In the dark garage of a retired man, on a dusty weight bench Ian sat exhausted and stinky after lifting for longer than he expected. His breathing was the only sound in the garage when the phone in his pocket buzzed. He ignored it and kept catching his breath and suffering his sore arms until he decided to stand up. He left the garage and walked along the neighbourhood. He went back to the rosebush where he tossed his sweater. The sweater was no longer there. He sighed, cussed and kept walking. He returned home, not caring that he should still be at school. The door to Emma's office was closed and easy to walk past without being noticed, and Cindy was talking to someone on her laptop while wearing headphones so she didn't see Ian either as he went into his own room and lied down on his bed.
"So the old fucker doesn't like how I punch. Do I really have a hard enough head to take any beating? Should I test out my limits someday? Probably not very healthy to do that. But to improve my skill I'll need to get into some fights. Sanctioned ones like Cindy suggested. Learning on the job, in a way. Maybe on Sunday. Tomorrow she'll go home by herself to get used to it again so that's what she'll be busy with, and I don't really feel like walking all the way over to the offices." Ian thought while laying on his bed.
He decided to check the time on his phone and saw the message that was sent to him earlier in the garage.
"Since you didn't come to school today, I'm just reminding you that my gig is tomorrow. Are you still coming? If yes, will I pick you up from your place and take you to the bus stop?" The message from Lloyd said.
"Oh right. That thing is also tomorrow. Suppose I could go." Ian thought.
"Sure thing. Still coming. How is the project coming along?" Ian replied.
"Forgot about his shitty little gig. He'd probably appreciate if I came there. At this point he deserves that much of my attention. I could probably get Cindy to ride me there so I won't have to ride on his shitty little bike." Ian thought and pulled out his phone.
He chose Cindy from his contacts because he couldn't be bothered to go downstairs now, and because he didn't want to reveal that he's home already.
"Can I get a ride tomorrow evening? It's a bit far but maybe you can take me there on the same trip that you go home." Was the message that Ian sent.
"Oh? You need to go somewhere again? Better not be what I think it is." Came a reply from Cindy within a minute.
"Of course she'd suspect something. Guess that makes sense though."
"My mate is performing music at a club or something and asked me to come. So that's where I'm going."
"Oh, that sounds nice. If true. I believe you though. But maybe we can talk about this more when you come home."
"You're still planning on going home tonight, are you?"
"Yeah. That's still the plan. Still a bit nervous that I might bump into Steven again there. That's what I've been worried about."
"I get that. Check the street all the way through as you get there. And lock your doors and windows when you come home. And check inside every closet too just in case. And keep a weapon with you at all times."
"STOP MAKING ME PARANOID!!! Now I'm scared to go home again!"
"Oh. Sorry. What if you go there at daytime? Would that make it easier?"
"Probably. But then I'd have to make two trips to take you to that thing of yours."
"I can get there even without you. I only asked for a ride because it'd make it easier for me."
"I still want to do a nice thing for you though."
"But then you'd have to go home when it's dark."
"How about you come home with me and then when it's evening, I'll take you to that thing?"
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of you going there alone? You were supposed to go home alone to get over your fear of home. Is there a word for the fear of your own home btw?"
Cindy appeared offline for a few minutes before appearing online again.
"Ecophobia. Don't you dare accuse me of looking that up. But as for me going home alone, how about we take it step by step? Maybe you can even stay at my home for the weekend and then we can progress from there."
"Suppose that wouldn't be too bad. Wait... She's totally just trying to get me to be home alone with her for a weekend because she has ulterior motives. Or am I just misunderstanding her?"
"You just want to have me at your home for a weekend, don't you?"
"Nooooooo..."
"You need to be serious."
"I am serious! I can't go there alone! I just can't. I get anxious just thinking about looking into my own closet now! I want to have somebody with me who I can trust."
"Damn. Shouldn't have scared her like I did. But I guess it's alright. I don't mind it. I might actually like it. Are we together now? I don't even know. And I don't want to ask."
"Fine. I'll spend the weekend at your house. But you'll give me that ride then."
"Deal! So relieved now. I'm almost done with the day's work too. What will I do before you come home?"
"Oh I'm already home. Been for a bit now."
"What? Since when? I didn't hear you come in."
"You were wearing headphones. I've just been chilling in my room. Didn't go to school today because fuck that place."
