The Other Woman

It had been only three days after the unforgettable ordeal, and I could now find myself trapped inside a metallic box, a.k.a. the police station. Sitting nervously in a cheap wooden chair, a plastic desk in front, I await for the chief investigator to make his way into the room. The lights are dim, and the temperature is as cold as my freezer. The room is windowless, only the gritty concrete walls with slabs of gray paint as their décor.

Anger and resentment, thanks to Jack, seep through my veins. He’s the reason why I’m in this prison, the reason my best friend is everything but happy, why my palms are sweaty despite the cold.

A creak up front perks my ears and my eyes follow to see a chubby, yet tall figured man stroll casually into the room, a green and white plastic container of Krispy Kreme coffee lodged in his hand.

“Hello Ms. Reynolds” he forcefully smiles, dragging up a seat in front of me. He plops down with a sloppy thud, and then takes a dainty sip of his coffee. I take note of his protruding stomach, and the buttons begging to pop off from the blue button-up shirt he’s wearing. How his chestnut colored hair hangs messily over his greasy scalp, just teasing his receding hairline.

“Hi” I mumble, dropping my eyes to my twiddling fingers as he places the cup-o-joe on the table.
“I have good news for you, and only a bit of bad,” he states to the point. Not waiting for a reply, he quickly continues, “Jack, your friend’s boyfriend or whatever has been caught, along with an entire group of postal workers. They’ve been trafficking the cocaine through the postal system, every person at a different checkpoint. Anyway though,” he coughs, “he’s definitely not eligible for bail, and as of now, he’s looking at eight different charges, which I can’t really disclose with y—“

“Ok, that’s great and all, but what’s the bad news?” I inquire adamantly.
“You and Ms. Coyle are going to have to testify, and not on his behalf. The drugs were hidden away in your home, so we’ll need testimonies about his odd behavior and such…”

With another sip of his coffee, he settles himself more comfortably in the chair, the steel fixture sure to collapse under his mighty weight.
“Are you alright with all of this miss?”
I roll my eyes, “No, I’d just like to go home now actually. I’ve been here for nearly three hours, filing fucking papers and yapping off the same story about Jack ever since.”

“Well, you’re free to go. Just expect a few phone calls about court hearings and all that. Oh, and attorney Hendtly should contact you later this evening.”

I don’t answer him as I stand and push in my seat, not bothering to fake even a gesture of a smile as I throw open the heavy cold door and leave this slice of hell.

Dragging slow steps towards my car, the sudden vibration and noisy ringing from my phone interrupts my train of thought. I ignore its ringing upon reaching my car, not wishing to hear anyone’s voice. I didn’t want to hear Jennifer bitch me out, hear Rick and his pleading questions, hear Mark and his heartfelt remorse, or even hear Tre and his soothing words. The only thing I need in this very moment was to leave the gray station and delve myself into a timeless slumber under soft sheets.

An annoying scratching sound is the culprit this time, followed by a small ‘meow’. Flopping on my side in bed, I tighten my grip around the pillow underneath my head before dragging it over my face, trying to bring some silence to my tired ears. When my ploy doesn’t work, I sigh with irritation before throwing the useless pillow at the bottom of the bed. I know that it’s really late into the night, and also that whomever woke me up won’t ever fall asleep again.

“Look Jasper, look who finally decided to wake up,” Mark coos to the cutest kitten I’ve ever seen. The puddle of cute purrs softly into Mark’s hand, Jennifer close behind tapping her fingers behind its pointed ears. A small smile spreads across my face as the kitten’s mystic green eyes lock with mine.

“Oh my God, where’d you get the cat from?” I blurt, the sleepiness magically disappearing thanks to the kitten lying comfortable in Mark’s rough hands. Its fur is a color mixture of black and white, its dazzling green eyes closing in comfort as it lays balled up in a hand.

“I found it roaming the streets and fed it a couple times. It followed me home last night so I decided to keep it.” Mark answers, arms already spreading so I can cuddle his new pet.

With tainted breath, an afro, and a bad case of dried drool on the corners of my mouth, I accept the furball and press it to my cheeks.
“Aww, he’s adorable,” I murmur, loving the way its fuzzy heartbeat feels against my cheek. The kitten purrs in my grasp, its cold nose rubbing against my palms.

“What’s her name?” I coo, my question pointed at Mark and not the cuddle ball.
“HIS name is Jasper,” Jen answers, stepping beside me to play her fingers through his colored fur.

“Why’d you bring him over here this late?”
“Me and the criminal here were having a chat,” he chuckles, causing Jennifer to swat at his tanned arm, referring to her as a criminal and all.

