RED PARALLEL

Chapter 14: You Look Different, That's All

Song: Clint Eastwood, by Gorillaz. 

"Hi."

"Heey, baby, how ya doing?" Jessi hugged Traviz as if he were a cute little kid. Her hugs were so good, warm, fragrant, and with that- "Look, I'm so sorry for yesterday, you know, and thanks for the company. The cake and the b-soda, you know."

Anytime.

"Ah." Traviz rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the strand of her bra. "S'okay... And, hm..."

"Yes, honey?"

Jessi beamed, curling a strand of hair with her finger. It was so nice to see her cheerful; the crying performance in her car had been beyond scary.

Jessi had told Nate she had successfully taken Traviz to school. He'd made sure to follow the plot, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Not that we're lying, you know..." Jessi had commented after Nate had left the two alone in his room, an enormous relief stamped on his face. "I did take you to school... I just didn't drop you there..."

"What about today?"

"Well..."

"I mean, people at The Crib are gonna find out I ain't going to school if I stay here."

"Traviz."

"No," Traviz said, after reading her expression. "Ain't going."

"Well, I get ya. School sucks. But how are we gonna make this? Cuz I gotta meet my girls, I can't bring ya. Do you wanna go somewhere else, and then I pick you after?"

"Yeah, sort of." Traviz frowned, thinking about where to go.

"'Kay, let's move, baby. Where you wanna go?"

"Hm..."

--

"Drop me here."

Why, he didn't know. At least it was a known place. A fucking known bitch of a place.

"You know this square?"

"Yep. Hm, seeya."

"Bye, honey. I love ya. Please don't get lost, okay? I'll pick you up at eleven."

The damn bench was still there, next to the damn garbage. No soccer ball, though. Traviz sighed, feeling the boredom embracing him like a thick veil, and he sat on the bench, wondering how to randomly hang around the streets and get back at the square without getting lost.

Hm, there's a burger's over there... And a market... Maybe I can grab something and-

His lazy thought did not complete itself.

"Oh, hello."

Traviz turned his head and his heart catapulted to the skies.

Owen had grown up a few inches, too, and he looked even thinner if that was even possible. The rest looked just the same. Ghost-like.

"Son of a bitch."

"Good to see you, too, Troy." Owen grinned. "And you grew up! That's remarkable, never thought you could do this."

"What the fuck you doing here?"

"Hm, strolling about... And then I saw you here, looking like a potato."

"Potato my ass, you dickhead."

"Ah, he hasn't changed..." The dickhead tilted his head. "So, how's school doing, Troy?"

Traviz clenched his teeth, picturing a good strong punch on that sucker's face.

So Owen hadn't been to school, either.