"Right. We talked about that already. So when are we getting you that license?"
"I don't know. I met this guy who offered to train me and might be able to hook me up in some legitimate competition."
"Oh that's awesome! Do they seem like a trustworthy person?"
"You ever heard of Jacob Oxen?"
"No. hold on, let me look him up."
"Do that."
"You're lying now, aren't you? This Jacob Oxen bloke seems like a pretty big deal and you just randomly met him?"
"I did. He actually lives somewhat nearby. Not telling you where though."
"Well alright then. Keep your secrets. But I'm happy that the chase for your dreams might be going somewhere. But I have a question."
"Ask."
"Why are we texting when we're both in the same house?"
"Because I can't be arsed to get up from this bed and walk there."
"You know, some men would walk 500 miles to be next to their special one."
"I'm not like "some men" now am I?"
"I don't think you understood me but do as you wish. I really should focus on the work even if it's almost done."
"Alright. Survive."
"And maybe then I'll come over there and mock and scold you for being such a lazy goober."
"Goober? What did you just call me?"
Cindy appeared offline.
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After an uneventful Friday and a pleasant Friday evening spent on the living room sofa watching films and eating pizza, Saturday morning shone in through the window into the living room where Ian and Cindy were leaning on each other asleep with their heads touching. The room smelled like cold pizza and an old blanket that hadn't been washed in months. The same blanket that Ian and Cindy were sharing on the sofa while sleeping in a sitting position.
"Ahem." Came an exclamation from right outside the living room.
Ian opened his eyes slowly and grunted with confusion.
"It's one o'clock in the afternoon." Emma's voice stated sternly from behind.
"It's Saturday." Ian said and closed his eyes.
"How long did you stay awake?" Emma asked.
"Who cares? I'm staying here. It's comfy." Cindy added while keeping her eyes closed.
"When should we go home?" Ian asked while keeping his eyes closed.
"Hm?" Was Cindy's answer.
"I mean your home." Ian corrected himself.
"When you're ready, Baby." Cindy answered and didn't move.
"I'm a little nervous going there myself." Ian said and remembered that Jacob's house is also there and there might still be a risk of the police finding him there.
"Why would you be nervous about it? You were there the last time. Did my own paranoia now infect you too?" Cindy asked.
"Maybe a little." Ian dishonestly answered.
"Aww. Should we go after all?"
"Yes, we should. We need you to get over your... ecophobia or whatever."
"We'll be fine if we're always together, right." Cindy said and rubbed Ian's thigh under the blanket.
"I mean... mum might still need my help here so I can't just move there with you but... I can at least stick around until you feel good in your own home. Like we talked."
"When was the last time she actually needed your help in anything? I haven't heard her ask anything from you in the time that I've been here."
"Well, it's been a bit."
"And don't you think that living with me would make it easier for you to pursue your dream, and with the money you'll make you'll be able to help her better too?"
"Something tells me that you have a personal bias in this. I'll think about that."
"You'll have plenty of time to think about it in the coming days. At my place. But only if I leave you alone to think for even a moment."
"I... think I'm ready to get up now."
"Ha. Acting so nervous around me. As if we haven't been much closer than this before." Cindy said with amusement and pulled away.
"Yeah but we're not that close... currently."
"Aww. Well, you can think that over too in the next days."
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"Thanks again for agreeing to come, Baby." Cindy said at the driver's seat of her car as they entered her home street.
"Whether I'd come was never in question. It was about how long I'd stay." Ian replied from the passenger's seat.
"I know you won't want to leave even if someone drags you out."
"Nobody in the world misses me enough to get me back if I disappear somewhere."
"Oh shut it. I'm sure somebody does. Anyway. I don't see any unusual cars on the street. I'll go check a bit further away anyway. Just in case." Cindy said and got serious.
"Good idea probably."
As Cindy rode her car through the street, Ian kept his head low, being paranoid about anyone recognising him. Cindy didn't notice Ian's behaviour while being paranoid herself of spotting Steven or his vehicle. The search was however fruitless, much to the relief of Cindy. Once Cindy's car was parked at its usual spot and Cindy had taken her house key out, she took a deep breath at her own door while Ian stood behind her. She was hovering the key right at the lock but not putting it in.
"It wasn't this hard for you the last time." Ian commented.