“Well, like most people I have to go to work tomorrow, so can you and the furballs quiet it down,” I mumble, handing him back his pet with one last kiss, and winking at Jen. She doesn’t return the joke and I almost roll my eyes into my sockets at her sudden change in behavior towards me since that faithful day.
“It’s only after one,” Mark snorts. I hear Jennifer mumble something under her breath before treading out of the hallway and into the kitchen. I roll my eyes once more, restraining myself from walking in on her, grabbing her neck, and tossing her against a spiked wall.

“I swear I’m gonna punch her in the face by the end of today,” I mutter bitterly and not so quietly to a weary looking Mark. He sighs, “You two need to get your shit together,”

“I haven’t done anything to her!” I hiss. “I understand her grimy boyfriend is locked up, but she shouldn’t pull out her frustrations on me. She’s being a bitch,”

He shoots me a warning look with his dark brown eyes and turns his head to make sure Jen isn’t stomping down the hallway to attack me.
“Could you be any louder?” he smirks, dropping the newly found Jasper to the floor. “She kind of told me why she’s pissed, but it’s not my place to say anything,”

Cocking my eyebrows I can’t help the upset tone of my voice, “I don’t think I even care. I’ve told her from the get go that Jack was trouble, so she can kiss my a—“
“ANYWAY,” he interrupts loudly, “I’ll be heading home since it’s so late.”

We bid our adieus and with a kiss to Jaspers nose, I slam my bedroom door shut and go to fucking sleep.

Wednesday. Boring, weekend almost coming Wednesday. I had now not spoken to Tre in two weeks, not bothering to call, text, post card, nothing. For some unknown reason, known only to the glorious Father above, I was slightly upset and disappointed at him. Each time his name appeared on the screen, I simply ignored the cellular device or silenced it completely.

Why was I disappointed in Tre? I wasn’t even entirely sure. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t there to hold and support me, or maybe I was just being ridiculous.

Immediately after waking up this particular Wednesday morning, I know it’s going to be a rough day. With a crick in my sore neck, I stumble across the plush carpet at past ten in the morning, oversleeping, since I have to be at work by ten-thirty. While on my way to the blessed bathroom for a quick shower, I trip on Jen’s shoe in the hallway, a loud howl coursing through my mouth as the pain of a three inch heel collides with my bare toes.

A few curses and a shower later, I’m fumbling to put my clothes on, when I realize that my chief boss would be in the office today at Design Inc., which meant everything had to be in tip top shape, and most importantly my attendance had to be perfect.

It isn’t a surprise when this morning’s traffic is snail-like slow, and that every traffic light just happened to change from green to a devlish red as I approached it.

“Serenity, you’re late,” Dr. Yabert scolds me, his artsy rectangular frames eyeing me with suspicious conviction.
“Sorry, traffic was horrific,” I explain, rushing to my desk to gather my documents.
“Traffic was so bad that you’re almost twenty minutes late?” he mutters, frowning as I mumble something under my breath. “We don’t accept tardiness here at Design Inc. miss Reynolds, so if that’s a problem, maybe you can find yourself another place of employment.”

With my mouth agape and back hunched over my desk, the annoying boss scoffs off into another direction, leaving me with a terribly bad taste in my mouth.

By the time I get home, slamming the door shut in aggravation, I knew that my bad day had yet to be over. So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when I saw Jennifer on the couch, watching re-reruns of Sex and the City with a deep scowl set on her lips. I only roll my eyes at the demonic force before changing my clothes in my bedroom and wandering into the kitchen for a meal.

When I see that dinner has already been cooked, I’m somewhat relieved, but when my eyes take notice of the dirty pots and plates, I then knew that dinner tonight had only been made for one.

“Did you only make dinner for yourself?” I yell across the kitchen, throwing my voice into the noisy living room.
“Obviously,” Jen calls back.

The straw that broke the camel’s back…

Stomping madly from the kitchen corner and into the hellish living room, all I see is inexplicable red.
“Well thank -fucking –you!” I snap, “I’ll be damned sure to remember this when I’m cooking next time, or even cleaning.”

The demon snaps her head behind, clicking off the television with a savage click of the remote, glaring fierce eyes at me.
“I don’t give a fuck Serenity, do whatever the fuck you want. I don’t care anymore!” it shouts.
“What the fuck have I done to you?! Ever since your shitty ass boyfriend got locked up, you’ve been a PMSing piece of shit!”

With those words, she jumps from the couch and stands only a few cautious inches from my face.
“Don’t even MENTION his name,” she roars. “You wanted him to go to jail, just because your bitch ass didn’t like him! Well sorry that we all can't date rich rock stars, who don’t do squat shit for a living!”

“Fuck you! I bet Tre does more than that drop of scum does!” I snarl, fist tightened and ready to punch at any given verbal trigger.

“WHATEVER! O.K, you win Serenity, you fucking win. You suspected Jack of mischief, and you were right. HOO-FUCKING-RAY. Now my boyfriend is in prison, for doing the same shit that yours does!”

