The Friend

Alicia

Rodney was moody the entire car ride home. And it hadn't been this bad since that day she had taken him to see her old professor. The same way her professor tried to lecture him on life, was the same way his father tried to lecture him today. Alicia was beginning to think that Rodney hated being told what to do. This frightened her. She saw talent in Rodney that he couldn't see in himself. Talent that was going to waste.

By the time they returned to his neighborhood, it was five o' clock. A hue of indigo light was in the sky.

He parked the car a block away from his apartment and they got out. They walked back in silence. It wasn't awkward, but there was a great pain in her to say something to him.

"Wanna get something to eat?" he muttered.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she smiled.

"Chinese good?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, I know a spot."

"I'm sure it's good."

He didn't say anything to that and they continued on. Turning a block, they walked down his street. Not many people were around. They got to his building.

"Let's go up real quick," Rodney muttered.

"Why?" Alicia asked.

"I don't have cash. I got a card on me," he explained.

"I can wait down here," she said.

He wanted to protest, but decided to just go inside. Alicia walked in a circle, waiting for him.

"Hey."

Startled, she turned around. Standing there, were two, tall men she didn't recognize. One was wearing a black coat, the other was wearing a green one. Neither of them smiled. They towered over her, cornering her by the entrance. She glanced back at Rodney's apartment and thought about running inside, but she didn't have a key to the building.

"Uh...hi," Alicia said, "Am—am I in your way?"

"Nah," the one in black said.

She tucked a curl behind her ear and looked down at her shoes. They just stood there, staring at her still. Alicia could feel her heart race in her chest. As she started to slip out her phone to text Rodney, the one in black spoke again.

"I see you around here a lot," he said, "You live around here or something?"

"Huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, I uh, think you're cute," he half-smiled.

She could tell he was lying. She shivered, wondering why Rodney was taking so long. She didn't know what to do.

"Name?" the man asked.

"I-i-is that how you ask me?"

"I'd really like to know."

"No," she whispered.

"No?" the other repeated.

"No, you don't get to know my name," she said more firmly. 

The man in black stopped smiling as his lip curled up in annoyance. It was chilling. There was this dull, impassive look in his eyes.

"Do you know Rodney?" he asked, "Derek's little brother?"

"Who are you?" Alicia whispered.

She didn't see it coming. The man in black pushed her into the building before hitting her over the head. Losing feeling in her knees, she fell to the ground with a groan.