"Well last time I didn't know that somebody was stalking me the whole time. Now the possibility is all I can think about." Cindy replied with.
"Fair enough. Just get in already. I don't want to be out here."
"Fine, fine. Let's get in." Cindy said and nervously inserted the key into the lock and pushed the door open.
Once they were both inside, there was absolutely nothing unusual about the house. Aside from one thing.
"WHY THE FUCK IS THE TELLY ON?" Cindy shouted when she heard the quiet ambient noise of a turned on television coming from the living room and went to check it.
"Because I forgot it on when we left last time." Ian commented and went into the living room.
"Oh. So it's been on and paused the whole time since then?" Cindy asked and followed Ian into the living room.
"Yep. I remember this frame."
"Oh. Okay. Is my cup emptier than when I left it? Has somebody sipped from it?"
"Water evaporates."
"Oh. Right."
"I'm starting to feel like you're just taking the piss now." Ian commented.
"I'm not!" Cindy insisted and checked under the sofa.
"Any leprechauns in there?" Ian asked.
"Hmph." Was Cindy's answer as she got herself up from the floor and left the living room.
"Where are you checking now?" Ian asked and followed.
"Every corner and closet upstairs." Cindy said while making her way up her dangerous steps.
"Don't get snatched." Ian sarcastically wished.
Cindy ignored him and went upstairs where she stayed standing in front of the door of her bedroom without opening it.
"You going in?" Ian shouted from downstairs.
"Shut it. I'll go eventually. Give me time." Cindy said back without daring to shout.
She put her hand on the doorknob and kept it there for a long time. She couldn't bring herself to actually open it. The longer she kept her hand on the doorknob, the more her hand shook. Ian took the stairs up and shoved the door open.
"No, Baby! Don't..." Cindy said in panic but went quiet when the house didn't explode after all.
"See? There's nobody here. You're being paranoid for no reason." Ian said and switched the lights on.
Cindy was just staring at the drawer box that she had left on her bed earlier.
"You left it there yourself. Nobody's been here." Ian reminded.
"I know. It just reminds me that somebody really was here." Cindy replied.
Ian noticed that Cindy was now looking at her wardrobe. Ian went to open it too. Nothing was inside that usually wouldn't be inside.
"Thanks." Cindy said and sat down on her bed.
She didn't stay there for long before she remembered something. She looked under the bed and then sat down again.
"You good now? You feel secure now?" Ian asked while standing by the closet.
"I guess." Cindy answered.
"Secure enough to stay here?"
"We'll see. Thanks again for agreeing to stay here."
"So now what?"
"I don't know. Maybe we can just chill."
"Fine enough." Ian said and took his phone from his pocket.
Cindy crossed her arms and looked disappointed and then lied down on her side. Ian picked Lloyd from his contacts.
"I got myself a ride. You won't need to pick me up." Is what Ian sent to Lloyd.
"Okay. That's great. Where did you get that ride?"
Ian started typing an answer but stopped himself.
"Cindy, are you my girlfriend?" Ian asked and looked up from his phone towards Cindy who was still sulking on the bed.
"For now." Cindy replied.
"Okay. Thanks." Ian said and focused on his phone again.
"From my girlfriend." Ian texted Lloyd.
A few seconds after the message was sent, Lloyd appeared offline.
"Guess he understood." Ian thought.
"I have a question." Cindy asked from her bed.
"What is it?" Ian asked back.
"Do they have alcohol in the place where your friend performs?"
"No idea. Never been there. Why?"
"You're more fun when you have alcohol in your tank."
"Well, aren't you just a great influence on me? And besides, why does it matter to you how fun I am there? You mean you're staying there too?"
"If they have alcohol, I might."
"And how are you going to drive back?"
"Slowly and carefully."
"Something tells me you have a problem that needs to be talked about."
"I only have a problem when the world has a fucking problem with me." Cindy said bitterly.
"She says in her posh house that she fully owns." Ian thought.
"Maybe I should just take a bus there after all. For everyone's sake."
"Because you want me to stay home while you spend time with your fuck friend?"
"What? No, because you want to get drunk and then drive home like an idiot."
"I just want to do something fun with you as your girlfriend. And we can find a hotel or something anyway, can't we?"
"I mean, I guess."
"So there you go. Sounds like a good plan for a night?"
