Life goes on...

No time to dwell.

Monday had come and I was sat behind the counter of Bella Home, where I Volunteered a couple of days a week. Joys of being an unemployed piece of shit who had to earn her Welfare. It wasn't so bad, business was usually slow, giving me plenty of time to read whatever books I came across whilst I tended to my duties. Today was The Vampyre, by Tom Holland. Yeah, sue me, I was a sucker for a good Vampire novel, and this guy fucking wrote like Anne Rice. I was hooked.

"Rikki, eyes to the front." came the voice of my co-worker, Nadine, snapping me out of the riveting story.

A middle-aged Indian woman stood in front of the counter, arms crossed and a bored look upon her face. I quickly wrapped up the plates and candle-holder she'd picked out, and stashed them into a plastic bag.

"That'll be $25." I sighed.
"$25?" she questioned.
"Yes, $20 for the plates, $5 for the candle holder."
"How about $15?" she asked.
"Listen, all the money we make here goes to the local hospital, I can't just sell it to you for less than it's worth." I grumbled, she did this every fucking day. "There are sick children who need your help."
"Rikki!" snapped Nadine, scooting in behind the counter. "I'll let you have it for $20, how's that sound?"
"Thank you." said the Indian woman, passing over her money.
"Have a nice day." Nadine smiled.
"You too." the woman thanked her, throwing a scowl at me before leaving the shop.
"You need to watch your attitude." Nadine scolded me.
"She does that every day." I complained. "It's fucking annoying."
"And your mouth!" she snapped. "We don't use that kind of language here."
"Whatever." I mumbled, opening up my book again. "Sorry, Nadine, won't do it again, Nadine."
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Nadine sighed, going back out to the storeroom to do whatever the fuck it was she did out there all day.

This was my life. It wasn't much, but it was my life. Slave away two days a week in Bella's Home for jack squat. Hand out ten resumes every two weeks and never hear back from anybody. Then go and get fucked up on the weekends. Maybe not my ideal circumstances at the age of 25, but what can I say? I'd wasted my high school years chasing dick instead of trying to get an education.

All the more reason to stay the fuck away from men. I lost focus when I was fixated on somebody. All my cares for what was important went right out the window. I lost sight of who I was, and lost interest in all my hobbies. Instead, I'd spend my days obsessing over whoever the fuck had won me over at that particular moment. Fall into a daydream. Forget to live.
My phone buzzed, snapping me out of my thoughts;

From: Ray
Yo, you on break yet?

I glanced over at the clock to see it was 12pm
"Nadine!" I called out.
"Yes?" her voice sounded from the storeroom.
"Can I go get Lunch?"
"I guess so."

To: Ray
Be out in a minute



I grabbed my denim jacket with its huge Jack Daniels backpiece from where it laid at my feet, and slipped it on over my shoulders. I dug my Marlboro's out of the chest pocket, stuffing a cigarette into my mouth and stepping outside. Rayleigh was already outside waiting for me, and approached me with her hand outstretched, a small black lighter in her palm.

