After yet another long walk that Ian was starting to get used to, he arrived at the university. It appeared to be a break, since the hallways were full. Ian saw the idiot he fought with on the hallway yesterday. They exchanged a look as Ian walked past. He had no idea what lesson was going to be next so he dug up his phone and sent a message to his trusty Lloyd.
"What class next?" His message said in poor English.
"German." Lloyd replied.
Ian put the phone in his pocket and walked to the correct class.
"Oh my. He actually came." Was the first words that Ian heard when he was close to the class and his day was already ruined.
"Unlike your girlfriend in bed." Ian said in a monotone voice to William who was getting on his nerves again.
"Ouch. So mature." William said back.
"You like what I did to your mate yesterday?" Ian asked.
"Very impressive. Couldn't even beat him."
"Would have if your paid goon, didn't stop me."
"What are you implying there?"
"Nothing, mate." Ian said and leaned on a wall.
"Where would this fine university be without its best student? How wonderful that something made the board show mercy for you and not expel you after all." William said and grinned.
"Yeah... Something..." Ian said and started suspecting things.
"Now you'll be a good boy from now on, won't you? You'll never know when the board runs out of patience with someone."
"I'm starting to lose patience with you."
"I'm not. I quite like having you around." William said with amusement.
"At least somebody does."
"I like having you around." Lloyd said from Ian's other side as if he had just spawned there.
Ian sighed in embarrassment.
"How cute. I can imagine how much little Lloydy prefers having you around. The day has not been kind to him so far. Ian needs to understand that his actions have consequences for other people too." William commented and looked at Lloyd's bloody lip and the traces of glue in his hair.
Lloyd looked away from the two others.
"How about tonight I finish what I started yesterday and give you and your mates all a turn?" Ian said to William.
"Lovely invitation, but I have nothing to gain from that."
"You have a beating to gain." Ian said and felt proud of himself.
"I don't think it'd be me who would get a beating. You underestimate me."
"How about we find out tonight?" Ian suggested.
"Don't." Lloyd quietly said.
Ian looked at Lloyd, squinted his eyes and exhaled through his nose.
"You should listen to him." William said with a smirk.
Before Ian could even say anything, he heard the door of the class room being unlocked by the professor of the class and the students started flooding in.
"Behave now." William said and went inside the classroom as well.
"What did they do?" Ian asked Lloyd once they were the only ones remaining outside of the classroom.
"Things, I guess." Lloyd answered.
"Who struck first?" Ian asked.
Lloyd only chuckled quietly and entered the classroom as well.
"What's that mean?" Ian asked and entered the classroom as well, but silenced himself when the professor glared at him.
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At the middle break of the day, the bench outside the university was occupied by Ian and Lloyd, its regular users. The premises of the university were relatively quiet with just a couple of friend groups chatting there. Ian opened his rucksack and took out a paper bag from there as he sat on the backrest and kept his feet where a sitter's butt would usually be. Lloyd sat the proper way on the bench.
"Guessing the glue in your hair wasn't your fashion choice." Ian said jokingly, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Not really." Lloyd said back, not finding the joke funny.
"So what happened when I was gone?"
"William, Isaac and Kane got on my face and I figured that since fighting has no consequences here, I punched Kane in the face because he was the closest. The fuckers didn't like that." Lloyd explained.
"You did what?"
"You heard me. I'm satisfied with what I did."
"But why did you do that? You knew that they'd fuck you up."
"At that moment I didn't really care."
"They won't forget that, you know?"
"Yeah... Probably not."
"Still think it was a good idea?"
"No..."
"I'll have your back. Don't worry, mate." Ian said and opened his paper bag.
"Oh, you're eating something for once." Lloyd pointed out.
"I guess I have to since it was given as a friendly gesture." Ian said as he looked at the single banana that had been on the kitchen table for a week and now was in his hand.
The banana disappeared inside Ian's gut in three bites.
"Not a great lunch that Cindy packed for me but it's the thought that counts." Ian thought.
"Can I ask something?" Lloyd asked.
"You just did." Ian said back.
Lloyd rolled his eyes.
"Can I ask another thing?" Lloyd asked.
"Of course you can. Doesn't mean I'll answer." Ian answered.
"Right. Well, I have a gig coming on Saturday at a bar where we played before. So if you want to come see us then... you'd be welcome." Lloyd asked.
"How far is it?"
"You'll have to leave town. Not sure if you're willing to."
"Well, my bike's fucked and now it's stolen as well. Going to be pretty challenging."
"A bus goes there. That's how I always go there."