"Is that how badly you want to avoid being home?"
"Caught. But that's not the only reason why I want to go with you!"
"Because you're jealous of my "fuck friend", right?"
"No, I worded it poorly just then. I just thought that... you know... it might be a nice date. And I need alcohol."
"So you promise that you won't drive back home?"
"I promiiiiiiiiise! I wouldn't leave you there by yourself."
"I don't doubt you."
"Yay. Let's get going."
"Already? It's afternoon."
"Oh. Right. I guess we can get time to pass someway before we go then." Cindy suggested.
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And indeed they got the time to pass, and once the sky had gotten dark and the hour was nigh, they got on the road and made their way to the location that Lloyd had told Ian and Ian had relayed to Cindy.
"You don't have to hide that you're looking at me, by the way." Cindy said while driving.
"I'm not but whatever." Ian replied from the passenger's seat.
"Aww. Why not? Also do you know any places to stay over there so we won't have to drive back?"
"No idea. Never been there."
"Would now be a good moment then?"
"Probably." Ian said and dug up his phone.
As he searched for places, he also sent a message to Lloyd saying that he and Cindy are on their way and asked if Lloyd found the bus. Lloyd didn't reply, and appeared to have been offline since his and Ian's last exchange. Ian didn't want to make a call so he executed his plan B which was sending rapid fire messages.
"It started to rain. We better find a parking spot near to the place." Ian pointed out once he noticed.
"Or we can wait until the rain ends and just chill." Cindy added.
"I'd prefer to show up on time."
"Showing up on time makes you look desperate."
"I'm not trying to date this guy."
"You better not be." Cindy said with determination.
Ian just briefly looked at Cindy and then looked out the window, wondering why is she the way she is.
Once they arrived at the correct city, Cindy managed to find the right location with the help of a GPS, and started looking for a place where to park. The nearest that she found was at the parking lot of a supermarket and so that was the place that she picked.
"I guess we won't get too wet if we walk from here quickly to there." Ian stated.
"The World is an Evil Place." Cindy said.
"What?" Ian said right back.
"That was the name of the location. Sounds lovely. Let's get in there. They probably have alcohol." Cindy said and unbuckled.
They got out of their car and locked it and then ran to The World is an Evil Place. Ian pushed the door open and let Cindy enter first but didn't get a Thank You for it. Cindy was shivering and soaked and went to the corner of the loud place. The location's walls were decorated with graffitis and murals, there were no seats anywhere, the lighting was dim and the brightest spot in the entire place was the counter of the bar that looked far fancier than anything else there for some reason.
Ian walked to the same corner where Cindy went and stood next to her.
"All good?" Ian asked.
"Just cold. Can we cuddle?" Cindy answered and asked.
"Not here."
"Fine. Go get me booze then." Cindy said and handed a card to Ian.
"She really seems to trust me." Ian thought and took the card.
"Alright." Ian said.
"Get yourself some while you're at it. You're more fun that way." Cindy requested.
"Well, since she asks." Ian thought and walked to the counter while avoiding bumping into people who were moving frantically to the tune of awful music.
As Ian was at the counter thinking what to get, he heard a conversation happening next to him that peaked his attention.
"I don't know where he is! He's not appearing online, he doesn't answer messages or calls. Nothing!" Some denim vest wearing young lady near Ian said to her friends, who all had a similar look.
"Did he fucking die or did his stupid arse forget?" Another young lady in the crew asked.
"Fuck if I know. Lloyd's not usually like this. I'm almost worried." A third one added.
"Are they talking about the same Lloyd who I'm worried about?" Ian thought.
"Ahem. Girls, your scheduled time is coming up and you're still not ready? Last chance to cancel. Are you bloody playing or not?" Some stern looking thick man asked the girl group impatiently.
"What do we say? Should we just cancel or do we trust him to show up in the next five minutes?" One of them asked the others.
They all thought for a moment.
"Fuck it. He's not coming. We cancel." One of them told the stern man.
"Then that's settled. Don't bother wasting my time in the future." The man said to the group and walked away.
"Sucks for them." Ian thought and walked back to Cindy with two drinks.
"There you are. Thanks." Cindy said, took her drink from Ian and downed it in one go.
"Better?" Ian asked.
"No. Get me another one since you still have the card. Get yourself another one as well while you're at it."
