Home of the Free, the Sick, and Depraved
Probing
-Slash's POV-
I watched as Razor was bar tending and noticed she was moving a bit slowly.
"Razor, can I talk to you for a second?"
"I have people waiting."
"Robbie will cover for you," Robbie was a new hire.
"What?" she asked.
"Why are you moving slowly? You're not in your regular work clothes and you bend with caution," not seeing her in a corset or tall Lolita boots was a bit strange.
"I fell down the stairs."
"You don't have stairs."
"The ones outside of my apartment."
"The cuts on your face?"
"I tripped and the bottle on the table fell off and I landed on it," bull. She would have stitches and she's not clumsy. She's hiding something from me, but what?
"Whatever just go back to work. Be more careful."
She went back to her position and I left to call Megan.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Slash. Razor is hiding something."
"What do you mean?"
"She's not wearing a corset or her normal boots and she moves with caution. Also, her arm is in a sling."
"Oh my god. Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah. She said she fell down the stairs outside of her apartment."
"She lives on the first level..."
"Like I said, she's hiding something."
"I'll talk to her."
"Don't probe too much; she'll get onto us."
"You're right. I have another call coming in. Bye," she hung up and I went back to work, but I couldn't stop thinking about Razor. She's strong and balanced, but an awful liar. She can defend herself pretty well so I'm wondering what she's afraid of?
-Josh's POV-
"You like her," Chris threw a pillow at me.
"What?" I wasn't ready for the pillow or that statement.
"Razor. You like her."
"She's cool, but I don't think we'll ever be more than friends."
"Not with that attitude."
"Shut up, Chris."
"I'm just saying... She has a boyfriend," so maybe I like her a little bit. So what?
"So? Like I said, we're friends."
He left. Finally. Razor is a pretty awesome chick and she is beautiful, but she has a boyfriend and I don't know that much about her. I want to get to know her better before I make any decisions.
"Hey Razor" I texted her.
"Balz! er- Josh..."
"Wanna hang?"
"I'm working"
"End of the week, I mean"
"Sounds good to me. When?"
"Meet me at the hotel at noon Friday? We can grab lunch."
"It's a plan(:"
I'll admit that I'm excited to see her again.
-Chris's POV-
"You like her," I threw a pillow at Josh.
"What?"
"Razor. You like her."
"She's cool, but I don't think we'll ever be more than friends."
"Not with that attitude."
"Shut up, Chris."
"I'm just saying... She has a boyfriend," he looked a bit saddened by me saying that. That would be cool if Josh was in a relationship. It might do him some good.
"So? Like I said, we're friends."
I got up to go call Megan. I want Razor away from Steel too. I know I've never met him but he sounds like a real jerk and Razor seems a bit more stiff than she used to be.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Chris."
"What's up?"
"Razor. I think Josh may have a thing for her."
"Who wouldn't? She's really fun."
"Not a big thing, but he seemed to be saddened a tad bit when I told him she was taken. He says he only sees her as a friend-"
"Chris, stay out of it. If they're meant to be, it'll happen. If not, they'll be friends. She has other things going on right now. I'm wanting to get her out of the apartment. I'm gonna go. Bye."
"Bye," I sighed. Why am I making such a big deal out of this?
-Razor's POV-
Megan came up to me right after my shift.
"Let's have a girls night! Just you and me."
"I can't. Steel..."
"Why don't you just break up with him? You're so miserable with him."
"Free housing..."
"But if you leave him, you'll be able to afford your own, mildew free place because he won't be spending your money."
"I know... I don't know, whatever. Let's do it," we got in a cab and went to her two bedroom apartment. I texted Steel on the way and he didn't respond so...
"I'll pop the popcorn and you choose the movie," Megan instructed. I went over to her collection and pulled out Insidious.
After the movie, Megan started talking About Josh.
"So, you and Balz, huh?"
"No. Josh and I are just friends."
"It looks like more."
"It's not. You know Steel would kill me if I had something with another guy."
"Screw him! You should leave him. I'm serious."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I just can't, okay?"
"Okay, okay. Sorry."
In the morning, I left Megan's and went home to the Steeless apartment. Yes.
Friday came by pretty quickly with Steel being gone so much. I left for the hotel around 11:30.
"Hey," I tapped his shoulder when I found Josh in the lobby.
"Wha- hey! Your arm..."
"Fractured clavicle. Tripped," we hugged gently.
"Where are we going?"
"You're the one who lives here," he laughed.
"True, but you're the one who suggested this so what are you in the mood for?"
"Pizza."