"I don't know, mate. If I have a fight on Saturday then I'd rather go do that. I really need money if I want a new bike, and mum has some unpaid bills too. Can't really afford to skip out on chances to make paper." Ian explained.
"I understand that. Just a suggestion." Lloyd said.
Ian could tell that his friend was disappointed.
"You interested in coming to the fights anymore? Maybe even take part in them?" Ian asked.
"Maybe I should so I can deal with the fuckers better. But last night I couldn't get any studying done. I probably shouldn't waste my evenings at the fights. Last night I stayed up until 4 AM catching up on the book we were assigned to read and doing research and notes for that one report."
"So that's why you look so tired today."
"Mhm. And I also want to give some of my time for working on our music."
"I get that. I won't go the factory tonight either because I already agreed to help my ex get stuff from her house tonight."
"Right. Why are you associating with your ex? Or can I snoop that deep into it?"
"Pushing your luck there, mate. And I don't even know why I still associate with her. I needed a place to nap the other day and now she thinks that we're close again."
"Are you?" Lloyd asked.
"'Scuse me?"
"I mean... Are you still close with her?" Lloyd asked.
Ian just glared at him like he just stepped over his boundaries. Lloyd understood and didn't ask further questions. Lloyd took his phone out.
"Class is starting soon." Lloyd stated.
"Already? Right then, let's go." Ian said and jumped down to the ground.
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After the school day had ended, Ian walked home without getting a ride, figuring he wasn't in a hurry anyway. The whole way he kept dreading what he would have to deal with tonight on the home front. As he came home, he opened his door, removed his shoes and changed his clothes like usual. Right as he was putting on a more looser t-shirt, his door was knocked.
"Honey, do you have a moment?" Emma's voice asked form behind the door.
"No." Ian thought.
"For what?" Ian asked back.
"It's rather urgent." Emma simply answered.
Ian understood that he couldn't really decline so he got out of the room after he had put on more comfy clothes.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Come to the office." Emma told him face to face and sounded worried.
"Something you can't figure out with the computer again?" Ian asked.
"Just come." Emma said and walked down the stairs.
Ian followed, and they both entered the office where Emma works and runs her business.
"Come look at this." Emma said and stood by her work desk.
On the monitor was the website of the bank. It showed that every last bit of money had been taken from her personal savings account, as well as the company's cash register.
"Why the hell have you been spending so much? We need to be saving everything we can." Ian asked.
"Those are not my spendings! Somebody's hacked us!" Emma said back.
"What? Did you tell the bank about this?"
"Of course I did! They said they'll close the account but it's a bit late now!"
"You can't be serious right now." Ian said with frustration.
"You think I'd joke about this?"
"Well what do we do now?"
"That's what I'm thinking!"
"Have you asked Cindy for money?"
"I don't dare to ask anything from her after all the time we haven't talked."
"She gave me 500 quid the other day. She was drunk though."
"She did? Could you ask her for another one?" Emma asked.
"I can try."
"Please do. And umm... Could I have the one she gave you? I have no money right now for any of our needs and I'm not really getting any business either." Emma asked sincerely.
"I hoped to save it for getting the bike repaired. That's not happening now. Fine. Take it. Not like I need it now." Ian answered.
"Thank you so much, honey."
"I'll go get it." Ian said with frustration and left the office.
He went to his own room and got the banknote from his wallet that he keeps on top of his wardrobe. He went back to the office where Emma was just sitting on the office chair and kept her elbows on the desk.
"Here." Ian said straightly and handed the dry paper to his mother.
"Thank you, honey. It'll help for a bit." Emma said, not too overjoyed.
"I'll go tell Cindy about this whole situation now." Ian said.
"If you want to." Emma said and stayed in the office.
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In the living room Ian found Cindy exactly where he expected to find her. On her back on the sofa, leaning on the armrest and looking at her phone. Ian sat on the opposite end of the soda and sighed.
"Mum needs money." He said, seeing no reason to beat around the bush.
"Oh? What for?" Cindy asked.
"Paying bills has been getting hard lately and now her bank account has been hacked and emptied."
"What? That's terrible!"
"A bit. I already gave her those five hundred quid that you gave me."
"Aww, how thoughtful."
"And I want to ask, could you help out again if we need more, which we probably will?" Ian asked with a little bit of shame.
"Of course I can help you two! I didn't even know that you two had it hard." Cindy answered sincerely.
"Thanks. I don't think we need any money right at this instant. I think the five hundred will do for now, but I'm glad to know that you're willing to help out."