"I haven't even taken a sip of my first one."
"I can help with that." Cindy said and took the other drink from Ian as well, and then downed it in one go.
"Well. Thanks." Ian said and went back to the counter.
He returned with two more drinks and handed one to Cindy who once again downed it instantly.
"You should enjoy yourself too, Baby." Cindy said to Ian and sounded happy.
"Since you ask." Ian said and sipped his drink.
"Why do you look so worried, Baby?"
"My friend still hasn't shown up even though it's the time that we agreed about."
"Maybe he chickened out." Cindy said and giggled.
"This group of girls who I assume are his band, also wondered about someone who has the same name. So he's not just ignoring me, but others too."
"A bit more to drink would make you worry less." Cindy said and smirked.
"I should be worried. But we obviously can't drive back to check on him if you're two drinks deep and I don't want to take the risk of getting caught driving without a license a second time."
"If it's something that you can't do anything about, then why worry about it?" Cindy asked.
Ian thought for a moment.
"Fair point." Ian said and sipped his drink.
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As their second round turned to their fifth, Ian could hardly stand anymore and so they had both sat down by the corner with their backs against the wall. Both were giggling while quietly making jokes about everyone that they saw.
"And that guy looks like someone who only came here to check out girls who are ten years younger than him." Ian commented about one man in the club.
Cindy spat her drink out and burst out in laughter.
"You know I'm right." Ian further added.
"I mean, probably." Cindy said and sipped her drink.
"And that girl looks like she'd go with him if the price is right." Ian commented on somebody else.
"You calling her a cheap whore, hm?" Cindy asked.
"What? You know her?" Ian asked back and instantly regretted what he said.
"No, but that's a bit far you're going isn't it?" Cindy asked interrogatively.
"I... it was a joke. I mean... I'm sorry, I didn't..." Ian explained desperately but Cindy just laughed again.
"It's cute when you get all apola... apol... apologe... apologetic like that." Cindy said and looked at Ian in drunken lust.
"Oh fuck off." Ian said and looked away from Cindy.
"And what if I don't?" Cindy asked and smirked like she had just won.
"You know what I meant."
"No I didn't. You should come over here and explain precisely what you meant."
"What an awful attempt she's making." Ian thought and sat there with a blank look as an argument was going on somewhere in the club.
"Well?" Cindy asked impatiently.
"Why did we come here again?" Ian asked while trying to remember.
"For this." Cindy said and forcefully mounted herself on Ian's lap.
She assaulted Ian's mouth with her own and wouldn't let go. For anyone looking the way Cindy was going at it would have been disgusting to look at, but she was too drunk to care.
"Damn. She's really just forcing herself on me. Guess I shouldn't push her off. She wouldn't like that." Ian thought.
He came to the conclusion that all he can do is embrace it, and so he returned Cindy the same treatment that she was giving to him. The argument happening elsewhere was distracting Ian, so he side eyed to the direction of it while hardly giving any effort to what he and Cindy were doing. Ian's vision was blurry so he couldn't really recognise anything. One thing he did hear clearly was something that some unknown voice shouted.
"Can somebody throw those two lovesick bums out of here before they go any further?" Is what the unknown voice shouted to somebody.
Cindy heard it too, and showed a middle finger to the direction of the voice. Ian saw it and found it amusing, so he did the same.
"Oh right. Cindy is pretty cool, actually. I sort of forgot." Ian thought and closed his eyes while keeping his middle finger still up.
The argument in the background caught his curiosity again, so he opened his eye again and tried to see what it was about. It took a few a seconds for his vision to stop being blurry, but he did recognise one voice in the argument. Ian's vision became clear and he saw who was arguing. The three girls he saw earlier were talking down and yelling at Lloyd who was wearing a similar denim jacket as the girls, something that Ian had never seen him wear. Ian couldn't hear the details of what they were saying but he did hear something about being late and costing the band a gig and money. Regardless of what anyone said, once the dressing down stopped, Lloyd stepped away from the band looking angry. Lloyd looked around the club and happened to look to the direction were Ian and Cindy were going at it with both their middle fingers facing precisely to Lloyd's direction. Ian's and Lloyd's eyes met and once Ian saw that his hand and middle finger was still up, he put it down, but Lloyd was already walking to the door.
"Shit. I didn't mean to do that."
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