel the sharp thud and hot sting of an elbow in her face and felt herself fall to the floor as furniture toppled aside with her. She heard herself sobbing back from the past and grit her teeth against it, tucking a knife away in between the mattresses in the bedroom. She looked up and caught sight of herself staring back dazed in the dresser mirror. Her heart was beating so hard she could practically see it.

“Not this time,” she said to no one.

In the silence she could have sworn she heard laughter echoing back from one of the other rooms, mocking her. Maybe it was Vincent laughing at her naivety as he watched her like a ghost literally haunting her from somewhere unseen. Closing the bedroom door Ravyn stood out in the centre of the apartment until the silence started to make her ears ring. Knowing Rob had the key she quickly scribbled a note and left it on the counter for him to find when he got home. Then Ravyn gathered up her purse and belongings and hurried from the room, escaping out into the hot and humid summery air.

 

---

[woodyloveslinkin]

****

Friday.

Sarah groaned as she rolled over to realise that no one was there next to her, as Mike had been there when she had fallen asleep. Sarah frowned as she tried to get up but when she tried sitting up, a large train suddenly came out of nowhere and gave her a hangover that went straight to her head. She groaned as she fell back against her pillow and told herself that she hadn’t drunken too much, she just felt really sick and had a headache with of course having to not remember what had happened the night before when she went out and had a couple of drinks with some friends.

“Yes!” yelled Mike, as Sarah recognised Hugh’s laugh. “Thank you so much!”

“No problem,” replied Hugh. “I thought you would need a kick start. So I made everyone in the building buy insurance.”

“But don’t you think that’s kinda wrong?” asked Mike, a bit unsure of Hugh’s motives as they sat down at the couch and sat down at either end looking at each other. “It is blackmail, almost, don’t you think?” Hugh shrugged. “Buy insurance or get kicked out? Hugh shrugged again. “I was only asking…”

“I really have better things to do rather than to sit down and listen to people’s complaints about a building that I own and that I run, it’s my building so I can do whatever the hell I want to do with it,” Hugh replied, as Sarah managed to get herself out of bed and stand behind Hugh with her arms crossed and looked like she was about to kill someone. Hugh then realised that there was something really wrong by Mike’s expression. “What’s wrong?” Hugh looked to see who or what Mike was looking at and Hugh saw Sarah behind him. “Greetings.”

“Mike!” yelled Sarah, as she realised what kind of scam Mike was running. Sarah walked over to Mike and sat in the middle of her partner and the landlord. She softened her voice. “You do realise that this illegal?” Mike shrugged. “You don’t even have an operating licence and this idea about running an insurance business only started yesterday. You’re going to end up in jail and this time I won’t be bailing you out.” Sarah turned around so that she faced Hugh. She was appalled that the landlord was allowing this and trying to blackmail the rest of the residents into buying fake insurance. “Why are you doing this to us?”

“You don’t have to have the insurance, it's just everyone else has to have it,” answered Hugh. “Well, I wouldn’t put it or classify it as fake but more so plastic insurance. Every insurance company, from personal experience, are real plastics in the long run, so it really makes no difference.”

“You both are going to get if you don’t be careful, I mean, people are going to notice that they aren’t being covered for when someone breaks into their homes, what are you going to do about paperwork and that shit?” asked Sarah, turning back to Mike.

“I hear junkyards are cheap as ass,” smiled Mike, as he looked and felt relaxed by the idea. “I have good office skills and I know how to keep track of my lies. Giselle taught us guys in the office pretty well how to pay attention to detail and all.”

“I’m going to have no part of this, okay?” asked Sarah. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear of such a stupid idea and therefore, if I haven’t heard about it, why report it to the authorities?” Mike smiled as he attempted to kiss his partner but she pulled away. “I’ve got to get to work and I’m going to be damned if I hear such atrocities happening in this apartment that I just moved into.”

“You’re good, aren’t ya?” asked Hugh, as Sarah turned back around and gave him an evil eye. “What’s that for? Like I said before about the plastics, they all are the same in the long run.”

“If I didn’t have a hangover and I needed to get to my new job I would’ve called the authorities on you by now,” Sarah retorted. “And I’m not saying that just for show and tell either.”

“Remember honey, if I go down your little Japanese doll that has his halo above his head glowing, on the other side of you, he’s going down as well,” warned Hugh, tapping his fingers on the back of the lounge. “Takes two to tango and without the other, either dancer is left on the ballroom floor and has to go and sit back down with his partner because he’s got no one to tango with. Isn’t that correct?”

“I’m going, I refuse to have no part in this scam,” retorted Sarah. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to live through the first day of my new job as a waitress.” Sarah got off the couch, got to her feet, and left the room as she slammed the door of the bathroom. She took a shower while the boys discussed about possible ideas and the obstacles that they might occur. She got into a plain white tee and a pair of jeans, as she had to change into her uniform when she got there because she hadn’t received her uniform to take home. It was now midday by the time that Sarah had scooped up her keys, her wallet, and her cell phone into her purse. She stood at the doorway as Mike and Hugh got to their feet and shook hands, exchanging various words and thank yous. “Mike, you’re paying the cab for me.” Mike nodded, as both of the men walked over to Sarah. Hugh started to say goodbye to Sarah but Sarah rolled her eyes and urged Mike to go because she was afraid she was going to be late for her work. They opened the door and locked it, as Hugh and Mike exchanged goodbyes and Sarah just walked off.

“Hey,” said Justin, coming up the stairs that Sarah was walking down with folded arms, while the boys were upstairs still talking. Justin wasn’t carrying the notepad and the pen that Sarah had saw him with previously. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” answered Sarah. “Why do you ask?”

“Reports around Queens, or more so, this apartment building, say that you were pretty drunk last night,” answered Justin. “I don’t think that the whole apartment knows but I have certainly heard the rumours, well, just then, I just someone else that I was talking to well, they seemed to be talking to…. I think himself...”

“What rumours?” asked Sarah, a bit curious as they both heard Mike coming down the stairs. “Look, don’t worry.” Sarah was a bit worried that Mike might chuck a tantrum and bash Justin. “We’ll talk later.”

“Hey,” said Mike, as he stopped on a step above Sarah and saw Justin. “Don’t know you, but hey anyway.” Justin smiled and greeted back politely, stating his name and all.

“Gotta get going, got a new job,” smiled Sarah. Justin simply waved goodbye to both Mike and Sarah as he continued his walk upstairs. “Seems a bit shy.”

“A bit?” scoffed Mike, as he assumed that Justin was out of reach just because he had just disappeared to the floor which they were departing from. “Man needs to learn to grow some guts to speak to me, let alone you.”

“Get over it,” replied Sarah, as she shrugged. “Now, am I going to work?” Mike nodded. “Okay in that case.”

It was now 10 pm and Mike was getting annoyed in the back of the cab. He had been sitting here for a while now, and Sarah hadn’t come out from the diner that she could be seen through the front window cleaning and disappearing on and off all the time. He just wish he could burst in there, knock the door off clean off its hinges and sweep his partner off her feet and carry her home. It wasn’t a fairytale, it was just plain old reality, and Mike didn’t like that fact. I had done several things to entertain himself to try and pass the time like sing to whatever song was playing on the radio but that didn’t work, because it was that time when the Billboard Top 100 songs were being played and they didn’t stop until midnight, because of all the ads and the driver gave him weird looks whenever he sung or whistled.

“When is she coming out?” asked the driver. “Been waiting her for yonks. Got better things to do rather than to sit here and wait for your woman.”

“She’s coming, I just don’t wanna act like an ass in front of the other people that work there,” answered Mike, giving his reason. It was another half an hour or so until she saw Mike in the cab having an argument with the driver about everything under the sun and how the driver was ready to kick him out because Sarah took so long to finish her shift which was meant to end ages ago.

