Fix You _ 3

((Rachel))

   I was lighting up my third cigarette when the woman with rainbow hair stormed out of the house zipping up her dress. My mind immediately jumped to conclusions. Was this guy a rapist? What the fuck? He followed looking a bit flustered.

   Whatever I don’t want anything to do with this guy. Not to mention that the whole time he was inside with that girl I was thinking about my mother. How could I just leave her?! What’s wrong with me? I’m a failure of a daughter. How could I? The words were on repeat in my head. That little voice in my head flipped around, very bipolar. ‘how could you just leave her!?’ ‘don’t worry Rachel you had no choice.’ ‘you’re a coward and a fool’ ‘you should be ashamed’ ‘stop, you did the right thing.’

   “Sorry I didn’t catch your name.” I jumped, I was so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t heard him come up behind me.

   “Rachel.” I muttered and I stood up and brushed the debris from my leggings. “I might not look at the house, there’s something I really need to do. As soon as I possibly can.”

   “Well it’s getting late, are you sure you can’t just wait ‘til tomorrow?” he had a genuine concern in his eyes.

   “No, it’s belter if I go at night anyways.” I walked over to my bike where I had dropped the duffle bag and my purse. I shoved the box of remaining cigarettes into my purse and I shoved that into the duffle.

   “You aren’t some hard ass criminal right?” he asked me. I turned to him and he had that mischievous spark in his eyes again. “Because I can’t rent my house out to a criminal. I have a reputation to up hold.” He gave a cocky smile revealing one uneven tooth, which looked like a filed down fang. “what ya in for babe? Robbery? Murder? Jaywalking?”

   I know he was joking with me but it was annoying. How this bastard could be so light humored about those things, I had no clue. “I’ve done nothing wrong.” I said in my monotone. I was trying to convince myself with those words more than I was trying to convince him.

   “Well at least come in to get cleaned up. You look like you just got in a gang fight.” He took my duffle right out of my hands without waiting for my response and just walked into the house.

   I gritted my teeth. I’m leaving. Screw the bag! But I realized my keys were in it and I needed those to get away. Not to mention I had my license and all the money I’d need in the purse. I sulked as I walked up the three stone steps to get to the door this guy was holding open for me. “Welcome, miss Rachel, to Casa de Garfield.”

   I gave him a cold look.

   “I’m Garfield” he winked “if you didn’t catch on”

   “I caught on.” I muttered. I walked in and caught glimpse of myself in a mirror. Oh god I looked horrible. I had little cuts everywhere and the jean button up I’m wearing had little rips and was sprinkled with my blood in places. The bottom corner of my lip had a cut and my left eye was slightly blackened from his hit this morning. “Where’s your bathroom? I’ll clean up and be out of your home in no time.”

   He pointed to a door on the right. “You can use that one.” He handed me my bag, flashed me a smile and walked over to a two door room, that he opened to reveal a bedroom.

   I turned from him and walked into the bathroom, I locked the door remembering the other girl storming out of the house fixing her dress. It smelled of old spice and cologne. I started unbuttoning my shirt and I pulled a washcloth out of one of the drawers. I started wiping down my body and wondered why this stranger had yet to ask me my story.



((Garfield))

   I was in awe when I saw her pull up on that motorcycle. She had long black hair that had flown out behind her. She parked and walked over to the lake. She sat down and lit up a cigarette. I watched her for a few minutes before wandering out to her. Who is she? Why is she here? I was behind her and found myself without something to say. She smelled of lavender and smoke.

   “Are you my 6 O’clock?” I blanked. I knew she wasn’t. I don’t know how I knew but I did.

   She turned and looked up at me with a beat up face, she had dark blue eyes that remained void of emotion. “what?”

   I babbled about the room for rent, and I saw something flash across those round blue eye of hers before they turned to stone again. “You have a room to rent? Oh, uhm, I’m not your 6 O’clock appointment but could I take a look? I really need a place to stay.”

   I wanted to jump on the offer and let her in for free. I don’t know what it was about this girl but I really wanted her to stay. But before I could answer my real 6 O’clock pulled up. She was a mess of a girl and I knew immediately I didn’t want to sleep under the same roof as her. “If you’re willing to wait out here until I show her the house you’re more than welcome to take a look after.” It bothered me a little how much I wanted her to stay.

   I walked into the house with the other girl, Jamelah. She wandered around looking at things while I stood by a window, and glanced out at the girl by the lake. There was something weird about her. I wanted more than anything to know her story. But it was none of my business.

   “Come here, please” called Jamelah from the guest room. “What were you thinking for price, I absolutely love it here”

   “5,000$ down paymemt, and a monthly pitch for rent.” I said.

   “Maybe we could work something else out?” She moved towards me swaying her hips and glancing up at me from under fake sparkly eye lashes. She had a look in her eyes I’d seen on many women. Of course, that was right before I ripped off their clothes and showed them a good time. And Of course I had absolutely no intention of doing such with her.

   “I’m sorry, but no.” I turned and heard he zipper of the dress. Oh god.