"Always, baby. But! We had something planned for tonight." Cindy reminded and looked pleadingly at Ian.
"Right. Yeah, I remember. Should we get that over with so we can be home before dinner?"
"We probably should."
"Are you still nervous about it?"
"A bit. But less and less all the time."
"Well, let's get going before you get nervous again." Ian said and stood up.
They both put on their shoes and left the house through the front door. Right outside front door Ian noticed something that was obvious before but he didn't think about it earlier.
"Your car is not here. Did you really walk here when you came here?"
"I did." Cindy answered in slight embarrassment.
"Why?"
"I didn't want to sit down on the front seat."
"Why not?"
"I feared that since someone had already broken into my home, then maybe if I entered my car, somebody would rise from the backseat as soon as I sit down and then put a piano wire around my neck or something." Cindy explained seriously.
"You really thought that?" Ian asked doubtfully as they walked the street.
"At the time I did."
"You watch too many films."
"I was scared! Better safe than sorry."
"You could have just looked into the backseat before getting in." Ian stated.
"I didn't think of that in that moment."
"So you weren't scared of walking outside alone in the evening?"
"Not really. Oddly enough."
"Right then."
"And I don't feel scared now that you're with me." Cindy said gladly.
Ian rolled his eyes.
"It's nothing to be scared of. Just go inside, get what you came for and come back. You'll see how safe your home is and by Saturday you'll be able to return there for good. I know it." Ian said.
"Yeah. I hope it goes like that." Cindy said and walked side by side with Ian.
Throughout the walk Ian was just thinking about his mother's situation and how to deal with it. Knowing that Cindy is willing to help out when needed was reassuring, but they couldn't just rely on Cindy's help forever.
"Maybe I should actually get a job. What am I even good at? Mum won't let me quit the university, but I can just quit without telling her. They seem to refuse to expel me so maybe I'll be good either way. I'm never graduating from there and I've known that for a year now. Might as well use my time making some money instead of wasting time there. The fights get me some amount of money but it all depends on how many people bet on my fights. That's not very stable. Should I just agree to Ronnie's jobs? How much I'll make all depends on how much I find. Hmm." Ian was pondering while walking.
"What are you thinking about, baby?" Cindy asked from Ian's left side.
"I probably shouldn't tell her what I'm really considering." Ian thought.
"Thinking about how I can balance the studies and helping out mum." Ian answered honestly.
"Aww, are you stressed out? I can imagine you would be. Remember that I can help whenever you ask, okay?" Cindy said back and leaned on Ian who felt embarrassed.
"I know." He simply said and didn't push Cindy away.
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"We're almost there now." Cindy said when they both arrived to a familiar street.
"You have a good memory with directions. Why's that?" Ian wondered.
"If only you knew." Cindy answered and giggled.
Ian just looked worried and decided not to ask further.
"And there it is." Cindy said and swallowed when she saw her house.
"It's your own home. You've come home hundreds of times. What's one more? Let's get that bloody laptop already." Ian said and sped up, leaving Cindy behind.
"Can you go ahead?" Cindy asked and stayed put.
"Wasn't the whole point of this trip to get you used to being inside your own home again?"
"I know but... I don't want to."
"Would it help if I went first?"
"Maybe."
"Fine. I'll go in first, and you won't run away then, alright?"
"I won't."
"Good. Now hand me the keys so I can get in." Ian said and walked back to Cindy.
Cindy handed her keys to Ian who then walked to the front door and started opening the front door.
"Wait!" Cindy shouted before Ian could open the door.
"What now?" Ian shouted back.
"Don't go alone in there! What if somebody's there?"
"There'd be signs."
"Please don't leave me alone here."
"So now you're afraid of being alone outside?"
"Oh shut it now."
"So what do you want me to do? Go in or stay out?"
"Let me come with you!"
"Okay... Make up your mind already." Ian said and unlocked the door.
Cindy briskly walked to the front door to join up with Ian who went inside first and switched the lights on.
"See? Not that bad, is it?" Ian asked with a deliberately loud voice.
Cindy took a careful step inside and looked around.
"We're home!" She called as if there should be someone already in the house.
No response came.
"See? You thought your house would get hit twice in the same week?" Ian asked.
"I see. You're right. Let's just get that laptop and get out of here." Cindy replied.
"Why do we need to get out of here? Can't you stay here now that you know that nobody is here?"
"Somebody might still come here." Cindy pointed out.
Ian sighed.
"If you're that paranoid, you'll never be able to live anywhere except a bunker."