“Hey sweetie,” welcomed Sarah in her new pink and white uniform. Mike whistled at her as the driver slammed his foot down on the accelerator and sped off to their apartment. Mike now wished that he hadn’t gotten his car impounded. They pecked each other on the face as they smiled. “How’s it going?”

“All good,” smiled her partner. “How was work?”

“Tiring enough to say that I want to go to bed, because now I’ve been rostered for every day of the week doing the same hours,” answered Sarah.

“When do you get your first pay check?” asked Mike.

“Next week,” answered Sarah, not even the slightest curious what Mike was up to.

“Oh okay in that case,” replied Mike, as Sarah slowly dozed off to sleep on Mike’s arms as the lights of the big city that they were struggling to survive in, flickered past the young couple’s faces decorating their faces with various colours. Mike stroked his partner’s soft brown hair that had been pulled back and closed his eyes, ignoring the potholes that made the vehicle take a quick and sudden nose dive and then back up again.

****

[Ravynlee]

This is the second part of my Friday post. Got off work and there's nothing on TV. Spent it in literary land instead Here's the rest for today as promised.

 

---

 

(Friday, continued, part 2)

 

“Thanks for the tip,” the woman smiled.

Sitting a few tables away Ravyn watched her walk back inside, smirking cynically to herself behind a menu. She couldn’t believe that was the same Sarah who seemed to do nothing but scream most nights and drink herself into oblivion like some dime-store hooker. How the patrons here would be surprised if they saw through the act as well as she did, she thought. She watched Sarah disappear inside and joke around with a passing customer before setting the menu down. Ravyn sighed as she surveyed the street. The sun had not yet gone down but it was lost behind some tall towering high-rises, robbing the street below of its glare and heat. It was a welcome respite from the soaring temperatures lately but the threat of a cool change made her shiver instead with foreboding. To warm herself up Ravyn sipped at her Irish coffee and smiled, enjoying the slight tang of the whiskey as it slid like liquid fire down her throat. She missed alcohol but knew Rob didn’t approve of it - not that he would abuse her if she took some home anyway. Nursing her chin on her fist Ravyn watched a young couple a few tables away cuddling together with intimate murmurs. Her smile dwindled. She turned away. She didn’t think Rob would ever lose his cool with her, he hadn’t yet and they’d known each other almost ten years, but in the back of her mind she wasn’t thinking of if but of when. It was bound to happen one day wasn’t it, he was only human and humans made mistakes after all, didn’t they?

“Are you following me or something?” a voice asked.

Ravyn blinked up, startled. Sarah was smiling back at her wiping her hands on her pink and white uniform. She laughed as she pulled up a chair and sunk down into it. Ravyn frowned, more concerned about the fact she was going to get busted by her boss for slacking off on the job rather than invading her personal private moment, but caught off guard she didn’t say anything. Sarah crossed her ankles on an adjacent chair and sighed heavily.

“That’s better, my feet were killing me.”

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get in trouble off your boss or something?” Ravyn finally managed. Sarah shrugged and glimpsed back inside nonchalantly. Though she sounded jovial Ravyn thought it was more of this act, seeing a dormant kind of resentment welling up in the younger woman’s cool blue eyes. There was obviously something on her mind but Ravyn didn’t ask as to what it was. Part of her wasn’t prepared to take on board another’s woes, especially when they gave so little thought to others at all hours of the day and night repeatedly - and now with this thing about 'insurance'...

As Ravyn scoffed, Sarah went on to elaborate that she was due for a break and was now taking it. She also stated that her boss, who’s name Ravyn missed, had been given an impromptu early mark along with several stitches at the local hospital some hours earlier. Some thugs had come along and roughed him up a bit, she explained, shrugging when Ravyn asked as to why. Her lack of regard should have surprised Ravyn but it didn’t as Sarah explained some rumour she had heard, but she wasn’t really listening to what was being said anyway. Though she had missed seeing it before now it was pointed out she noticed a few glass fragments several metres away down the sidewalk and cracks in the window covered behind a ‘Staff wanted’ sign. Ravyn frowned to herself uncomfortably. Though it was obvious Sarah's boss had been the victim of a violent crime here hours earlier Ravyn doubted that anyone on the street at the time had so much battered an eyelid towards it, much less Sarah or her gossiping friends inside. People didn’t like getting involved in another’s dispute anymore, she snorted, reminded of the irony of her situation not that long ago. Casting her eyes about listlessly as Sarah continued talking; Ravyn studied the street, looking for anyone or anything that might have stood out in the lazy mid afternoon surroundings. Inside a young man sat scribbling away furiously on his notepad. When he looked up Sarah was waving to him. He smiled back. Ravyn thought he looked familiar but didn’t say anything. This was a city teaming with little people all living big dreams. Sarah had spoken to her.

“What?” Ravyn asked.

“I said this must be your lucky day.”

“Oh yeah? And how’s that?”

Sarah smiled at her. Ravyn didn’t appreciate the gesture one iota. It was condescending and bitter. It was Vince calling her some horrid name then laughing in a way that suggested he didn’t mean it when his eyes told her he really did. Ravyn turned her head, staring at the fragments of glass like rough diamonds sparkling on the footpath.

“Well we’re a person down, and you’re looking for work.”

“Said who?”

“Said your husband.”

“My what?”

“The big guy. Goatee. You know, docile looking.”

“Oh… oh him. Oh, no,” Ravyn stammered, relief washing over her. “He’s not my husband, he’s…” How exactly do I finish that sentence? She wondered. “We’re just… friends. I guess.”

“Well, whatever,” Sarah dismissed, her focus distracted by the young man inside again. She went on to elaborate what Ravyn already knew, that money was tight and that there was a job on offer. All she had to do was say yes to it, but her insides were screaming at her not to. Sarah left her alone a few minutes to let her think about it and served the young writer inside more conversation than actual coffee. While she was gone Ravyn sat stewing, scouring the street nervously. Her purse was light on cash and she had no idea where the last of her change from the other day had gone. Replaying the fight she had had with Rob only nights ago she pouted to herself, hearing Rob’s words with a dull kind of acceptance. It was about time she got out into the world again and stopped living in fear all the time and this was the perfect opportunity to do that. Who knew, maybe it would help take her mind off things enough to actually settle down with Rob, she thought, maybe one day they might even look at starting that elusive token family. But staring out at the streets and the crowds and the streams of strange faces she didn’t know Ravyn felt the knot tighten in her stomach of all that could go wrong if she put herself back out there. Hasn’t he taken enough from me? She thought to herself yet again. Sarah strode out waving an apron with an expectant smile upon her face.

“So?” she challenged.

Ravyn sighed as she closed her empty purse and set it back inside her hand bag. She reached up and took the apron, ignoring Sarah’s goading grin.

“Alright, but it’s only for a little while, just until I get back on my feet,’ she said.

Sarah wasn’t listening to her; she was already inside again, chatting up this young guy who seemed more vested in writing.

After making her way in and getting the tour of the shop, Ravyn stood behind a cash register punching in numbers with a forced smile on her face. It was hard at first but eventually she stopped defensively searching the crowds and started smiling and actually meant it. As the afternoon wound down and the moon came up Ravyn felt happier having taken this new step in what she felt was the right direction. She couldn’t wait to tell Rob the good news. At least this would ease the burden on them a little, she thought, and hurried home. That night she lay in the arms of the man she loved and they spoke together about everything until the early hours. When she slept she slept soundly, like a baby. She didn’t dream of anything. She didn’t have to. She was happy and that small blessing was enough for now.

[Peterdea]

Here's today, I got really unmotivated when I was first writing but eventually I got some good stuff down that opened a lot of doors for my character.