I pinch the space between my eyes and above my nose, the stress dangerously overwhelming.
“Do you hear yourself? You think I’m happy that Jack is go—“
“YES!” she screams. “I know you’re happy. You didn’t fucking like him, so obviously you’re happy, ecstatic even! You didn’t even give him a chance!”

“Are you on medication!?” I yell, grabbing at my hair in complete astonishment. “Jack put drugs in our fucking closet! He kept that shit from you and made a variety of convicts come near our house looking for his sorry ass! Are you seriously defending him?”

“I’m not defending his actions, o.k?” she comments, a little calmer this time, I notice, as she exhales a loud breath of rage. “I love him, and love makes you do stupid things, not that you’d no about that.”

“Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You don’t know what love is either, or you wouldn’t be off into the night giving head to Billie Joe and your drummer,”

She barely flinched when the back of my hand slapped her now red cheek. I could see the apology in her eyes seconds afterward, but my hand had already involuntarily reacted. Air can’t seem to make its trek from my nose to my lungs, and I’m choking as I charge outside, slamming the front door shut behind. She doesn’t even bother to join me, rightfully knowing that I’d probably throw her over the balcony if she intruded.

After a ten minute breather of fresh night air, I tranquilly open the doors to my home heading straight into the bathroom for a calming shower. I can even hear the faint sobbing of Jennifer, who is locked in her bedroom, probably on the phone with Mark.

After my hot shower, in my bedroom rings another disaster, my phone. And since my day can get only worst, I already know it’s Tre and that he wants to have a not so little chat.

“Hello?” I answer after a few rings, still towel drying my hair as I pad across my bedroom.
“She finally answers!” he says sarcastically. “The world shall soon end!”
I can’t even laugh with the nerves and distraught engulfing me.

“Sorry, my life has been hellish these couple weeks,” I grumble in return, finally deciding that hearing his voice is a positive thing for today.

“One second” he whispers, placing me on hold as loud boisterous laughing echoes through his phone to mine. ‘Raise the pot a hundred dollars, cus I bet Mike can’t do it’ I hear Tre shout, followed by a loud door being shut and a striking silence.

“Am I interrupting?” I scowl
“No, and about your hellish weekend,” he pauses “I can’t fix that if you don’t answer your phone,”
“Well maybe I didn’t want to talk about it,” I reply just as sourly.

“Look, I really don’t want to argue with you. I just called to see how you’ve been doing, but if y—“
“I’m not trying to argue either Tre, you’re the one playing charades with your buddies and then catching attitude with m—“

“When did I catch attitude with you?!” he squawks
“Never mind,”

When he doesn’t respond, I roll my eyes, fed up with the awkward silence.
“Police were in my house a couple weeks ago, for drugs,” I mumble, settling myself at the foot of my bed, prepared to explain.

“Police? How? What happened?”

“I’m not even sure, but Jennifer’s boyfriend decided to stow some cocaine in our closet. The police came in, and now he’s fucked and in prison,”

“How did they find out? Are you o.k? They didn’t sh—“

“I’m fine Tre,” I mutter, “but some support would have been nice” I accidentally add, shutting my eyes in regret.
“Whatdya mean support? Are you referring to me?”

“A little, but its not that big a deal,” I ramble. “To be honest, I don’t know why I was mad at you, its not your fault,” I add as an afterthought. I mean, it isn’t Tre’s fault that he travels the world and is incapable of coming to his girlfriends open arms to comfort her.

“I’m sorry, but why were you mad at me?” he asks with a noticeable hint of anger.

“Because Tre! You weren’t there. I needed you and you weren’t there! I even called you at the police station, but you never answered, and I know it’s not your fault but I’m just used to my boyfriend actually being physically here for support in times like these.”

It only hits me seconds later, that my choice of words and brutal honesty have just broken his heart. Silence overpowers the conversation once more, before Tre clears his throat.

“Seny, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I, uh, wish I could, but—“
“Don’t apologize Tre,” I politely interrupt, “I’m just still getting accustomed to this long distance relationship we have,”

“Well its still not nice to hear my girlfriend say shit like that,” he adds
“Shit?” I reiterate, “I wasn’t trying to be a bitch, I was just telling you how I honestly felt,” I respond, anger slowly brewing in our voices.

“Maybe you should try a little harder Seny. You act as if I haven’t tried to get in touch with you, I can’t answer your fuckin phone for you! And if you felt this way, why the hell did you keep ignoring my calls?”

“Wow Tre, very understanding. I appreciate your compassion,” I reply with an anvil of sarcasm in my speech.

“You know what, call me when you’re not PMSing or in bitch mode. I’m gonna go back to my game with the cre—“

Before he can even finish, my cell is shut off and tossed onto the dresser. I toss myself onto the bed, snuggling myself into the sheets, letting tears escape as I fall into sleep.