‹ Prequel: Just Like You
Status: In progress.
Lousy Truth
Won't Catch Me Blinking.
“Motherfucker...”
“Sup?” I look at Soul Glow and giggle. I wave him away and he walks off, laughing at his own joke. Ace comes to stand next tot eh window next to me and tries to spot what I'm looking at. I point into the mouth of the alley, where a familiar form is leaning against the brick wall. He's dangling a cigarette from his fingers and watching the traffic go by.
“Again? Really? That's three nights in a row now,” Ace comments and I nod, pissed.
“Who the fuck keeps getting him tickets?” I mutter and Ace shrugs. I kick the wall and walk away, not wanting to look at his figure.
“Quinn, come on. It doesn't matter. Sure, it's weird. But it's not like you're gonna talk to him, right? Just ignore him.” I want to, god, how I want to ignore him. But I sneak a look out the window and cross my arms, sighing.
“I can't be that rude.” Ace pulls a face, clearly disagreeing with me. “Fuck me and my manners.” I head for the door and step out onto the iron fire escape. I lean against the railing and call down to him. Oli turns from the street and looks up, squinting a little.
“Why are you here again?” He shades his eyes to see me clearly and shakes his head.
“'Old on,” he calls up and starts walking for the bottom of the ladder. He starts climbing up and I shift a little, not really wanting to stay but at the same time, I don't want to go either. I turn to face the opening and lean against the rusty rail, not caring if my cardigan gets stuff on it.
He climbs up with a grin on his face, the cigarette gone. Coming over, he leans against the rail next to me. A little uncomfortable with how close we are, I turn back around and look down the alley.
“Why are you coming every night?” I watch people walk by the mouth, looking small from up here. I hear him breath, just in and out for a second.
“I'm not going to let you get over me. I'm going to fight for you.” I sigh and look at my shoes, the bright red against the dark iron contrasting just like my outfit. I move the toe of the shoe around in a circle before looking up at him.
“You hate me, you must really hate me,” I say with half a laugh. He looks at me, confused as I laugh. “You let me fall in love with you, you leave me when I'm completely lost in you, and then I don't hear from you in two months. Now you're back and you're refusing to let me get over you? This is the worst form of torture.” My words drip with sad laughter and I watch his face.
Those eyes I loved so much stare deep into mine, looking for something. His lips twitch like he wants to say something, but he's stopping himself. He brushes the hair out of his face and looks away, up at the sky.
“Well, when you put it that way... I can't argue with it.” He looks back down at me and I want to touch him. To just rest my head on his shoulder. Or take his hand in mine. I want to fall back into the summer, I want to be with him again.
I step forward with that thought. The truth slams into me and I look at him like he's grown another head. He watches me, confused.
“Go away. I've told you a thousand times, go away. I'm gonna make sure you're not allowed in the doors anymore. I need my space and you're smothering me.” He shakes his head.
“I'm not going anywhere. I'll just buy tickets. I'll be here. Every night.” He closes the space between us and I touch his chest, not sure if I'm actually going to push him away.
“Why?”
“Because I care about you more than anything else. Because I've never been as happy as I was when you were mine.” I shake my head and move to turn around, not wanting to hear this again. He stops me and tugs my hat down tighter on my head.
I pull a face, annoyed beyond belief and fix it. I push him and he stumbles back, laughing. I go back inside and push past Kayla. She glares at me and walks onto the fire escape. I lean against the wall down the hall.
It seems everyone headed downstairs to sound check or finish moving equipment around. The entire floor is quiet.
“-- you still need me?” I hear Kayla ask. I hear Oli's chuckle. “Why? She's just gonna keep turning you down.”
“No. She won't.” He sounds so determined. A chill creeps up my spine until I shake it out, closing my eyes against the feeling of knowing he might be right. I know myself and I'm scared how easily I could fall back into him.
“She doesn't love you anymore. She and David are hooking up. Everyone knows that.” I blink at that. I haven't heard anything like that. She must be making it up to hurt him for some reason.
“No. She's not.” I hear Kayla scoff and I can picture her crossing her arms and glaring like she always does.
“Why do you like her so much? I'm so much better than her. I mean god, talk about annoying. I was only her friend because she could make me famous. Now she's replacing me so I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks about me.”
“Shut up. Jesus, you're annoying.” I hear the iron ring with footsteps as Oli walks away and into the hall. He looks at me and I push off the wall, disgusted with myself for eavesdropping and at Kayla for being such a bitch.
