Passion's Killing Floor

“Mary, I knew you’d love it. I’m really ‘appy you’re getting along with this man. Are you guys going to mee’ up some time soon?” Danni questioned me on our way to the campus. She’d convinced me to take classes so that when or if my parents money ran out, I had a back up plan.

“We’ve only been talking for a few days.”

“Hardly! You two ‘ave been talkin’ for three weeks. And neither of you know wha’ the other looks like!”

“Dan, it’s not about looks. But we’ll know when we’re ready. Anyway, I hardly have time to meet up with anyone coming now. My sister and her husband are going on their second honey moon. So I have to watch my niece. I’ll be occupied every minute with that kid.”

“Mindy? ‘Ow old is that bugger now?” she asked, grabbing my hand as we walked across the street- her childish habit of doing that with people.

“Five. What’s worse is she doesn’t talk. Se refuses to, and ends up pointing at things or doing them herself.”

“Hmm. Well, you know I could always watch ‘er for a couple ‘o hours so you can meet your man.”

“Danni! I don’t even know if he’d accept, anyway I’m not entirely ready to meet him.”

“Well why not?”

The class building was just ahead and I started walking faster- hoping to end this conversation quickly.

“Just because.”

“B- oh my god!” she grabbed my arm, making me stop. “You like ‘im!”

I could feel my cheeks heat up at her words and she just gasped, covering her mouth with her gloved hands. I started walking again, begging to get to the class for once in my life. She caught up to me with a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face. We got to the building doors and she gave me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek- telling me about meeting up at lunch.

I headed into the building to my English class. It wasn’t very interesting. I’d learned most on my own about the English language, spoke it well enough to get by. But the teacher insisted that all that we learned in here was crucial to our jobs. I set down in a seat towards the back, so while I was on my laptop “taking notes” the teacher wouldn’t notice my lacking attention to his class.

I pulled out my laptop and plugged it into the table power strip so the battery wouldn’t die as fast that way. The computer logo popped up as it booted up. Other students piled into the class room as the time reached nearer to ten. A boy sat next to me, opening his computer and pulling up an internet page of something Sci-Fi like related. I turned back to my own screen and opened my messenger and an internet page. As I typed in the address a message popped up onto the screen; Ville.

“Hello, darling. Having a good early morning?”

“I wish. I’m in my English class, sitting next to the nerd of the century and listening to the teacher drone on about how to properly speak sentences in English.”

“Sounds lovely. I’ve heard about a few of your classes, what are your others?”

“Well, I have a lot of art classes. Drawing, photography, painting, history of art, etc. And history- oddly- I find it interesting. Some music classes- so I can become a music technician. And I squeeze it all into four days. Sometimes three.”

“I could never survive so much school- it was never my thing. As I’ve said before, music was the only life I ever saw fit for myself. That and owning a sex shop.”

“So I’ve heard. The mention of the shop I recall our first conversation- where we talked about sex for quite a bit.”

“I remember very well. Let’s not go there again, shall we? At least, not today.”

“ Let’s not. Out of utter boredness and lack of anything to do- and face it I look gorgeous today- I’m sending you a photo. No need to return, I just need someone to see how pretty I think I look today. *sarcasm*”

“Try not to sound so self-centred, darling. HA! Most wouldn’t put up with it, but you know all to well I do- because I do the same. ;) But I don’t object.”

“Wonderful. Just a sec.”

I brought up the computer camera and snapped a picture of myself, then uploaded it to the messenger page.

“Tada.”

“Lord, you are not mistaking when you say gorgeous. Actually, gorgeous doesn’t even put a dent in how astounding you look.”

My cheeks grew hot and I just knew my face was the colour of cherries.

“Oh stop. You’re making me blush!”

“I cannot deny the truth.” It was followed by a smiley blowing kisses. My god, could this man get anymore adorable?

* * *

“He called you gorgeous? Oh my god, you must meet him!” Danni said, shoving more food in her mouth.

“Dan! For the last time, no! I’m not ready and I just haven’t the free time for it lately.”

“Then make some! Get the kid a baby sitter next week.”

“It’s in two weeks but I’ve got to get prepared for this kid and hide everything. Not to mention I have three tests and a couple of quizzes to study for. We’ll meet when we’re fully ready.”

She sighed and ate more food, shaking her head. Danni, I loved her but she could be a pain in the hind sometimes. I checked my watch, we had a half an hour before classes started again. The whole next part of my day would be spent with art and music… and talking to Ville. Of course. It made me wonder what he did during the day, as I never hear him say anything about what he’s doing . Other than sitting in a Starbuck’s or on his couch. Though, being a musician, I guess he didn’t have much to attend to during the day.

“Okay, stop thinkin’ about the man and le’s go. We’ve got a way to walk and fifteen minutes to do it. Up, up, up!”

We put our garbage in the bins and left the warm shop and headed towards our next classes building. I pulled out my cigarettes from my pocket and lit one up. Danni sighed loudly beside me.

“Those things aren’t going to help your asthma or lungs. But I suppose it’s better than your pot smoking day.”

I nodded in agreement. The pot had almost ruined Danni and I’s relationship but I got help and she didn’t give up on me. I’d probably still be doing it if it weren’t for her. Though if It weren’t for her I’d probably be six feet underground. I stomped out my smoke when we got to the building. I just thanked god Danni and I didn’t have any classes together. No doubt she’d ask questions and pester me all day about messaging Ville.