Our Bloody Masterpiece

No matter how many times I yell after him, he won’t come back. Spencer has left the scene, mysterious and dangerous. The tears are streaming down my face, but that’s more about what happened today. I’ve been described as a strong person, however, in a situation where a gun is thrust in your face, and being told that you’re to be killed next would break even the toughest people.

A police officer, the same one who was with Spencer sidles up to me and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

I turn to Officer Russo, and it’s tempting to ask him if I fucking look like I’m okay, but I smile at him and nod my head, telling him I’ve got to get out of here, before jogging in the opposite direction, then walking through the mall to the doors nearest to the bus stop.

I don’t care if I look like crap, all I want to do is get home and sleep this off, and wonder what the hell just happened.

The number fourteen bus pulls up at the stop and I get on, flash the driver my ticket and bolt up to the top deck, taking a seat at the back. The bus is nearly empty, apart from a handful of boisterous teenagers sitting at the front, and a couple all over each other in the corner.

I shiver and pull my jacket tighter around myself, and stare out the window, trying my hardest not to break down in tears on the bus. I can do this. I am strong. Just... being held a gunpoint? Seeing somebody executed? Meeting a nice guy who strangely runs off? It's all to much for a girl like me.

The bus pulls up to my stop and I step off and walk quickly home, watching my back and looking behind me every ten steps, the whole mall incident has made me incredibly paranoid.

++++

It's been nearly a week since the whole mall incident, and all I've done is lay in bed with ciggarettes and bottles of cheap whiskey and even cheaper vodka. Spencer hasn't called, Drew hasn't even came round to yell at me.

I've tried calling everywhere, trying to see if they know a Spencer Cage, if that's even his real name. Nobody's ever heard of him. I'm starting to think that he never really existed.

Today's the day where I get out of bed. I need to, I need to start drawing and selling my drawings, and go back to work so that I can pay the rent this month. I crawl out of bed and drag myself into the shower. The hot water feels so good that I don't want to leave, it tempts me into running myself a bath and just staying there all day with booze and ciggarettes, but I don't. I know that if I don't go into work today I'll be fired.

I get out of the shower, and change into my work uniform, formal black trousers and the cafe's maroon dress shirt. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and sigh. My hair is wavy today, and my eyes are wide, still re-living the moments in the mall, wondering if I had let Drew keep yelling at me, if I had never even met Spencer, would things be different.

Spencer. He's been on my mind this week. Young, handsome Spencer, with those cautious eyes and his attitude towards life, his strange, strange personality that drags me in, makes me feel like I'm high.

But I've promised myself never to let anybody make me feel like that again, they'll turn out just like the rest, like Drew.

Drew was the only one I really ever had feelings for. And he is an abusive bastard. Ever since I dumped him, he'd been nice; brought me flowers and chocolate, promising he'd change and then he'd try to win me over again. I almost caved, but then he started with his old ways, hit me and yelled at me again, making me feel like shit. I don't want to get in a relationship like that again. But then again, Spencer's just a guy I met, he probably doesn't even look at me like that.

I sigh and pull my shoes on, then grab my bag from the coffee table and head out, locking the door behind me. It's going to be a long day.

Walking down the stairs at my apartment building, my mobile phone starts ringing and it's an unknown number. I don't answer it at first, but then it rings again and I pick up.

"Charlie?"

Shivers run down my spine, and I take a seat on one of the steps in the apartment stairwell.

"Spencer? Is that you?"

I have a million and one questions bolting through my mind, but I'm a little relieved to hear his voice again.

"Yeah. Listen, I can't talk for long, is there someplace that we can meet?"

Without even thinking straight, I tell him the address of Nova Cafe, the Cafe where I work and tell him how long I'll be there till.

"I'll meet you half an hour before your shift finishes, goodbye."

"Bye."

I'm about to hang up when he says my name in a voice that makes me weak at the knees.

"Charlie?

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He hangs up before I get the chance to ask him why he's saying thank-you. My heart starts thumping. He got in contact. He wants to see me again. I'm sitting here, on the stairs, bright red and going to be late for work.

I get up from the stairs, shake my head and go out the door. Maybe today's going to turn out good after all.