Starlight

02|| faulty items

amphisbaena : a mythical serpent with a head at each end

Arabella - Artic Monkeys

LEO VASQUEZ

The bloody car wouldn't start, and it would undoubtedly make me late for my board meeting.

I hated being late. If I hadn't overslept because I stayed up looking at files last night, I wouldn't have this problem. It seemed like less effort to be on time as opposed to not being punctual.

I was overthinking because I was stressed again.

Frustrated, I pulled myself away from the hood of the car and accepted that I'd have to ask my neighbour for help. The one day my driver had to book a vacation is the day my car wants to fail on me. Knowing I'd regret it with every fibre of my being, I walked towards the exit of the garage and back up to the hallway to call the lift.

Admittedly, the building I lived in consisted of the elite of New York society.

There was a supposed hierarchy among the inhabitants, and the higher up the building one went, the bigger the net worth of the tenants, or rather, the more stuck up they got.

I was an exception to the rule, of course.

Exiting the fifty-fourth floor, I spot Alex leaving his front door, rattling with his keys as he speaks to someone on the phone. "Okay, talk to you later", he breathes out as he walks in my direction towards the open doors of the lift.

"Did you get lost on the way to your penthouse, Leo?", he laughs.

"I don't have time for your dramatics, Alex. I'm late. Are you going to give me a lift or not?"

I wouldn't ask if a taxi wasn't as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. I hated morning rush hours.

Grinning, he leaned against the lift wall and pressed the button for the basement.

Alex seemed to cower behind a playful attitude away from his responsibilities and problems, as if his ignorance was a physical shield that would make sure he would never have to encounter them.

Picking at his nail bed, he seemed deep in thought, and sadness seemed to swirl like a lingering smoke in his eyes. As if he noticed someone was looking into the cracks of his facade, he looked up and pulled off a carefree performance worthy of an award, but I knew he was hiding from his shadows.

I wasn't a hypocrite, so I never questioned his actions because I was hiding from more than just that.

Swiping his black hair away from his face, he mutters, "Alright, next time I want a morning kiss as a greeting instead of this shit attitude, though."

A scoff slips past my lips, "Did your mother drop you on the floor as a child?"

"Now you know Ms Leroy never dropped her favourite child anywhere."

"Her only child," I state as I walk towards the garage with him in tow.

His black Lamborghini clicks open as he wiggles his keys in his hand. "I'm in charge. Back down," he says pointedly.

"Hurry up, Alex."

I was already ten minutes late.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

Time was a concept I disliked very much. I groaned into my hands as I realised how little sleep I had gotten. I sat up and tried to focus on the cybersecurity crisis I had been trying to fix before I dozed off at my desk.