__________________

FRIDAY (AKA PETERDEA DAY 2

 

It was Friday morning, which to me is the best morning, since it’s nearing the end of the week, everyone cares even less then before and I can sit home playing video games all day without a care in the world. I don’t do projects on Fridays, or weekends. Unless it’s really necessary, which it never is.

I did about all I wanted today, I played video games and lived life as if I hadn’t killed a random victim just yesterday as if I really had to. I went out a bit though, and met a few people and such. I should explain to you how I met my new friend Stephen, in fact, that’s a good place to start.

I was going for a simple walk, nothing special. I was walking down the street taking in as much fresh air as I could as my apartment smells pretty horrible. Not a smell of death like you’d expect, more a smell of the nerdiest room you could imagine. Just imagine it, twenty nerds playing cards in a small room with no air conditioning. None of them have deodorant on, and none of them have had much contact with females in their lives. Just imagine the smell. That’s my apartment… Minus the nerds and the cards…

Anyway back to the story.

I was walking down the street, and I saw a guy trying as hard as he could to stop two teenagers from beating the hell out of each other. You’d think that a person such as me would love to see people fight but really, unless I’m in the fight, or learning some cool moves from it, I don’t care even slightly. Eventually the teenagers started trying to pummel this guy. So I ran over to help.

“Alright you to, stop it now…” I said in a kind voice.

“Or what?” One of the little smartasses commented. “You look like you just come out of a death camp!”

“Is that so…” I reached into my pocket. I grabbed my knife that I keep just in case a victim gets the upper hand. I put it near him and he stopped.

“Please…” He tried to get something out and thats all he got.

“Listen you little shit, I’m not in the god damned mood, you go that way.” I looked at his ‘friend’ and continues “and you go that way.”

They both nodded and walked away. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so scared, not even my victims shit themselves that bad.

“That’s dude.” The man told me.

“All good, I’m here for the people.” I joked.

“Ah sweet! My names Stephen Terrel, once a well known actor but now, well…”

“Yeah I knew I had seen you somewhere. Zombie Apocalypse and Consequence right?”

“Yeah man! It’s cool that someone remembers!” He set up a high five.

“I’m Peterdea, call me Pete.” I slapped his hand.

“Yeah awesome…”

 

It was the start of a massive conversation. Pretty much two hours of chatter. All about his movies, about my life and his life and whatever else we could think of. Some details were left out of course, have a guess which ones.

Eventually we talked about music. He likes bands such as TRUSTcompany, Yellowcard, Greenday and all that junk. Pretty different to me. Compare that to things such as Hatebreed, Morbithida and all that heavier shit.

Anyway he mentioned he was trying to start a band. He said he played guitar, could sing but preferred to back up. I saw opportunity.

“I can sing!” I told him. I figured if he became my friend I’d meet more people giving me more victims and more friends and eventually a love interest.

“So your game man?” He asked me.

“Yeah man, we can practise in my apartment if you want!” I offered.

“Fucking awesome dude! What are the odds of meeting the only dude who will help me out!”

I laughed. That was the first time I’d been told I was helpful. Believe it or not the thought of murdering Mr Stephen Terrel NEVER occurred. I always get the feeling I want to kill someone. Always, no matter who it is I have to stop myself from getting the urges to kill. But Steph is the kind of guy you just wish you could have been a kid with. Been a friend with through your whole life.

We wrapped up the conversation, exchanged goodbyes. I gave him my address and he lived right near where I was walking. I was thirsty as hell. So I went home.

I was walking towards my apartment and I saw her… She was amazing. I didn’t know her name, where she lived or anything about her for that matter. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I didn’t have the courage to talk to her. She was heading away from me and I stood there for a few seconds staring. So rude of me, and probably creepy if she had noticed me.

I blinked a few times and when she was out of site I turned around and walked to my room. She’s been in my head ever since. Will I ever see her again? If so will I work up enough courage to talk to her?

That is my mind for the rest of the day, other then playing through Dead Rising for the hundredth time I didn’t really do anything.

Overall a good day, I just hope my entire stay here is at this level of enjoyment!

[FireHawk]

Friday

 

7:34 A.M.

“Wow its early. Wait. Why am I always talking to myself? God I am becoming weirder every day.” Justin stood up and walked to the table and picked up his check stub. It turned out he didn’t get a check it is automatically transferred to his bank account and he got the stub. He thought of yesterday and how odd it was. First, the early morning argument between Sarah and Mike, and then the jam with Jon. John was pretty good guitar player. He was definitely a metal head, and a very possible selection for a lead guitar player. Justin was more into blues, alternative rock, and grunge. It looked like if they started a band, which neither had really talked about yet. Justin would play rhythm, “I wonder if he would mind if I sang, hmm, maybe I will just see if we can find a singer first and I will do backing vocals.” Backing vocals were Justin’s thing back with Zero Life, he could harmonize perfect with the singer. Jon reminded Justin of a younger version of him, right before the record label came. Underage drinking, living alone, doing his own thing at the age of 19. The only difference was Justin was 18 when they went into studio to record their first full length album. Justin couldn’t remember much during the moving though they got wasted and Justin passed out. He didn’t wake up until around 9:00 P.M. and then headed home. The of course the encounter with Sarah, last night. She was of course drunk, when she was flirting, but still Justin had gotten this feeling. Something new, it wasn’t the lust he had for hindered of women, but something else, something he hadn’t felt since high school. It didn’t matter though, she was engaged.

Justin decided not to think of it and decided to walk up to the roof. He picked up his acoustic guitar and pen and pencil. After about an hour he found a nice chord pattern he liked and decided to put it down with a pencil and paper. Then words came over him about Adriane, the bassist from Zero Life.

 

“I guess it’s over

I never wanted it to end

I guess it’s my fault

I didn’t want it to end

I didn’t want it to end

 

I am sorry

Sorry you are too

I shouldn’t have ran away

But you ran away too

You ran away too

Its true”

 

Justin sang these words softly, but was overtaken with emotions and started strumming harder and sung louder and stronger.

 

“But you know

There will be a part of me with you

And you know

There is a part of me that won’t ever leave you

And you know

There is a part of me that misses you

Its true, I love you

Yes I love you.”

 

Justin put the pencil down, and looked around and noticed someone in the distance, who he thought probably thought he was crazy. He went back down to his apartment and laid the guitar on the floor and got up and walked away. He didn’t mean a romantic love, but a love as a best friend. It haunted him every day, what he said to her the last time they talked in person. He decided to block it out and got a piece of paper and wrote a note to Jon.

“Yo, if you want to jam again let me know. It was fun, maybe next time we will stay a little more sober and jam more. Ight you know where I live, Peace – Justin.”

Justin walked down to his car and forgot his wallet so he had to walk back up to his apartment. He saw Sarah walking down looking troubled. Hey,” said Justin, coming up the stairs that Sarah was walking down with folded arms “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” answered Sarah. “Why do you ask?”

“Reports around Queens, or more so, this apartment building, say that you were pretty drunk last night,” answered Justin. “I don’t think that the whole apartment knows but I have certainly heard the rumors, well, just then, I just someone else that I was talking to well, they seemed to be talking to…. I think himself...”

“What rumors?” asked Sarah, a bit curious as they both heard Mike coming down the stairs. “Look, don’t worry.” Sarah was a bit worried that Mike might chuck a tantrum and bash Justin. “We’ll talk later.”

“Hey,” said Mike, as he stopped on a step above Sarah and saw Justin. “Don’t know you, but hey anyway.” Justin smiled and greeted back politely, stating his name and all. Not wanting to make the situation awkward he didn’t know what to say.

“Gotta get going, got a new job,” smiled Sarah.