"Great! There's a place around the block, walking distance away," we headed for the pizza parlor.
I guess I forgot I was with Josh and not Steel because I didn't touch my pizza for a few minutes.
"You gonna eat?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, duh," Steel doesn't let me eat because he thinks I'm getting too fat.
"So tell me about yourself," Josh started a conversation.
"What do you wanna know?"
"Well, what do you do for a living?"
"Well, uh, I bar tend at my friend's night club..."
"At least you make money."
"For my boyfriend to spend it all," I mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing. What brought you guys to New York?"
"Had a show earlier this week."
"Oh yeah. Well, why are you still here?"
"What? Want me to leave?" he faked offense.
"No, that's not what I meant. You guys don't have more shows?"
"Nope. Last night was the last one of the tour, but we're here for a few days originally to see Megan since she moved away."
"You guys still in Scranton?"
"Yeah. How'd you-"
"Megan, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Do you miss it?"
"Kinda. I mean if I stayed, I wouldn't have met Slash and she's my only other friend. But on the other hand, I wouldn't have met Steel and I would do anything to change meeting him. I loathe him."
"Why are you with him?"
"Free housing."
"Ah. Well do you have any dreams?"
"Dreams?"
"Yeah. What have you always aspired to do?"
"Travel."
"Where to?"
"Everywhere. I don't like being tied down to one place."
"Yeah, there are some awesome places out there."
"I envy you. The fact that you go out, do what you love, and see the world all at the same time."
"We leave a lot behind: family, friends, our home..."
"My family disowned me and Megan and Slash are my only friends. Sounds like a great life to me."
"They disowned you?" I nodded, "Why?"
"I'm different, a disgrace, and worthless."
"You are not."
"That's what they said. I don't believe them though. I don't take shit from people."
"Where were you?" Steel angrily asked when I came home.
"Hanging with Josh," better not hide that from him or else he'll suspect something.
"One of those guys?"
He stood up and threw me across the room by my hair.
"You belong to me; you're my property. There are consequences for your actions, you know," he lifted my head by my hair and threw it back down to ground. I felt a sharp point glide into my side and then slide out.
"Straight edge? You're right, I like it. The straight edge of my broken beer bottle cutting your skin. It's great. I love the way your blood flows."
He jerked me up and threw me into the wall making a hole. Steel grabbed the broken glass and stabbed me all over and painted the walls with my very red blood. Blood is supposed to be crimson... He hit an artery; if I don't get help soon, I may bleed to death. I refuse to die, that means Steel wins.
I was punched in the gut and coughed up blood.
"Told you you aren't strong," I think he said. My vision was blurry and I had no energy. I let my eyelids fall.
-Megan's POV-
"So why did you decide to get a tiger on your shoulder?" I asked the woman I was tattooing.
"I came from a really poor family so I moved out here to maybe get a start on my life when I was twenty-four. However, I wasn't doing so well. I was twenty-six and still struggling to pay my bills. I didn't have a job in my field and I was cleaning an elementary school to cover all of my needs. When I finally got a job in my respective field of accounting, I met someone."
"Oh, a guy?"
"Yeah, but he was trouble. He falsified a lot of records and numbers in the business. I knew this, but I was too scared to tell anyone cause I knew he'd break up with me and he made me feel like a princess so I didn't want that happening. Well, the company started losing money and we were getting pay cuts and people were losing their job. I decided to come clean about what was happening and he was fired and thrown in jail. The tiger represents strength."
"And it took a lot of strength to come clean?"
"Exactly."
"Well," I did a final alcohol rub down on her back, "I think we are finished. Wanna go check it out?"
She walked to the mirror and cried when she saw it.
"This is... This is wow. Thank you," she gave me a hug and I covered up the fierce tattoo.
The woman's story reminded me of Razor so I decided to take a short break and call her, but she didn't answer. I called again after a few minutes and then again, but still no answer.
"Hello?" I called Slash.
"Hey, it's Megan. Have you heard from Razor?"
"No, I haven't. Why?" That scared me.
"No reason," I hung up.
"Hey, Ami?" need to get permission from the boss to check on her.
"Yeah?"
"I need to go check on my friend. She's not answering my calls and I'm really worried about her-" I was talking quickly while trying(but failing) to keep my tears from falling.
"Go."
I knocked on her door and had no answer. I opened the door to find blood everywhere and then I saw Razor on the floor, motionless. I screamed and ran over to her.
"Razor, wake up. Come on, wake up, Razor," tears were falling from my face onto hers. I called the ambulance and they arrived shortly. I drove behind them and texted Slash after Razor was taken inside and I could no longer be with her.
