South London Forever // George Karim

-the lack of banana bread and dog days-

And just a word of warning, it's probably best to keep that blind fold on

Freddie ripped the blindfold off and dropped it. In this life she wouldn't be satisfied unless the music was like a raging sea in her veins and a tension in her chest that only got stronger as she spun.

She wouldn't nod and smile for the people that wanted her to keep her head down and avert her blank eyes. She wouldn't pose like a prize to be fought over only because she was strange. She wouldn't be a trophy but not a human. Admiration but never compassion.

She could only stand the people that lived for freedom anyway, why bother with the rest?

Maybe that's why she only had one friend.

The zip jammed when she opened the new kit, and she felt around for the brand-new rapier, swapping it for her iron one, which she dropped back into the bag. Ghost fighting supplies piled in the pockets of her trench coat, along with the key card to the canteen and every other room in the skyscraper.

The bag was taken, slung over her shoulder, and she stuffed the blindfold into her breast pocket again, but she wouldn't be taking it home. She held the dog that wasn't called tea tea's lead tightly in one hand and strode down the empty corridor, her chin high this time.

She found her way to the canteen with ease, marching through the crowds of teenagers milling around with paper packages of food and glass bottles of drinks. She didn't have to worry about bumping into anything, her dog steered her just fine, but he tugged eagerly wherever they went, like he was eager to partake in the chaos building through her bones. The people however, parted for her like Moses and the red fucking sea.

She stopped at the counter, not bothering with a menu. She got out the key card for the canteen. "Excuse me, how much is on these?"

"A week's worth of snacks, I don't actually know the amount." Arthur said from beside her happily. "You could probably get about one of everything though."

He surprised her. Not that she didn't know there was someone queueing beside her, but because of how suddenly he answered and that it was that random cheerful boy from the breakroom. Wasn't he supposed to be working? "Thanks, "she said, and moved forward in the line when someone shuffled away.

"What're ya getting?"

".... One of everything, please." Freddie said, glancing sideways with a polite smile. "Except banana bread, if you've got any, I don't want it. Thankyou."

It must have been a very unusual request, but she supposed most people were planning on returning the next day, and therefore needed to stretch out the money.

Not Freddie though, she waited happily to the side as the lunch lady kept sliding wrapped packages down the counter, which she stacked up in her bag until it only just zipped shut. If she did have that banana bread, it probably wouldn't have fit any way.

"Thanks," she told the lady, and moved away from the counter.

She heard Arthur stumble around to face her, jogging to catch up as she left the canteen. "Uhm, Freddie, right? I'm Arthur, except you already know that, because I- anyway, where are you going?"

"Back to Miss Fittes office, she wanted to speak with me before she left."

"Right, I can help you find it." Arthur said heroically, and she let him lead the way back to the tip of the skyscraper where she would finish her shift. "This place is like a maze, and I've been here for years."