Justin simply waved goodbye to both Mike and Sarah as he continued his walk upstairs to get wallet. “Hmm, I wonder if she blacked out?”, he thought to himself. He didn’t want to say anything around Mike. Justin got his wallet and walked down to his car and got in. He decided to worry about Sarah later spend some money. Hunger struck Justin like a semi doing 60 miles per hour with a redneck driving it trying to hit a deer. He was hungry and needed a double cheeseburger. It took him an hour to get to McDonalds. “Christ I know where everyone eats lunch.” Justin got his usually number 6-Double Cheeseburger, Medium French Fries, and Medium Drink-, and then headed to the furniture store. He bought a king size bed, hoping he would get to use it a lot if he could find a girl friend. Justin had always been very lustful. On his way out he saw an expensive couch and chair, he bought both. All the furniture was suppose to arrive Saturday, because of the extra money Justin payed for. Justin thought it was nice to have $300,000 to blow but knew he should save some. Justin had a spending habit and it had driven him to debit twice. This check should be enough to get him out of the most recent. First though he had to go to Best Buy. Once again his spending took over. A 50 inch plasma screen T.V. and 5.1 surround sound, X-Box 360 and a few games, Playstation 3 and a few games, and a Toshiba Laptop we bought as he walked out. His next stop was Brooklyn. He hit up a bank on the way and withdrew some cash. As he drove he finally ended up in the slummy part of NYC. He pulled up to a house he had been taken to before and knocked on the door. “Can I help you sir?” asked the black man with the door cracked open.

“You know where A.J. Thomastein lives?”, asked Justin hoping this was the right house.

“Yeah, this is him”, said the man worried.

“I need some pot, I know I got some from you before”, said Justin relieved.

“…uhh…how much?” the man asked acting kinda weird.

“Three joints and use the rest of this money for some cocaine.”

“What? That is a shit load?”

“I know…here”, Just said as he handed a large stack of $20, probably over paying for it.

“One sec”, A.J. said.

A.J. came back, “Here, come back if needed.”

Justin had the door shut in his face. Oh well I got my fix.

 

 

Justin turned and walked away. It was his biggest secret he didn’t want people to know he was an addict. He threw it in his trunk and went home. He got home and took his laptop, Playstation 3, and 360 upstairs and sat them on the floor. Then he returned to the car and took surround sound upstairs. Now he had a bunch of electronics with no T.V. One thing Justin was thankful for though was wireless Internet. Somehow the cheap apartments got high speed Internet. He began bootlegging all kinds of good programs. Then he heard a knock on the door. Justin knew it was Hugh. He didn’t want to have to deal with whatever that thing about insurance as. So he sat quietly.

 

“I know you’re in their your car is outside!”, Hugh said sternly.

“Open the door this instant!”, Hugh was pissed.

Justin just sat there, until there was no more banging. Maybe Hugh thought he was asleep. Justin quietly whispered to himself. “Fuck that shit I am not paying any more bills than I have to.” Then a thought came to his mind. Sarah. The thought of how beautiful she was and how he wanted to talk to her more. He thought of her until he fell asleep on the floor.

[woodyloveslinkin]

****

 

Saturday.

 

It was nine in the morning by the time that Sarah had gotten dressed, had a shower, exchanged a few words with mike who was attached to his laptop, as he sat down on the floor at the coffee table in front of the television that had been unplugged and plugged several times because a problem with the TV aerial on the roof or something. None of them were so energetic today but Mike had put Sarah up to the challenge of asking one of the neighbours about what was wrong. Sarah sighed as she walked past Mike engrossed in typing up fake letters that insurance companies gave out welcoming the new customers to their business. She opened the door and slammed it, as it made Mike jump into the air several thousand metres and he slowly came back down to earth as he regained his concentration.

Sarah walked into the hallway and stopped. She didn’t want to ask Ravyn and her partner, Sarah forgot his name and couldn’t be bothered trying to remember it. She didn’t want to go to Justin, because she had started to get the feeling that something happened on the night that she had gotten drunk with him, which made her rethink her contact with him. There was a new person or a couple in apartment number 22 just past Ravyn and Rob. She nodded as she told herself that she was going to introduce herself because she hadn’t had a chance to introduce formally without yelling or screaming at Mike or vice versa to anyone really, well, Justin was an exception, but in that itself was odd. She took a deep breath as she walked over to the new couple’s door and knocked.

A man answered.

“Yeah, can I help you with something?” asked the man.

“Hi, I’m your new neighbour,” answered Sarah. “I’m just over there at twenty one. Sarah, that’s myself, and my partner, Mike, we live there, just moved in recently. I think tomorrow it’s going to be a week.”

“Who’s at the door?” asked a female voice, as she approached the door and gave Sarah a weird look. “Yes?”

“I’m just wondering if there’s something wrong with your aerial for your television set, because there’s something wrong with ours, and we keep on unplugging and plugging it back in constantly,” answered Sarah, trying to be friendly. The woman shook her head, as the couple looked at each and continued to shake their head. They looked back at Sarah as though she was like a freak show up for display. “Oh okay, well, have you seen Hugh today?” They shook their heads again. “I’m Sarah by the way.”

“I know I heard you introduce yourself,” replied the woman blankly. “I’m sorry I’m Jos, and this is Brad. It’s just we don’t mean to be rude, but we’re trying to unpack stuff and I don’t like it when people break that sort of routine that moves your ass from the couch. Do you know what I’m talking about?” Sarah nodded. “But yeah like we said before, we don’t have a problem…maybe ask another neighbour. I don’t know the rest of them so I can’t really recommend any for you. Have a nice day.” Jos smiled and closed the door, as Brad looked like he was being a bit controlled.

Sarah stood her ground at the door, a bit offended by Jos sudden actions. She heard Brad speak at first, muffled by the barrier between them.

What?

Then it was her turn to say something.

You know what.

Sarah shrugged and walked back over to Justin’s place as she assumed that he would be there probably reading or writing, or whatever he did best for a living. She had lost track of everything including herself. She knocked. She waited. She knocked again, frowning at the fact that Justin must’ve gotten a life outside his lyrics. She moved away slightly as she saw Rob coming out of her apartment. She didn’t know that he was in there to start with. He must’ve gone into it while she was out. She walked towards his way.

“Hi…” Sarah stopped to talk to Rob who had some papers in his hands and a blank expression on his face. “You’re...Rob right?” Rob nodded without a word. “I’m sorry I’m not good with most people’s names. What do you have there?”

“I’ve decided to take Mike’s offer to come join in him in a partnership with his insurance thing, I decided the missus doesn’t want to pay insurance and Mike said this was the only way that we could get free insurance, saves us cash anyway, that’s all I’m concerned about,” answered Rob. “She’s going to hit the roof when she comes back from the shops about this, but hey, she said that we needed the money didn’t she?”

“I don’t know, I’m not her,” answered Sarah, blankly. “What position did Mike give you?”

“Just a sales person, nothing special but again, free insurance, but it puts food on the table and gets me outta the house doesn’t it?” asked Rob, as both Sarah and him nodded in agreement. “I was thinking, as a token of gratitude and a thank you for giving me this job, do you want to come to dinner later on tonight?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t but Mike can, I’ve gotta work,” answered Sarah, shaking her head.

“How’s that going?” asked Rob.

“Good, look I have to go to fix a broken TV and chase up Hugh about it, but yeah, Mike will be over about seven,” answered Sarah. “And this time I’ll make sure he’ll be wearing pants. Unless your missus thinks otherwise? No I won’t let Mike do that, never!” Sarah laughed at her own joke, but Rob didn’t laugh. “I better be off.”

It was an hour or two until Sarah got her television fixed and it was another hour or so when Hugh had detached himself from Mike because he was too busy talking about future plans for the scam that they had for the future. By this stage Sarah had gotten dressed for work and walked to work as Mike had completely ignored Sarah’s absence in the house, he was too busy with Hugh anyway. Mike had to go to a dinner with neighbours and he was looking forward to someone else cooking food rather than having to put up with Sarah’s cooking. Despite the fact that Sarah hadn’t been home last night to cook the dinner, he still wished someone else could cook him dinner for once, so he didn’t have the aftertaste of an argument in his mouth.