I watched as Razor was bar tending and noticed she was moving a bit slowly.
"Razor, can I talk to you for a second?"
"I have people waiting."
"Robbie will cover for you," Robbie was a new hire.
"What?" she asked.
"Why are you moving slowly? You're not in your regular work clothes and you bend with caution," not seeing her in a corset or tall Lolita boots was a bit strange.
"I fell down the stairs."
"You don't have stairs."
"The ones outside of my apartment."
"The cuts on your face?"
"I tripped and the bottle on the table fell off and I landed on it," bull. She would have stitches and she's not clumsy. She's hiding something from me, but what?
"Whatever just go back to work. Be more careful."
She went back to her position and I left to call Megan.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Slash. Razor is hiding something."
"What do you mean?"
"She's not wearing a corset or her normal boots and she moves with caution. Also, her arm is in a sling."
"Oh my god. Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah. She said she fell down the stairs outside of her apartment."
"She lives on the first level..."
"Like I said, she's hiding something."
"I'll talk to her."
"Don't probe too much; she'll get onto us."
"You're right. I have another call coming in. Bye," she hung up and I went back to work, but I couldn't stop thinking about Razor. She's strong and balanced, but an awful liar. She can defend herself pretty well so I'm wondering what she's afraid of?
-Josh's POV-
"You like her," Chris threw a pillow at me.
"What?" I wasn't ready for the pillow or that statement.
"Razor. You like her."
"She's cool, but I don't think we'll ever be more than friends."
"Not with that attitude."
"Shut up, Chris."
"I'm just saying... She has a boyfriend," so maybe I like her a little bit. So what?
"So? Like I said, we're friends."
He left. Finally. Razor is a pretty awesome chick and she is beautiful, but she has a boyfriend and I don't know that much about her. I want to get to know her better before I make any decisions.
"Hey Razor" I texted her.
"Balz! er- Josh..."
"Wanna hang?"
"I'm working"
"End of the week, I mean"
"Sounds good to me. When?"
"Meet me at the hotel at noon Friday? We can grab lunch."
"It's a plan(:"
I'll admit that I'm excited to see her again.
-Chris's POV-
"You like her," I threw a pillow at Josh.
"What?"
"Razor. You like her."
"She's cool, but I don't think we'll ever be more than friends."
"Not with that attitude."
"Shut up, Chris."
"I'm just saying... She has a boyfriend," he looked a bit saddened by me saying that. That would be cool if Josh was in a relationship. It might do him some good.
"So? Like I said, we're friends."
I got up to go call Megan. I want Razor away from Steel too. I know I've never met him but he sounds like a real jerk and Razor seems a bit more stiff than she used to be.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Chris."
"What's up?"
"Razor. I think Josh may have a thing for her."
"Who wouldn't? She's really fun."
"Not a big thing, but he seemed to be saddened a tad bit when I told him she was taken. He says he only sees her as a friend-"
"Chris, stay out of it. If they're meant to be, it'll happen. If not, they'll be friends. She has other things going on right now. I'm wanting to get her out of the apartment. I'm gonna go. Bye."
"Bye," I sighed. Why am I making such a big deal out of this?
-Razor's POV-
Megan came up to me right after my shift.
"Let's have a girls night! Just you and me."
"I can't. Steel..."
"Why don't you just break up with him? You're so miserable with him."
"Free housing..."
"But if you leave him, you'll be able to afford your own, mildew free place because he won't be spending your money."
"I know... I don't know, whatever. Let's do it," we got in a cab and went to her two bedroom apartment. I texted Steel on the way and he didn't respond so...
"I'll pop the popcorn and you choose the movie," Megan instructed. I went over to her collection and pulled out Insidious.
After the movie, Megan started talking About Josh.
"So, you and Balz, huh?"
"No. Josh and I are just friends."
"It looks like more."
"It's not. You know Steel would kill me if I had something with another guy."
"Screw him! You should leave him. I'm serious."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I just can't, okay?"
"Okay, okay. Sorry."
In the morning, I left Megan's and went home to the Steeless apartment. Yes.
Friday came by pretty quickly with Steel being gone so much. I left for the hotel around 11:30.
"Hey," I tapped his shoulder when I found Josh in the lobby.
"Wha- hey! Your arm..."
"Fractured clavicle. Tripped," we hugged gently.
"Where are we going?"
"You're the one who lives here," he laughed.
"True, but you're the one who suggested this so what are you in the mood for?"
"Pizza."
"Great! There's a place around the block, walking distance away," we headed for the pizza parlor.