"You're a fucking saint, thank you." I sighed, allowing her to light my smoke for me. "So what's up?" I asked, taking a drag.
"Just met with that band." she replied, lighting up her own cigarette.
"How'd it go?"
"It was... interesting." she frowned. "Walk with me, I'm dying for a coffee."
I followed her as she made her way toward the pop-up coffee stand. "Interesting how?"
"They are very eccentric men." she stated, taking another drag from her cigarette before she began rummaging around in her bag for her purse. "Your type of people."
"Oh really?" I grinned, puffing away at my smoke. "Hook a sister up, man."
"They just lost their best friend!"
"And I'm sure they wouldn't mind a shoulder to cry on." I smirked.
"Rikki-Lee, you are unbelievable."
"And I wouldn't mind someone to ride on."
She rolled her eyes. "Vanilla Latte, as usual?"
"You know me well." I nodded. "Seriously though, was it that bad?"
"They're not doing so well, no." she frowned, stepping up to place our orders; "One Vanilla Latte, regular, two sugars. And an Espresso, no milk, three sugars."
"You and your fucking Rocket Juice." I sniggered.
"Shut up!" she snapped. "Honestly, though, these guys... You should have seen them..." she gazed off into the distance as she took another drag from her smoke. "They kept their composure well, but their eyes betrayed them."
"Man, this one hit you hard, huh?" I noted.
"Not exactly what I signed up for when I went for the job, no."
"Technically, you did." I stated, trying to lighten the mood.
"Rikki, you're a fucking shitlord." she growled. "I'm trying to be serious, here."
"I do it just to spite you." I smirked, taking one last drag from my cigarette and dropping it to the ground, snuffing it out with my shoe.
"Lord knows why I put up with you." Ray scowled, passing me my latte.
"Because I'm sexy."
"Fucking christ." she breathed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You do my fucking head in."
"I could do with some fucking and some head right now."
"You have a one-track brain, Taylor." she shook her head.
"Life's too fucking short to dwell, man." I said, heading for the local Thai Food place to order some fried rice. "Party up, fuck around, and just fucking enjoy every moment you have here."
"If I felt like catching several STD's and needing a liver transplant by the time I'm thirty, I'd do the same." Ray teased, following me inside. "But some of us have jobs, a career, some direction in our lives."
"Hey, don't get personal, now." I defended. "I like my life."
"You say that, but I know you want more."
"Nine to Fiver, two kids and a white picket fence was never exactly my life plan." I turned to the small man behind the counter. "Can I please get one of your Fried Rice lunch specials?"
"Six dollars."
I passed him the money, and took a seat at one of the tables.
"Oh no, of course, you're gonna be some bigshot rock star." she said, mockingly.
"Hey!" I protested. "Dare to fuckin' dream, man."
"And what if you never make it?"
"Then I'll fuckin die trying." I replied. "I can't settle for medicore, I won't."
"If only you'd put that level of determination into other aspects of your life."
"Did you come to hang out? Or to lecture me on my life-choices?" I loved Rayleigh, but not when she went into Mom-Mode.
"Sorry." she sighed, taking a sip of her Coffee. "I just don't want you to crash and burn."
"Let me worry about that." I smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm a resilient motherfucker, remember?"

***

"Done." I said, dumping the day's earnings on the counter and passing it to Nadine to put in the safe.
"Good, you can go now if you want."
"Way ahead of ya." I replied, shrugging my jacket on and picking up my iPod. "Laters."

I walked out of the shop and pulled out another smoke, craving nicotine after the way the final two hours of today's shift had dragged on. It hit me instantly, calming my frustration at stupid customers and loud, annoying children who had come through to clear out our lucky dips once school had let out for the day. My earphones went in, and the seductive voice of Peter Steele guided me on my way home.

"The sheep within, wearing wolf's skin..."

When the music hit my ears, I felt it in every fibre of my body, the world around me became a blur and life felt like a movie. Not some blockbuster hit, either. But some slow-paced, broody indie film, like Daydream Nation, or perhaps Adventureland. It was the only time I felt completely at ease.

The sun had gone out, disappearing behind the clouds that plagued the sky. One of very few overcast days that Huntington Beach experienced. This was California, and rain was a rare occurrence. I just managed to make it to my apartment complex before the rain truly became a problem, unlocking the door and climbing the stairs to my suite.



Wraith greeted me with an enthusiastic bark, his fluffy little black tail wagging as he tried to climb my leg. I knelt down and lifted the tiny Pomeranian into my arms as I made my way to the kitchen, dumping my bag and keys on the counter. I flopped down on the couch and Wraith rolled over onto his back next to me.

"How was your day, little guy?" I cooed, giving him belly rubs. "Mine sucked."

He licked at my fingers, as if giving me sympathetic kisses, and I laughed. He cocked his head to the side, looking slightly confused, which only made me laugh more. Wraith was my best friend, he made my chosen life of solitary a little less of a painful existence. A little less lonely. Who needs men when you've got dogs?

"It's just you and me, buddy." I smiled, as he playfully chewed on my fingers. "And my other boy, Jackie D..." I mused, casting my eyes toward the bottle of Jack Daniels that still sat on the counter from the night before. My phone buzzed before I could even think about grabbing it.

From: Dom
Taylor, you home?

To: Dom
Yeah

From: Dom
Look out your window, Pinkie-Pie ;)

I fucking hate it when he calls me that.
I mean, shit; I'm more like Rainbow Dash than anyone.

"Let's see what Sparky wants, eh?" I addressed Wraith, lifting him into my arms as I made my way over to the window.