It was a long night for both Mike and Sarah. Sarah had met this one guy called Pete at her work, she served him for hours at end, as though Pete was trying to bring Sarah home. He just kept on ordering food and not eating half of it. Sarah tried to ignore the amount of food that Pete was wasting but she didn’t care, she was getting good tips from him, more than last night and she even got his phone number that she had folded the piece of paper up and put into the pocket of her white apron. Mike exchanged some laughs and he even got more than a friendly smile at one point of the night from Ravyn, which she had to do it when Rob had excused himself to go to the bathroom. Mike didn’t know what to do, it was as though she was trying to chat him up or hit on him. Mike shrugged the feeling off as he climbed into bed, as Sarah walked home by herself in the coldness of the night, shivering her backside off as she entered her apartment and threw her shoes off and dumping everything on the floor. She heard a crinkle as she realised that she had stepped on a note that had been shoved underneath the door. It was hand written.

Thank you for the night, much appreciated

That’s all it said and she wasn’t sure who wrote it, but she knew one thing she wasn’t happy about what it said and what it implied. She crinkled it into a ball and shoved it into her pocket that had Pete’s name and number on it, as she realised, as she walked over to the couch to go to sleep, that Pete had the same first four digits of his phone number as hers did, so that must’ve meant he lived in this apartment building. She smiled as she took it out, to double check that she wasn’t just senile and imagining things. No she was right, he did live here. She sat down on the couch and put the piece of paper back in her pocket. She rested her head on the arm of the couch and slowly went to sleep, as she didn’t want tomorrow to come.

 

 

****

[FireHawk]

I might be working a double today so I only have part of my entry complete now. Anyone can take what I have and use off of it. If I have time I will write a part 2.

----------------------

Saturday (Part 1)

2 A.M.

“Fuck it I am getting food,” just moaned. He got up, hair in a huge mess, in his black sleeping pants, and a Korn T-shirt. He stood up and started walking. BAM! He hit wall. “MOTHER FUCKER!”, Justin screamed not realizing it was 2 in the morning.

“Dude its 2 AM be quiet!” a voice yelled he couldn’t tell who it was. Jonathon maybe, but he was across the hall. Justin was too disoriented to tell or say anything back. Something wet was running down his nose. “Shit”, he whispered. Justin grabbed his glasses and found a light switch. It was bleeding very badly. Justin starting to wake up realized he dripped it all across the floor. He hurried to the bathroom and cleaned up. He grabbed a wet towel and threw it on the blood hoping the stains would come up. After about a 20 minutes of trying to get the blood out he gave up and went to his car, and drove to the nearest Kroger. Everyone was staring at him. They must have all thought he was a zombie. In Indiana people didn’t go shopping at the 24/7 superstores that often when it wasn’t during the day. This was a bigger place though. He got back to his car, and could swear someone was behind him. Thinking to himself, is someone following me? He didn’t know, paranoia followed him all the way back to his apartment. He got up to his floor and looked and saw Room 21. Instantly he thought of the good time he had with Sarah, just sitting and talking about the past each of them had. Justin was kind of drunk when it occurred, but nothing compared to Sarah, he wondered if she remembered any of it. He fiddled for his keys, and dropped 2 bags. He opened up the door and put it all in the kitchen. Then he realized the worse of all he had no microwave. “Hmm, a stove and refrigerator, I can’t cook.” Even with this problem Justin managed to get some spaghetti made, and a bunch of burnt cheese bread. Justin, surprised the fire alarm didn’t go off with all the smoke from the bread, was thankful he didn’t start a fire. He ate his spaghetti and went back to sleep.

 

Knock Knock

Knock Knock

Knock Knock

 

Justin awoke to knocking of his door. He stayed still he wasn’t going to pay that insurance. He decided to wait about an hour and a half to go get a microwave. He had not realized this he bought 2 weeks worth of groceries. “Damn, this money was supposed to last me the whole year so I wouldn’t have to get a job. At this rate I am going to be out of money again in a few weeks.” Oh well I still have a credit card until October with no limit. He knew he wouldn’t be able to renew it with as bad credit as he had now, even though it was to be all paid off next bill, but he was about a year behind.

 

 

Justin walked out the apartment.

“Justin, I need to talk to you.” Hugh called to him.

“Hey, what’s up?” Justin said reluctantly.

“Hey, I need you to sign up for this insurance, its provided in house, so you can just drop papers off at my desk and…”, Hugh was talking but Justin interrupted.

“Hey you know I am covered in every aspect with my insurance company.” Justin smiled and turned around.

“Well this is a new kind of insurance! You NEED it to get here,”” Hugh implied.

“I will talk to my compa…” Justin started.

“They don’t carry it…it’s for protection.” Hugh interrupted.

“I don’t have the money anyway,” Justin stated.

“Then how you gonna pay rent.”

“That’s all I have money for…you’ve seen my apartment.”

“Come on, just look at the papers.”

Justin heard a door opened right before he yelled.

“I DON’T WANT YOUR FUCKING INSURANCE! I WILL TALK TO THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES ALL MY OTHER INSURANCE!” Justin yelled. He heard a door shut without seeing who it was, but he knew no one came out of the room.

Justin was losing his patience and got close and whispered to Hugh, “Listen I have a lawyer and a gun for my protection. And if you think you can threaten me, you are very fucking wrong. If this is legit leave a time and place in my mailbox and my lawyer can come in with me, and help decide the best plan. Good day to you.” Justin walked away heading to his car.

[LPNailz]

SATURDAY

 

I wake up early. Really early. I fell asleep about 10 last night, so I get my seven hours and wake up around 5. Looking around my room, I start mapping out ways to change it, and when I get up, a plan is fully formed.

 

I find a hardware store and buy some midnight blue paint and a few other choice supplies. When I get back, I move everything away from the walls and start stripping the wallpaper. Then I open my door, close Prince and Houdini in the bathroom (so I don't have dark blue pawprints all over the floor) and get to work. If the paint fumes choke up everyone else on the floor, they can just come complain. And if Linkin Park, Dragonforce and Disturbed blasting away wakes anyone up, same thing. This is what I call quiet, but that's only because it's so early. Today, I plan on enjoying myself.

 

My plan is to paint the walls blue, white trim along the floor, and black window frames. An overall dark color scheme, sure; I like dark colors. I'm wearing an old pair of torn up, paint-spattered jean and a camoflauge t-shirt, both of which I've had since I was thirteen. Yeah, they still fit. I haven't grown in six years, but he who calls me short will know what it means to 'hit like a girl.'

 

I watch the clock expectantly. Any second, I'm sure, someone will come try and ruin my fun. Depending on how nice they are, I might actually turn the music down. Until then, I'm content to paint and sing along:

 

"...It's easier to run...

Replacing this pain with something more

It's so much easier to run...

Then face all this pain here all alone..."

 

"...Across the highest mountains

And through the endless seas

Our journey ever onward,

Fight until we'll all be free..."

 

"...I'm, no slave are you feeling brave?

Or have you gone out of your mind?

No, more games it won't feel

The same, if I hold my anger inside..."

 

 

(There are two points to this. The first is I want a beter mental image of my apartment, and the other is an idea I came up with. Didn't run it by anyone, just figured I'd see if anything came out of it. I thought a little more interaction between the tenants might be interesting, so if anyone wants to come by and complain, or comment on my taste in music or just start a conversation, PM me (make sure I'm online first, of course) and just tell me to report to the Park or something. Feel free to butt in if a conversation is already going, it'll make things even more fun to have several people talking. Anyway, I have good ideas every now and then, so we'll see if this is one.)