"Well excuse the fuck out of me for being paranoid right after the thing that I'm paranoid about happened to me! I'm willing to help you out with your situation and you don't even want me in the same house as you. Shows me how much you appreciate it." Cindy said and walked upstairs.
Ian was left alone downstairs to think.
"She hasn't raised her voice at me often. Guess she has a point. If she helps us out, then the least we can do is let her stay with us. Even if she's a bit much sometimes. I really do appreciate her. Obviously." Ian thought while standing around in the lobby.
He looked around the house a little and wondered what is taking Cindy so long, but didn't want to go check.
"Am I seriously feeling sorry for someone that I'm also jealous of? All she lost was some useless junk but it really seems to have upset her. Why the fuck did I let Ronnie take that necklace? I didn't know it still meant so much to Cindy. I've got to ask Ronnie to give it back." He though alone in the lobby.
Minutes passed and Cindy still hadn't returned, causing Ian to get curious.
"Can't take that long to just retrieve the laptop. What is she doing up there?" Ian thought and went the dangerous looking stairs up carefully.
The upstairs had three doors. One on the left end, and two on the middle. The walls were white and so were the doors.
"Big house for someone who lives alone." Ian thought as he came upstairs.
He quietly walked to one of the doors and knocked on it with his knuckles.
"Wrong door!" Cindy's voice shouted from the room next to it.
Ian walked to the next door and knocked on it the same way.
"Come in." Cindy's voice said from inside.
Ian opened the door and saw the bedroom where Cindy was laying on the bed on her side with a drawer box next to her. The same drawer box where Ronnie found the necklace.
"Is everything okay?" Ian asked and stepped in the room.
Cindy remained quiet. Ian leaned on the nearest wall and stayed quiet.
"Did you find the laptop?" Ian asked to break the silence.
Cindy just let out a frustrated sigh.
"You don't seem worried to be here anymore." Ian pointed out.
"I have to get used to being here. Since you don't let me to stay with you anymore." Cindy said while still laying on her side.
"You can stay with us for as long as you want to. It's the least we can do. I'm sure mum is fine having you around too." Ian said back sincerely.
Cindy got a melancholic smile on her lips.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
"So should we get what we came here to get and then go back together?" Ian suggested.
"Hmm, what's the hurry? We'll be alright if we're here together."
"You only asked me to come with you so that you could have me alone, didn't you?" Ian asked as his mood went sour.
"No, I wouldn't do that. I honestly couldn't have come here if you didn't also come. But right now I'm not scared anymore." Cindy said and sat up.
"So you want to stay a bit longer?" Ian asked.
"I wouldn't mind it."
"All right. Let's stay then. How long?"
"I don't know. All night, maybe." Cindy suggested.
Ian went silent for a few seconds.
"If you want to." He then said.
"We should keep the lights on downstairs to make it clear that we're home."
"Good idea." Ian said with a bored voice and still leaned on the wall.
Cindy stood up from her bed and walked past Ian.
"You're welcome to join me." She said while passing Ian.
"Guess I have to." Ian thought in his head and followed Cindy downstairs, carefully going down the steps.
"Want to pick us a film while I go get us something to drink?" Cindy asked at the lobby and turned to face Ian.
"So this what you want to do now?" Ian asked and looked uninterested.
"I mean... We don't have to." Cindy said and looked down.
"Good. I'm not interested." Ian said coldly.
"Fine. Let's just go back then. Bore." Cindy said with frustration and started putting on her shoes.
"You okay with that?"
"Sure. Fine. Whatever." Cindy just said back dismissively and put on her other shoe as well.
"We don't have to go back yet if you don't want to."
"It's okay. We can go back since you're not interested." Cindy said without looking at Ian and being clearly upset.
"I don't want to go back yet." Ian lied just to make Cindy feel better.
"Really now?" Cindy asked and turned around to face Ian again.
"I mean, I'm grateful to you for being willing to help out, so if you want something, I can't really refuse." Ian admitted.
"Mhm. But do you want to spend any of your time with me or is it all one sided?" Cindy asked seriously.
"Honestly, when we hang out at the town, it was a really nice time. I admit." Ian replied without actually answering the question.
"So you're willing to spend the evening with me and not just because you feel obliged to?" Cindy asked almost like she was interrogating.
"Yes! It makes me happy to see you happy. Believe me?" Ian insisted.
Cindy took her shoes off again and stepped closer to Ian.
"Of course I believe you." She said and smiled, and then walked to the kitchen.
"Where are you going now?" Ian asked from the lobby.
"Getting us drinks! Go pick us a film to watch!"
"Right. Of course." Ian said and then got a message in his phone.
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