A few stories below, Dom stood leaning against the open door of his 1975 Ford Maverick; A rustic, pale yellow shit box he'd bought off some loser on Craigslist, and his pride and joy. He waved up at me, gesturing for me to come downstairs.



I texted him again.

To: Dom
You fucking kidding me, Sparky? I just knocked off work, I'm exhausted, and not in the mood for one of your little joy rides.

From: Dom
Come on, Princess, there's a drink in it for you ;)

To: Dom
Ahh, the magic words, I'll be right down

"Sorry buddy." I said as I scratched Wraith behind his ears. "Mumma's gotta go out for a little while, seems there's more than one little puppy who needs my attention."

I picked up my keys and shrugged my jacket back on and left my apartment, skipping every second step as I made my way down to the ground level. Dom smiled in greeting as I made my way over to his car. Okay, I had to give him some credit; The boy looked good in the denim jacket he'd draped over the black hoodie he wore underneath. And I'd always low-key had a fetish for guys in tight blue jeans with a cigarette in their mouth.

"You took long enough." he teased. "Thought I was gonna have to come up there and drag you downstairs myself."
"Can it, Sparky." I scowled, opening the passenger's side door and getting into the car. "What's the plan? Where we goin?"
"We've got this yellow car, an open road, and nothing but endless possibilties." Dom spoke in that airy tone he loved to put on from time to time, to try and make himself seem real fuckin' deep.
"Cigarettes and Whiskey in Central Park?" I guessed.
"Damn, you know me too well, Taylor." he laughed.
"Stop using my last name, god." I rolled my eyes, lighting up another cigarette. "You sound just like Ray."
"Do you ever stop smoking?" he chuckled.
"Who are you, my Dad?" I snorted.
"I'm whoever you want me to be, and hey, if you're into the Daddy thing-"
"Shut up and drive, fucktard." I silenced him.
"As you wish."

He turned the volume knob on the stereo, and Joy Division's "Transmission" began to play. As Dom made his way toward Central Park, a few teenagers passed us on their skateboards and I felt a pang of jealousy; What I wouldn't give to go back in time, to when my life was that simple. Go to school for six hours a day, and then knock off and just have fun with my friends. Of course, that was before I got wrapped up in boy drama, and lost all of said friends.



***

The sky still wasn't looking too pleasant as Dom and I sat by the lake in Central Park, sharing a 2 litre Coke bottle between ourselves, which Dom had mixed some of my sweet Jackie D into. I laughed as the wind blew a strand of my pink hair across my face, right under my nose.



"Dom look, I have a mustache."
"Explains why you're so much like a dude." he sniggered. "You remember that weird dude we saw here a few years ago? Over there." he pointed to the edge of the lake.
"The one who ran screaming after that fuckin' duck?" I giggled.
"C'MERE, FUCKING STALLION DUCK!" Dom imitated.
"That was one giant fucking duck." I recalled, taking a swig from the bottle we shared. "I wonder what he's doing now..."
We sat in silence for a few moments, before Dom spoke again; "Hey Taylor?"
"Yeah?"
"If you could pick any moment from your teenage years to go back to, what would it be?"
"Summertime when I was fourteen." I answered.
"Why's that?"
"Life was just simpler." I shrugged. "I have fond memories of that age; I had a great group of friends, and that was the age I first fell in love..."
"I thought you didn't believe in love anymore?"
"I don't." I frowned. "But back then, I wasn't so fucked up, love still seemed possible."
"I'd go back to Senior Year." he said.
"Why Senior Year?"
"That was just one hell of a ride." he laughed, nostalgia written in his faraway gaze across the lake. "First time I smoked pot, first blowjob, first time I got good and proper wasted."
"Classy guy." I teased.
"Like you're any better these days." he snorted.
I shrugged, unable to disagree.

Across the lake, a figure sat in the tall grass. He looked oddly familiar, and his gaze was cast downward at something in his hands. A glint of silver reflected upon the tiny object as he brought it to his lips, the chain dangling between his fingers as he gazed out over the lake, lost in thought...

Notes

Sorry this took a couple of weeks, guys.
Been on a fuckin roll with my other story Broken Arrow so that's taken up most of my free time.

This chapter is pure filler but I just wanted to add some more "Aesthetic" to the story to give you a better grip of the vibe. This story is still entirely me just shitting words out at random and seeing what happens. Brian will be have a more prominent appearance next chapter.

Comments and stuff would be sweet

Until next time! xx