[MrsBennington-Delson]

Saturday

 

Still half asleep I turned over in my bed. No one there. Was this just a dream? Just like I heard someone yell. I couldn’t manage to find a difference between dreaming and reality.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. A soft guitar sound came from my living room. Brad?

I opened my eyes and looked at the empty place next to me. He wasn’t there. I groaned again.

Why do men have to be like that?

I sat up and looked around. Scanning the room for my clothes, I stood up and stretched myself. Bleary I picked up my clothes and put them on. For a second I closed my eyes again and listened to the guitar sound I heard. A smile started to form on my face. I followed the sound.

“Good morning beautiful” the guitar stopped.

I opened my eyes and saw Brad sitting on the couch just in his jeans playing the guitar.

“You really look sexy in my shirt.” He grinned.

“Your…” I looked at myself confused “Oh… Didn’t even notice that it was your shirt” I started to blush.

“Haha you’re cute.” He glared at me.

It’s always this moment when he looks into my eyes. It makes me feel special, it makes me feel like I’m something special.

“When do you have to go work?”

“Uhm next week it’s my first day at the school. Why?”

“Well I have a little surprise for you if you’re ok with it.”

“Brad… You’re doing so much for me! I’ll feel bad bout it cause I can’t give you enough back…”

“Listen… You give me more than someone could ever ask for!”

“Brad…” I looked down at the floor. All those bad memories, they all came up and my heart started aching.

“Jos listen…” He stood up and walked towards me. He put his hands on my face and made me look up at him.

“You’re more to me then anything else! And I know how you feel for me because you’ve always been honest. And you did so much for me. You’ve been suffering for too long. Please let me show you how I feel.”

I looked into his sparkling brown eyes and got lost for a second.

“It’s just that…” I looked down again.

“Listen just put on some clothes and come with me. I wanna show you something.”

I looked at him confused and lost.

“C’mon.” He kissed me softly. “I promise it’ll be all good”

So I put on some clothes and gave him his shirt back.

 

I hate this. All this beautiful moments get ruined by those awful memories. My insides felt squashed. Hate rose up in me. All this pain, hate and aggression while I was staring at the ground with closed eyes. I hate it!

I shook my head strongly, opened my eyes, looked up, took a deep breath and walked out of the apartment.

I hoped this would end if I move here but seems like this nightmare will never end.

 

Suddenly someone knocked at the door.

“I’ll go and see while you put on some clothes ok?”

I nodded and watched him going to the door.

“Yeah, can I help you with something?” I heard Brad say.

The woman replied something but I just heard parts of what she said. Her voice made me remember of someone I knew. I shivered and abruptly had this strange feeling coming up inside of me again.

“Who’s at the door?” I asked and approached the door.

I saw this woman. Shorter than I, blistering light blue eyes and red long hair. For some reason I felt myself blocking me like I wanted me not to be polite.

“Yes?” I said harsh

“I’m just wondering if there’s something wrong with your aerial for your television set, because there’s something wrong with ours, and we keep on unplugging and plugging it back in constantly,” the woman replied friendly.

I shook my head and looked at Brad, as we both continued to shake our heads.

We both looked back at her kind of confused.

“Oh okay, well, have you seen Hugh today?”

None of us said a word, we just shook our heads.

“I’m Sarah by the way.” She looked at me, trying to be friendly.

“I know I heard you introduce yourself,” I replied blankly. “I’m sorry I’m Jos, and this is Brad. It’s just we don’t mean to be rude, but we’re trying to unpack stuff and I don’t like it when people break that sort of routine that moves your ass from the couch. Do you know what I’m talking about?” Sarah nodded. “But yeah like we said before, we don’t have a problem…maybe ask another neighbour. I don’t know the rest of them so I can’t really recommend any for you. Have a nice day.” I smiled and closed the door quickly, while Brad looked at me like I was controlling him.

“What?”

“You know what.”

Brad looked at me inquiring. He didn’t say a word.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized. “I… I… it’s just…” I stuttered with tears in my eyes.

“Jos.” He hugged me “It’s gonna be all good.” He gave me a kiss on my head and hugged me tighted.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs in the car ok?” He smiled at me encouraging.

“Ok. I’ll hurry up” I tried to smile back.

 

I walked downstairs, kind of hasty for some reason. “Slow down Jos” I said to myself and started walking slower.

Down in the lobby I looked around and saw a men on the right, standing in front of a door. Seems like he was trying to open it.

“Good…” I started off but couldn’t continue. His deep blue eyes pierced right through me and it felt like he was reading all that was inside my head. He read through everything. Even through my past. Quickly I mumbled “…morning” and hurried outside.

No he didn't do that. He has no idea what was going on in my past. And he never will! No one ever will!

I was petrified.

Outside Brad was sitting in the car and looked at me worried

“You ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No, I’m all fine. Where are you going to take me?” I put on a fake smile.

“How about a little trip outside New York for a few days?”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

ps: Just so you know: The person I heard yelling in my 'dream' was Justin and bout the person who pierced through my eyes it's Peterdea. To explain if you dont get it: When I look at the plan of the 'lobby' where the Super lives theres the staircase so when I walk downstairs and look straigt at the front door, I got room number 3 on my right (Pete's room) the super's room 'behind' me and room number 5 on my left. If I've been seeing that wrong please tell me so I can change it thankies =)

[FM2005]

Saturday

 

I woke up today feeling better than ever! Maybe it was the weekend that always made my day. Just the sound of weekend was awesome. I looked on my dresser where my cell phone sat, 2 missed calls. The first time i've had missed calls on that thing since I moved. Both were from my friend Jordan, no message though."Tonight i'll call him, im sure he's just wanting to know whats up".

Like every morning I got ready, all while thinking of the noises I heard early this morning but, I was too tired to care.

I decided another hang out around town would be cool, I got downstairs and opened the front door and walked out. Voices filled the air, from gas prices to everyday life. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my headphones and started walking around. it was a great day sun was out seemed pretty hot compared the other two days so i rolled up my sleeves. I decided to look for work, immediately right in front of me there was a sign that said 'Now Hiring', it was a small electronics store looking to make it big. The guy I talked to thought I was a great guy and thought I could handle the floor. He offered me a spot and a decent pay starting off at 7.50 an hour. Better than what I was doing in Lexington.

I went back to the apartment knowing I still had some food waiting there that I hadnt even ate yet. I unlocked my door and realized this is the earliest ive ever been home. I decided to wait and see what else would be in store today...

 

(Will continue later haha)

[Pheonix791989]

Sat.

 

I found that I had woken up alone again. I had nothing to do today since Phoenix thought that my day off was important. I sat up and got dressed in a beater and some skater shorts before headin up the stairs to see if anything of notice had happened. I stopped on the third floor as I looked around for a moment. I stopped suddenly as the door of number 23 opened up and I saw a tall burly looking guy come out.

"Oh hi..."

He said spotting me. I tried my hardest to think quickly.

"Hi, I got a note yesterday and wondered if anyone else had gotten a note about insurance."

"Yeah we got it. Stupid prank thats all. I've never seen you here before."

Rob said with a shrug. I felt a slight anger boil up in me for a moment for thinking that it was just some stupid joke.

"I've been here for a while, since the apartments opened up a while ago. I live in the 13th apartment with my brother and my boyfriend."

I said with a smile.

"Oh ok. I'm ROb by the way. If you think you need anything let me know."

He said extending his hand. I took it and gripped it briefly, maintaining contact with his eyes. I blushed for a brief moment, they were nice eyes.

"I'm mel. Mel O'Grady."

