Disasterpiece

My knees shook weakly, whether is was because suddenly I felt like the ugliest, fattest person in the world or because everything felt a little more distant; it didn’t seem to matter because he was right there in front of me. He hadn’t changed at all, the cocky grin, stupid short spiked up hair; the little amount of stubble that looked like pubic hair on his chin. My breath rattled down my throat heavily.

He strutted forward casually like he owned the park; we were his devoted minions, afraid to even look directly at him. He stopped on the other side of the wooden fence which kept customers in an orderly line; leaning over coolly. A silent snarl built up inside me, my spine tingled.

“Well, well, well here we are,” he mused smugly, I kept my eyes up and my facial expression blank. I felt Joey move closer to me nervously from behind. Mr. Squiggle looked between us briefly, then decided to ignore the fact that Joey was here with me. “So how’s life been treating you?” he asked spitefully, I sucked my lips into my teeth; a sour look on my face. Straightening himself up, he rolled his eyes and snorted when he realised I wasn’t going to play his little games.

“Fuck, you’re still the same as always aren’t you?” he sneered, Joey’s hand found its way to mine; I realised I had been making fists, so I loosed my fingers up in his grasp.

“Aunty V!” Griffin’s voice suddenly floated over, my head snapped to the right to find him running towards us; Corey in tow. Griffin ducked under the wooden fence, Joey’s hand left mine as Griffin’s small arms wrapped themselves around my waist; I noticed that his eyes were a little puffy – Corey must’ve yelled a fair bit when he found him. Mr Squiggle looked down at Griffin with an upturned lip; he stepped back, colliding into Corey. Spinning around they came face to face – an instant smack of recognition hitting them both coldly.

“What the fuck,” Corey growled in surprise and anger; I could already see his muscles tensing. Out of every one in the world I think Corey hated him more than any one else; even Uncle Frank or Josie – well if it wasn’t for him we would’ve spent the prime years of our lives together instead of apart.

“Ah, well I guess that’s your kid then, wouldn’t expect her to have grown a life yet let alone a family,” Mr. Squiggle scoffed, smiling to himself at his own hilarity. Corey growled, stepping forward. It happened in slow motion; I could feel my lips parting as his arm lifted back into the air; fist pushing forward into Mr. Squiggle’s face.

“Corey no!” I screamed as it collided, sending my devious ex flying to the ground. Corey leapt forward on top of him, punching everywhere he could reach, just to cause damage.

“Maybe she would have a family if seedy bastards like you hadn’t wasted her time,” he yelled over Mr Squiggle’s yells of protest. Out of no where Sid and Joey latched onto to Corey, pulling him back with all their might. After a few more well placed swings he let them take him, pulling him back towards Griffin, and I…and the rest of the line who were watching the commotion.

“And she does have a life, a better one that you’ll ever have,” Corey breathed out heavily, shaking off Sid and Joey’s grasps on his arms they let go, but stayed close. Mr Squiggle pulled himself from the ground, wiping blood away from his lips.

“I’d like to see that,” he hissed, Josie popped up beside me placing her arm on the middle of my back, staring daggers out at him; the bumper car line must’ve been too long for them.

“Yeah, well she’ll send you a post card when she’s on a world tour next month,” Corey spat back, I think I wasn’t the only one shocked by this statement; Joey and Sid looked at each other wearily, Josie furrowed her eyebrow in Corey’s direction. Mr Squiggle looked like he’d been punched again.

“Yeah…well, what ever,” he shrugged off, his cockiness almost completely diminished – I don’t think this conversation went where he had planned. He went to walk away in defeat, but in his true style he couldn’t loose the battle completely. Spinning back around he looked directly at me; building up his arrogance once more. “You’re never going to change,” he said. “You’re still going to be the same as always and I will always be there haunting you – you’ll never find anyone after me.” And with a small tilt of his head he strode off into the fearful-eyed crowd.

I blinked a few times, gathering my senses; I knew everything that had just unfolded in front of me was real – but the numbing feeling inside made it dream-like. Josie’s hand rubbed my back comfortingly, Corey turned to Sid and Joey, whispering something to them; they nodded and turned towards us. Joey called Griffin over, deluding him with the promise of ice cream; Sid indicated to Josie to come as well. At first, unlike Griffin who ran straight off, she protested, moving closer to me. But Corey walked forward, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Please,” he said quietly, she sighed; looked once at me worriedly then went over to the others – they too then disappeared into the crowd. I swallowed, my throat dry; but I knew my eyes were about to compensate for that. Corey frowned, taking my hand he dragged me away from the people in what I hoped was the direction of that exit. “What ever you do don’t cry, you’re better than that ok?” he said, I sniffled, tightening my grip on his hand and nodding.

We walked quickly through the park, ignoring the cashier who asked as if we wanted a re-entry stamp when we exited. Corey pulled me over to the gutter; we sat down together, him pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. I sat on the concrete, feeling the pebbles digging into my ass; wishing they would dig in a little further; just so I could feel something. Corey took a long drag, blowing the smoke out away from my face; he sighed and looked over at me hopelessly.

“Well life’s never uneventful is it?” he mused with a weak smile. I shook my head, letting my eyes fall onto the road.

“Did you ever think your life would be like this though?” I asked him quietly, feeling him shuffle beside me and take another long drag.

“I never really had too much to aspire to,” he replied after a moment, I looked up him frowning.

“But you’ve always played music?” I asked which was true – ever since we were kids Corey and music just went hand in hand, there wasn’t one without the other. He had been the one to get me into music after all.

“Yeah…but I never thought I’d be able to do it for a living,” he answered. I nodded, looking back down at the concrete; Corey really had gotten what he deserved in life now, so that proved something to the karma theory – but what about me? “What about you, life turning out how you pictured?” Corey asked, stealing almost my exact thoughts.

“Ha…not exactly,” I replied dryly, Corey rubbed my shoulder briefly sending us into another silence. “Hey…when you told him that I was going on a ‘world tour’ next month, were you just saying that to shut him up?” I asked suddenly, looking back up at him. Corey grinned, shrugging playfully; I nudged him in the shoulder. “Aw come on,” I probed; he stubbed out his cigarette and shrugged again.

“Well I just thought maybe, since you’re job isn’t exactly one of your dreams and it will suck not seeing you for months after we kind of only just caught up again, that you might want to come on tour?” he suggested.

“Seriously, doing what?” I gaped, my heart pumping heavier in excitement.

“Nothing,” Corey said ludicrously, his eyes popping out at my apparent delusion.

“Oh there is no way I am mooching off you,” I scoffed, I had never been a person to take what I didn’t deserve; let alone take a free ride off someone who had already done enough for me in his life.

“Why didn’t I expect this? …Well I’m sure you could do merch or something if you feel the need,” he sighed, rolling his eyes; I grinned happily and wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me in tightly, I drew in his scent deeply before we pulled away; but he kept his hands on my shoulders, eyes staring me down.

“Hey, promise me that you won’t listen to anything that low life said?” he asked, I swallowed, but didn’t dare let my eyes fall from his.

“I won’t…he doesn’t mean anything to me anymore,” I promised, my mind flooding with images of a certain drummer. Turning my head towards the entrance almost with perfect timing I watched him walk out holding Griffin’s hand and laughing. I smiled as my insides churned, he suddenly looked up from Griffin at me; the laugh faded from his lips but a warm smile still stuck there. How could you ever let anything get in between this feeling?