LÍO

BORREGO

Cigarettes and coffee; the breakfast of champions, misfits and rebels.

One of Adam's favourite meals.

Sitting outside the apartment complex, he's sucking the life out of his last remaining cigarette and savouring the kick start it's giving him as the sun beats down on the front of the building.

Everything's boiling.

Even his own shadow.

The vest top and shorts are stuck to him.

He wants Georgia to hurry up and rescue him from this heat trap that he's got himself caught up in.

Sighing with relief, he finishes his cigarette and stomps it into the ground when he sees her old, red Seat show up and jumps inside it:

"Is this car your younger or older sister?" he asks, winding the window down.

She chuckles back and shakes her head. "It's a family heirloom."

He grins back. "You can say that again, Georgita."

"Georgita? Someone's in a good mood. You haven't called me that in a while. Or smiled at me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Today's a new day. Last night was a bit rough."

"Why?"

"I had a fight with Mahmoud last night, but we apologised this morning before he headed out to work. I think we're okay now."

"That's good to hear. I'm a bit annoyed."

"Why?"

She turns the music down and lets out a sigh. "Gaizka almost showed me up at our date. He came an hour late."

"That sucks—"

"—Then he wanted to drag me to some party afterwards."

"What kinda party?"

"Some party at a club. I told him I was really busy with coursework."

"And then?"

"We had a fight and he brought me home. We didn't say anything much."

"Did he text you back?"

She nods. "Yeah, yesterday. We've sorta made up. I still made fun of him for looking stupid at the dinner."

"What was he wearing?"

"Some stupid dark shirt, hat and he had a bag with a mask and cape in it."

Adam laughs. "Sounds really nerdy."

"It does. I know he was trying to impress me but it felt flat. He looked like a total loser."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

She sighs. "He's a quirky Dominican."

Adam starts to feel nauseous. "Is he one of these losers with flags up in his room?"

"Yes, he is."

"Pull over!" he yells as she stops the car.

Running out, he vomits onto a nearby side walk and feels dizzy. Tripping over himself, he begins to pass out in front of a bemused man, who he can just about make out as "Gaz".

_

"Are you okay?" the voice asks Adam, who slowly begins to see a field of white appear in his vision. "Adam?"

He nods, feeling a bit disoriented. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Love. You passed out after you vomited."