I said as i then headed up to the roof. I thought about the first time that I had met benji was in some private school. His dad was one of my dad's good friends, but left his mom years ago when we were in high school. I know that his dad had been killed by a poliece man, his twin brother well, we hadn't heard from Joel in years. Phoenix was our good friend we had met in high school when the last of the four bosses had finally come to america. God that was many years ago. I meandered downstairs after sitting on the roof top for a couple of hours. I walked around down in the Irish District of New York. It was almost like what i remembered of home those little years that i was there in Ireland. I walked around and met up with my friend Ryan. We just wandered around the city like we used to when we were younger.

"Rancid's coming tonight. You and benji gonna be there.?"

"Aye of course! Think I'd miss a chance to meet up with Tim again?"

I said laughing. We headed to our favorite pub down the road from the apartment complex called O' Mally's pub. It was one run by the mob and let us drink even though we were underage by american standards. Irish traditions said that drinking age was bottle age. We drank a bit before I had my eyes covered.

"Guess who?"

"Benji?"

He uncovered my eyes and then got down on one knee.

"Phoenix finally gave us permission. we're going to be having a wedding. I love you Melissa KAthrine O'Grady."

Benji said as he put the ring on my finger, it was a nice set of three emeralds cut to look like a clover. I jumped into his arms and kissed him before we were dug off to the Rancid Show. After three headbanging and head pounding via sound hours later, I setteled down in the bed with Benji, smiling for once I was happy and it wasnt because of the intemidation.

[DarknessLover]

Saturday

 

I awoke, with the smell of booze all over me. I opened my eyes, feeling the burn of sunlight, I looked around...the room was full? My TV in the corner, 360 hooked up. I noticed the Rock Band case open, and empty. I looked to the side and noticed I was lying on my futon. I rolled over and fell off the comfortable cushions and hit the cold hard floor. What the fuck...I got up and saw my amp still on, with guitar plugged in. Shit my electric bill just sky rocketed. I walked over, in a daze and turned it off. I yawned and stretched out, and heard every bone in my body crack. I am so fucking nasty right now... I glanced at my cellphone 12:35pm, great! I also noticed it wasn't Friday, but Saturday...i've been knocked out all this time? Shit..I can sort of remember moving, I remember jamming....BAHH thinking is hurting me now, I need something to drink... I walked into the kitchen and noticed the Mikes case was empty...

 

 

WHAT THE FUCK

 

I didn't have any Mikes left? I yawned. Fuck...I noticed i was only in my boxers. Jesus. I walked into the bedroom. And saw my old bed. Good, I layed in it and heard my cellphone ring. Fuck it, they can wait...

 

I got up and walked over to the cellphone, apparently my ex called...3 times...what the hell...fuck it. I went back to my bedroom, and fell back asleep.

 

 

***************

 

Uber short ftw

 

 

Remember if you want to ever meet up w/ me, just IM/MSN me

[Ravynlee]

Okay, not stated but IMPLIED mature content here. Just warning y'as

 

---

 

Saturday

 

“You did what?”

Rob bowed his head keeping his rueful smile to himself. Just her tone was enough to tell him he’d done something wrong, but for a moment he just sat there saying nothing. Ravyn was looking at him as if he’d just insulted her.

“You can’t be serious. Rob, no. I won’t have him in my house.”

“Come on, Rave, I had to do something. He offered me a job, what was I supposed to say?”

“How about no, for starters?”

It was midmorning and they stood in the kitchenette in dim shadow where the sun couldn’t reach. Ravyn was distracting herself in any way she could while Rob stood watching, lingering restlessly like some overgrown child begging his mother’s permission.

“It’s just for a few hours. It’s just to say thanks. We needed the money, you said so yourself-”

“Yeah we need money, Rob, but I didn’t expect for you to fall for his scam. He’s a con artist, Rob, he’s a drunk and I’m pretty sure he’s a convicted felon if the argument they had the other night was anything to go by,” Ravyn said.

She wanted to say so many other things but the words caught like a golf ball in the back of her throat and forced her silence. She didn’t look at him, she couldn’t. After the joy of last night she found it hard to maintain eye contact, and not just because he’d screwed up. Though moments of intimacy were few and far between she found it hard to willingly allow herself to be so vulnerable at the hands of anyone, especially someone she loved, for fear of rejection and of course much worse. It was a vicious cycle and would continue for days yet, keeping him at arm’s length now until she felt safe enough within herself to trust him again, almost as if sex had been some kind of punishment rather than a reward. She blinked up and mirrored his dismal smile but didn’t keep it there. As guilty as she felt she could never express it and darted around him to tidy things that already sat in their proper place. Like a shadow Rob followed, huffing to himself in frustration.

“I just thought I was trying to help.”

“Rob, I told you last night, I had it covered. I have a job now. I can support us.”

“Great, and what am I supposed to do? Like, sit around the house and wait? You’re the one that told me to go out and find something, so I did.”

Ravyn stood upright and glared at him, defying the implication that he was attempting to pin on her.

“Yeah, a real job, Rob, not… not working along side that every day,” she said of her much-maligned neighbour. “Besides, I thought you already had a job. What about helping Hugh? He looked like he needs it lately.”

Sensing the irony of her argument Rob scoffed and threw himself down across the sofa. They were going around in circles and he was shutting down now, having said all he intended to on the matter. Ravyn’s mouth was open but she faltered and let the words remain locked inside the back of her throat. She sighed and smiled at him sadly. She should have been thankful that he wasn’t the type who enjoyed confrontation, who stalked the room and smirked at her ominously like Vincent loved to do, wringing out every split second of tension he could and feeding off her fear rather than trying to abate it. Rubbing the sudden rash of gooseflesh from her arms Ravyn made her way to the sofa and stood beside it. She sighed again. She didn’t like this idea of Rob working alongside Mike at all, even less than she did the con they were peddling. Rob’s defence, that every job in some way was a con when you got to the heart of it, didn’t even sound like him when she heard it. Though they sounded like Mike’s words he was regurgitating she was more worried by the fact he seemed quite willing to be led astray rather than formulate his own opinion. Thinking that Mike must have been one hell of a manipulator, Ravyn didn’t say anything else that Rob would unwittingly take back to him. She agreed to cook dinner and didn’t say another word about it while Rob went about his usual business. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was being used and knew he wouldn’t have listened anyway. Rob wouldn’t say it but his ego needed feeding now and he would only dismiss her fears as he usually did; yes Vincent had fucked her up completely but that didn’t mean the rest of the world was as bad as he was. She wished she could believe it, but knew it was pointless trying to get anyone else to understand. Physical scars healed and faded, but as for those on the inside…

 

 

Saturday moved slowly.

After the elation of yesterday Ravyn felt as though she spent the day wandering around in a kind of stupefied daze. She didn’t know whether it was the prospect of facing her dreaded neighbour, or that her new start here had lost its promising lustre of days before, or the fact she had gone from feeling so high having rediscovered her independence and freedom at some dingy little café only to feel like it was all some dream now that she had nothing to do but reflect on it. She was restless and this thing about ‘Insurance’ had her nerves on edge. Rob’s apathy and defensiveness only annoyed her. Like any man the thought of being relegated to ‘housewife’ while she went out to earn the bucks left him feeling emasculated. She couldn’t make him feel better and in part she didn’t want to. She was still mad at him. Needing to get out of the apartment she went up to the roof where she could be alone with her thoughts and just process things away from his puppy-dog stare. A woman passed her on the stair well. She looked severe in her beater and skater shorts as she watched Ravyn pass out of the corner of her eye. Ravyn gave her a wide berth feeling the tense vibe dissipate behind her. Though she didn’t know the young woman at all it was clear she was looking for trouble. Ravyn hurried upstairs away from her.