I guess I forgot I was with Josh and not Steel because I didn't touch my pizza for a few minutes.
"You gonna eat?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, duh," Steel doesn't let me eat because he thinks I'm getting too fat.
"So tell me about yourself," Josh started a conversation.
"What do you wanna know?"
"Well, what do you do for a living?"
"Well, uh, I bar tend at my friend's night club..."
"At least you make money."
"For my boyfriend to spend it all," I mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing. What brought you guys to New York?"
"Had a show earlier this week."
"Oh yeah. Well, why are you still here?"
"What? Want me to leave?" he faked offense.
"No, that's not what I meant. You guys don't have more shows?"
"Nope. Last night was the last one of the tour, but we're here for a few days originally to see Megan since she moved away."
"You guys still in Scranton?"
"Yeah. How'd you-"
"Megan, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Do you miss it?"
"Kinda. I mean if I stayed, I wouldn't have met Slash and she's my only other friend. But on the other hand, I wouldn't have met Steel and I would do anything to change meeting him. I loathe him."
"Why are you with him?"
"Free housing."
"Ah. Well do you have any dreams?"
"Dreams?"
"Yeah. What have you always aspired to do?"
"Travel."
"Where to?"
"Everywhere. I don't like being tied down to one place."
"Yeah, there are some awesome places out there."
"I envy you. The fact that you go out, do what you love, and see the world all at the same time."
"We leave a lot behind: family, friends, our home..."
"My family disowned me and Megan and Slash are my only friends. Sounds like a great life to me."
"They disowned you?" I nodded, "Why?"
"I'm different, a disgrace, and worthless."
"You are not."
"That's what they said. I don't believe them though. I don't take shit from people."
"Where were you?" Steel angrily asked when I came home.
"Hanging with Josh," better not hide that from him or else he'll suspect something.
"One of those guys?"
He stood up and threw me across the room by my hair.
"You belong to me; you're my property. There are consequences for your actions, you know," he lifted my head by my hair and threw it back down to ground. I felt a sharp point glide into my side and then slide out.
"Straight edge? You're right, I like it. The straight edge of my broken beer bottle cutting your skin. It's great. I love the way your blood flows."
He jerked me up and threw me into the wall making a hole. Steel grabbed the broken glass and stabbed me all over and painted the walls with my very red blood. Blood is supposed to be crimson... He hit an artery; if I don't get help soon, I may bleed to death. I refuse to die, that means Steel wins.
I was punched in the gut and coughed up blood.
"Told you you aren't strong," I think he said. My vision was blurry and I had no energy. I let my eyelids fall.
-Megan's POV-
"So why did you decide to get a tiger on your shoulder?" I asked the woman I was tattooing.
"I came from a really poor family so I moved out here to maybe get a start on my life when I was twenty-four. However, I wasn't doing so well. I was twenty-six and still struggling to pay my bills. I didn't have a job in my field and I was cleaning an elementary school to cover all of my needs. When I finally got a job in my respective field of accounting, I met someone."
"Oh, a guy?"
"Yeah, but he was trouble. He falsified a lot of records and numbers in the business. I knew this, but I was too scared to tell anyone cause I knew he'd break up with me and he made me feel like a princess so I didn't want that happening. Well, the company started losing money and we were getting pay cuts and people were losing their job. I decided to come clean about what was happening and he was fired and thrown in jail. The tiger represents strength."
"And it took a lot of strength to come clean?"
"Exactly."
"Well," I did a final alcohol rub down on her back, "I think we are finished. Wanna go check it out?"
She walked to the mirror and cried when she saw it.
"This is... This is wow. Thank you," she gave me a hug and I covered up the fierce tattoo.
The woman's story reminded me of Razor so I decided to take a short break and call her, but she didn't answer. I called again after a few minutes and then again, but still no answer.
"Hello?" I called Slash.
"Hey, it's Megan. Have you heard from Razor?"
"No, I haven't. Why?" That scared me.
"No reason," I hung up.
"Hey, Ami?" need to get permission from the boss to check on her.
"Yeah?"
"I need to go check on my friend. She's not answering my calls and I'm really worried about her-" I was talking quickly while trying(but failing) to keep my tears from falling.
"Go."
I knocked on her door and had no answer. I opened the door to find blood everywhere and then I saw Razor on the floor, motionless. I screamed and ran over to her.
"Razor, wake up. Come on, wake up, Razor," tears were falling from my face onto hers. I called the ambulance and they arrived shortly. I drove behind them and texted Slash after Razor was taken inside and I could no longer be with her.