   She jumped in front of me clad in  only her underwear. Oh shit. “I’ve heard good things about you Beast, so why don’t you just prove to me how good you are.” Wow, what a nut job.

   “I’m sorry” not really “but I’m not accepting sexual favors in return for the room.” I turned and started walking out when she started complaining ad throwing a fit. I ignored her and kept walking. “Please get out of my house or I’ll call the cops.”

   I walked out and stood by the window watching the other girl. She sure was a pretty one. I wouldn’t mind hooking up with her. But there was something else about her. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. She was lighting up another cigarette, and Jamelah was stalking angrily out while zipping up her dress. I walked out after her as she got in her car and drove off.

   I walked up behind her again, and once again I entirely blanked. What should I say? I racked my brain for anything. What’s wrong with me I never have trouble talking to women! I’m known as quite the player in fact. And now this girl, who ever she is, has me speechless by just sitting there. Who is she? “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

   She looked startled, but answered “Rachel” as she got up and brushed the dirt off her. She had an amazing body. “I might not look at the house, there’s something I really need to do. As soon as I possibly can.” Wait what?

   “Well it’s getting late, are you sure you can’t just wait ‘til tomorrow?” Shut up, it’s barely 8. Thankfuly she didn’t call me out on that.

   “No, it’s belter if I go at night anyways.” She had a mixed look of determination and… fear?

    “You aren’t some hard ass criminal right?” I asked joking. “Because I can’t rent my house out to a criminal. I have a reputation to up hold.” I laughed a little at myself and smiled at her. “what ya in for babe? Robbery? Murder? Jaywalking?” I was on a roll.

   “I’ve done nothing wrong” she cranked it out with no inflection in her voice. I felt like I had created an awkward situation. Way to go dude!

   “Well at least come in to get cleaned up. You look like you just got in a gang fight.” Stupid thing to say, what if she thought I was calling her ugly. The look on her face told me she was planning on saying no, so before she could I grabbed her bag out of desperation and took it to my house. “Welcome, miss Rachel, to Casa de Garfield.” She gave me a cold look. “I’m Garfield, if you didn’t catch on” I winked at her. C’mon girl, give me something.

   “I caught on.” Ouch, miss ice queen here wasn’t letting up. “Where’s your bathroom? I’ll clean up and be out of your home in no time.”

   “You can use that one” I pointed. I was feeling ultimately defeated. I handed her the bag, smiled as a last attempt to get her to open up, and I walked over to my room. I felt her gaze on me for a few moments then I heard the bathroom door close.

   Geez, what a bitch. I’m totally helping this girl out here and she just keeps shooting me down. Total Ice Queen. My phone started ringing and I reached over to grab it.

   “Hello?” I answered

   “Yo B” it was Cy. “Rob and I are here with Stuart. We’ve gotten to work on the new song, how are the lyrics coming along”

   Shit, I totally spaced. My mind was too busy with trying to rent out the room, and dealing with Ice Queen… “It’s about a girl…” I started. “and she is really cold to the people around her. She causes people devastation with her harshness. Like she’s an Ice Queen”

   “Nice work!” Rob was talking now. “I’m actually Impressed that you got it done in a day.”

   “Oh well I don’t have the exact lyrics worked out yet, but I’ll have them set by tomorrow, and ready for editing.” I felt my face flush. I felt like I was letting them down. “Don’t worry about it.”

   “Well we figured we should all meet tonight, just bring what you have of the lyrics and we’ll do a rough run through and improvise.”

   “Sure” I said panicking. “Why don’t you guys come over here? Bring your instruments and stuff.”

   “B…” Cy spoke “I have a whole drum set.”

   “Well I have an old one in the garage, you can use that! Just bring your drum sticks.”

   We all agreed to meet here for a late night practice. Inspiration hit me more at night.

   I was rushing around my room looking for my guitar when I heard the soft sweet melody. I slowly opened the door and Rachel’s back was to me, but she held my old guitar and strummed simple keys. She started singing very softly.

‘If I told you things I did before, told you how I used to be
Would you go along with someone like me
If you knew my story word for word, had all of my history
Would you go along with someone like me’

   I was in awe. She was very very good, her voice flowed out like silk and her guitar playing was as good as mine. Of course I played electric, she was using my old one. I couldn’t quite recognize the song, but she played it beautifully.

   “You’re very good.” I said without thinking.

   Startled she jumped and dropped the guitar. “Don’t sneak up on me!” she said holding her hand to her chest, as if her heart were literally about to leap from it.

  “I’m sorry” I looked her over. she was still wearing the black leggings from earlier but now she had on an oversized tie-dye sweat shirt that said ‘get high or go home’ and she was wearing a pair of gray vans. “You look better” her hair was tied up in a messy bun and several black strands fell look around her face, looking soft enough to touch.

   “Thanks.” She muttered. “I should go. Thanks for letting me get cleaned up here and stuff.”

  Don’t go. “No problem, do you maybe want to stay the night?” please?

   “No, I couldn’t possibly. I’ve already imposed so much.” She grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. “See ya around, I guess”

   I watched her walk out of my house to get on her motorcycle, and I watched as she rode out of my life.