Out beneath the relentless glare she sighed. Her shoulders relaxed as she expelled a heavy breath. In the distance the jagged Manhattan skyline was lost beneath a dirty grey brown haze of smog. Heat made things shimmer in the distance. Still, Ravyn breathed deeply. There was something to be said for being in the open air away from anyone. At least up here, even surrounded by skyscrapers and tenements and soaring airplanes and screeching traffic Ravyn felt like a caged animal released. She closed her eyes and drew the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. She smoothed it out and looked at it briefly.

“You got one too,” a voice noted from behind.

Startled Ravyn sharply turned around.

On the edge of the building, overlooking the city street, a young man sat smiling back at her. He was painfully skinny, tall, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. He seemed strangely happy for no real reason, as though he had been drunk or had been stoned and was coming down from it. Great, another drug addict, Ravyn thought, they seemed to be a dime a dozen in these parts sadly. She sat there feeling his eyes on her and tried to appear ambivalent while her insides were scrambling about in a mad panic. The man continued smiling strangely. His left index and middle fingers were twitching. It might have been a side effect from the drugs she thought then scoffed to herself in disdain. She was thinking like a cop and she hated it, reminded of too many mind games that she had inadvertently been subjected to and lost. Ravyn shook her head, her eyes hot and wet and helpless. Would she ever go through a day without thinking of him?

“Name’s Justin,” the young man said.

Ravyn nodded and returned her name in greeting.

“Yeah, I know you,” he said. Ravyn felt her head spinning. She had to get away from here but her feet couldn’t move from their spot beneath the chair. “You’re on the other side of the corridor, right? With that big guy, helps the Super out sometimes.”

“Rob.”

“Yeah, sounds about right… so what are you doing out here?” he asked.

Ravyn shrugged. She squinted up watching a plane fly overhead. The man followed her line of sight and did the same.

“Yeah, I know the feeling. I come out here too sometimes and just… think. Went for a drive earlier but… well… It’s good to just be alone sometimes, right, away from traffic and people and all that in there?”

Again Ravyn shrugged. Justin made reference to loud music and paint fumes coming up from the second floor that had given him a headache but Ravyn didn’t contribute to the conversation and just looked around nervously. Again he smiled. Though she wasn’t his type he was amused anyway. If he didn’t know any better he could have sworn she was avoiding him, maybe she was even blushing. Sweet. He was on fire this week.

“So, who’s Vincent?”

Ravyn froze. She didn’t even realised she’d spoken let alone that name aloud. She choked on a boulder as Justin s******ed at her. There were cigarette butts at his feet but she didn’t know whether they were his or belonged to anyone else in the apartment building – maybe even a certain ex-cop himself.

“Uh – no one,” she choked out.

Justin just continued to smile at her. She couldn’t face him. He was young, much younger than her and his smile though content felt invasive. She watched him approach wrestling the urge to get up and run. She sat rigid and braced, rooted to the spot with her previous ferocity gone, as if waiting for him to attack her. It was something she always did around strange men, even those that shared her bed at times. She heard him speak but her heart was pounding too loud to hear over it. He said something else but Ravyn didn’t hear it. She looked up and forced a smile with her face hot and slack and drained of colour.

“I have to – go,” she said.

She got up like a robot and tripped, staggering hurriedly for the door. Justin watched her go; laughing to himself until it dawned on him she wasn’t being coy. He called after her but it was too late. The door swung behind her with a loud hard thud.

“Wow, that was weird,” he s******ed.

 

 

Night fell slowly. It was the Universe's way of making her suffer, Ravyn thought, as she fed another forkful of meatloaf into her mouth.

Across the table Mike was laughing. He and Rob were getting along famously and had been all evening. From the minute Mike arrived Rob had been practically tripping over himself to please his new employer. Ravyn smiled politely and nodded where appropriate and listened to the conversation without contributing much. There was nothing she could say about a scam she wanted no part of. When Rob excused himself to the bathroom Ravyn found herself alone with her neighbour and the tension settled like bricks with the fading laughter. Mike was surprisingly on his best behaviour. Despite earlier threats he came properly dressed with a bottle of wine in tow. Though Rob dismissed it Ravyn affably accepted. Beneath Rob’s cautious gaze she sipped it here and there but now he was gone she relished in the chance to skull it. Mike chuckled at her and offered her more. Though Ravyn knew she should have said no she handed him the glass and accepted it with thanks. In the exchange their fingers brushed and their eyes met with that awkward apology. Ravyn laughed but felt like crying. Everything was going wrong. First their fresh start had been compromised by corruption and now her slip up to the neighbour on the roof a few hours earlier. She took another thirsty drink as Mike made an observation that if she kept drinking like that she’d be legless in no time. He grinned at her and his whole face seemed to light up but something about this piercing stare reminded her of spider sitting on his web, waiting. In her mind’s eye she saw herself entangled in his arms and she didn’t like the feelings that gave her, as potent as they were. Mike was a master manipulator and despite his jovial façade Ravyn could see the cogs all but turning over in his sordid little mind. She heard Sarah’s voice screaming the words ‘Sexual Harassment’ in her head. Suddenly she believed it beyond a shadow of doubt. Hearing the cistern flush and Rob re-enter the room Ravyn breathed a physical sigh of relief as she watched her boyfriend settle back none-the-wiser in his chair. Though she laughed at Mike’s passing joke she felt her heart hammering as she looked from Rob’s eyes to Mike’s and felt her insides crawling. She felt dirty and couldn’t explain why. Her act of being civil had cost her dearly and she couldn’t help but feel like Mike was sizing her up victoriously. Despite Rob’s uncertain frown Ravyn skulled the rest of her wine and lost herself between its bubbles. She couldn’t help but stare on and off into Mike’s eyes. As terrifying as it was to think someone could look at her anymore in that way given everything she had been through, she felt sick from the thrill of it too. That rush of adrenalin and endorphins was as powerful as it was addictive; it was like leaping from a cliff into boxes without a parachute, it was stepping into a cage with a bleeding wound in shark infested waters, it was having your neck caressed by a man that had just threatened to break it. Maybe Mike had finally tapped into it, she thought, as all men seemed to, honing in on the weak and defenceless as easy targets as if a sign had been invisible carved into her forehead.

When dinner was over and they walked Mike out into the hall Ravyn accepted his kiss on the cheek and smiled through a drunken stupor. She watched him go and disappear inside and then felt Rob slide his arm around her and lead her back. He closed the door. She told herself she was just drunk and being pathetic and by tomorrow morning she would wake up and feel the same disregard for her loud obnoxious neighbour as she had before, but something inside her wasn’t so sure anymore. She didn’t love him by any extreme but the fear that his presence had imprinted within her made her feel like a junkie who had just taken their first hit after years without. It didn’t even occur to her what any of it meant just that she felt it, and felt it so strong, it seemed to exacerbate with the wine in her system until she wasn’t thinking straight. In the bathroom less than an hour later she sat cowering over the toilet bowl as Rob crouched near her, stroking the hair back from her face.

“This is why you shouldn’t drink,” he was saying, but Ravyn wasn’t listening to him. She didn’t have the heart to tell him the alcohol was only part of the reason she was throwing up.

Before her closed eyes she could see Vincent smirking at her as she knelt before him with her hands unsnapping the fasteners on his pants. She could feel the heat of her scalp on fire as his fingers dug into it and felt her shoulders convulse as a new wave of vomit hit her. She coughed and spluttered and eventually gave way to tears as Rob stroked her back consolingly. In her memory Vincent’s face had melted away but his hate remained, and in his place she saw Mike smirking back as he had been across the dinner table. Over folded arms still slumped across the toilet seat she remained for ages as Rob faded off into the background, leaving her to wallow in the bathroom alone. Blinking down at her wrist through her tears she sniffled and gently traced it with her fingertip, feeling the sharp sting of the razor blade she had used that night all those months ago. She closed her eyes and dreamed of the night she had tried to take her life and the night that a man in black with a golden badge had appeared, changing the course of it forever.