“Sup?” I look at Soul Glow and giggle. I wave him away and he walks off, laughing at his own joke. Ace comes to stand next tot eh window next to me and tries to spot what I'm looking at. I point into the mouth of the alley, where a familiar form is leaning against the brick wall. He's dangling a cigarette from his fingers and watching the traffic go by.
“Again? Really? That's three nights in a row now,” Ace comments and I nod, pissed.
“Who the fuck keeps getting him tickets?” I mutter and Ace shrugs. I kick the wall and walk away, not wanting to look at his figure.
“Quinn, come on. It doesn't matter. Sure, it's weird. But it's not like you're gonna talk to him, right? Just ignore him.” I want to, god, how I want to ignore him. But I sneak a look out the window and cross my arms, sighing.
“I can't be that rude.” Ace pulls a face, clearly disagreeing with me. “Fuck me and my manners.” I head for the door and step out onto the iron fire escape. I lean against the railing and call down to him. Oli turns from the street and looks up, squinting a little.
“Why are you here again?” He shades his eyes to see me clearly and shakes his head.
“'Old on,” he calls up and starts walking for the bottom of the ladder. He starts climbing up and I shift a little, not really wanting to stay but at the same time, I don't want to go either. I turn to face the opening and lean against the rusty rail, not caring if my cardigan gets stuff on it.
He climbs up with a grin on his face, the cigarette gone. Coming over, he leans against the rail next to me. A little uncomfortable with how close we are, I turn back around and look down the alley.
“Why are you coming every night?” I watch people walk by the mouth, looking small from up here. I hear him breath, just in and out for a second.
“I'm not going to let you get over me. I'm going to fight for you.” I sigh and look at my shoes, the bright red against the dark iron contrasting just like my outfit. I move the toe of the shoe around in a circle before looking up at him.
“You hate me, you must really hate me,” I say with half a laugh. He looks at me, confused as I laugh. “You let me fall in love with you, you leave me when I'm completely lost in you, and then I don't hear from you in two months. Now you're back and you're refusing to let me get over you? This is the worst form of torture.” My words drip with sad laughter and I watch his face.
Those eyes I loved so much stare deep into mine, looking for something. His lips twitch like he wants to say something, but he's stopping himself. He brushes the hair out of his face and looks away, up at the sky.
“Well, when you put it that way... I can't argue with it.” He looks back down at me and I want to touch him. To just rest my head on his shoulder. Or take his hand in mine. I want to fall back into the summer, I want to be with him again.
I step forward with that thought. The truth slams into me and I look at him like he's grown another head. He watches me, confused.
“Go away. I've told you a thousand times, go away. I'm gonna make sure you're not allowed in the doors anymore. I need my space and you're smothering me.” He shakes his head.
“I'm not going anywhere. I'll just buy tickets. I'll be here. Every night.” He closes the space between us and I touch his chest, not sure if I'm actually going to push him away.
“Why?”
“Because I care about you more than anything else. Because I've never been as happy as I was when you were mine.” I shake my head and move to turn around, not wanting to hear this again. He stops me and tugs my hat down tighter on my head.
I pull a face, annoyed beyond belief and fix it. I push him and he stumbles back, laughing. I go back inside and push past Kayla. She glares at me and walks onto the fire escape. I lean against the wall down the hall.
It seems everyone headed downstairs to sound check or finish moving equipment around. The entire floor is quiet.
“-- you still need me?” I hear Kayla ask. I hear Oli's chuckle. “Why? She's just gonna keep turning you down.”
“No. She won't.” He sounds so determined. A chill creeps up my spine until I shake it out, closing my eyes against the feeling of knowing he might be right. I know myself and I'm scared how easily I could fall back into him.
“She doesn't love you anymore. She and David are hooking up. Everyone knows that.” I blink at that. I haven't heard anything like that. She must be making it up to hurt him for some reason.
“No. She's not.” I hear Kayla scoff and I can picture her crossing her arms and glaring like she always does.
“Why do you like her so much? I'm so much better than her. I mean god, talk about annoying. I was only her friend because she could make me famous. Now she's replacing me so I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks about me.”
“Shut up. Jesus, you're annoying.” I hear the iron ring with footsteps as Oli walks away and into the hall. He looks at me and I push off the wall, disgusted with myself for eavesdropping and at Kayla for being such a bitch.