To belong in Silence

Talking Backwards

"They're vegan, just like you two like!"

He wore a gray suit, the one he wore now was one of many he wore on the weekdays. His tie was crooked and shit-brown, it matched his personality.

"Thanks a lot Fred, but no thanks."

They both rushed to gather their paints, in attempt to escape the discomfort of being in this publicly vulnerable state. Druella grabbed the canvases and brushes, Lucy gathered the paint bottles.

"Aw c'mon girls, I know you're hungry,"

His smile broadened emphasizing his row of crooked teeth.

Dru noticed her stomach stuck to her back as soon as he said that, her mouth became dry as well.

"Really, thanks Ted, but we already ate."

"Okay, so you don't want to eat, let's go do something else I'll take you anywhere." He struggled to keep up with them, carrying a large box of donuts. They walked swiftly away from him heading south towards the art studio.

"Don't be so cold," he gave the box of donuts to an old man who laid in a pile of dark fabrics on the street, "Give me a chance to show you a good time, please?"he stopped at the stop light.

"We're doing just fine, thanks," they called behind them.

Jumping right back into conversation now, "Every time I go home I feel like I'm there by myself. I feel like it's been months since I've talked to him."

"Just talk to him Druella, you both are acting like children. You live with this man, you share the same unwashed bed with him."

"He ignores me and I don't know what to do."

They passed street venders, and the smell of hotdogs made their stomachs rise in disgust.

"Do you ignore him?" Lucy dodged a pigeon to keep her step.

"I don't mean to. He's never there."

They both reached their destination and filed into Body Art. It was an art studio/adult entertainment joint. Sometimes they held art shows.

Dru waved at the familiar faces of the front art area as Lucy followed closely behind her. Whispering bitter nothings... why haven't you two talked it out...you two used to be perfect for each other....its time to grow up...

They entered the warm purple light of the porn shop. There were scrambles of customers blotched around video tubs. Lucy scanned for an orange head through the chaos of adults seeking visual pleasure, briefly. Then she followed Dru into a side door where they usually hid out.

It was a second home, no matter how much it was a closet space. Upon entry their feet clashed with the small garbage pail that time and time again had to be replaced with the trash it spewed.

They stored their artsy things for the time being behind the door.

"Why are you so afraid of him?"

There were two bean-bags, one Lucy took to sitting in. Crumbs of junk food littered the floor from the trashcan spill, Druella did her best to pick them up.

"I don't know, there was one point where we became really distant," she continued this long drawn out conversation, all while kneeling over the floor.

Lucy groaned, "You don't love him any more?"

"I love him, I really do."

"Look I'm gonna come over"-

"Don't! The place is a pig stock."

"Let me at least fill up your refrigerator."

"Stop Lucy," Dru dumped the crumbs into the basket, she flopped down in the other bean-bag.

"Enough about me, how are you and Calvin?"

as if on command Calvin bursted in the door of their small space, hitting Lucy's knee.

"Damn!" Lucy cried in pain

"Im sorry babe," he immediately went to rub her knee, "How are you Dru?"

"Fine, fine Calv, thanks for asking," she replied in a friendly tone.

"I didn't see you when I came in, where were you?" Lucy wasted no time to inquire his whereabouts.

Calvin smiled at her, flashing a silver smiley, "I was helping Jon," you know the regular, "he really makes a lot of orders."

Lucy made a disgusted face.

"Well anyway," he continued, "We were looking for a "special edition" volume of Classroom Exxpeditionz, couldn't find it but i'm pretty sure we rented it to him before."

"Sneaky bugger, eh?" Dru chimed in.

"Yeah," Calvin laughed.

He wore a purple tee with the sleeves cut off. It was the company shirt, his aunt owned the shop. A pair of grimy looking jeans stuck to his legs.

Lucy noticed, "Why are your pants wet?"

"I had to clean up the bathroom this morning, someone couldn't make it home," He laughed at Lucy's horrified face.

"You're gross!" Lucy squealed. Their faces met in a kiss.

"Dirty," Dru echoed through the sound of their smacking spit.

Once they detached, they waited a few more hours so Calvin could give his shift to his younger cousin. They went out to the gelato bar. Calvin paid.