𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚

"HAVE YOU SEEN FRENCHIE OR KIMIKO?" M.M. ASKED HUGHIE, THE MAN SHOVING HIS PHONE IN HIS POCKET. "No. No, not for a while. Why?" He asked, M.M. huffing. "Fuck." He let out quietly. Hughie itched behind his own ear, glancing back at Samuel who sat at the table with a small box of Chinese noodles. "Uh, listen," Hughie called a little louder, catching the boy's attention.

"I just got off the phone with Butcher and I think something might be wrong. Like really, really wrong." M.M. turned his back to Hughie, wrapping headphones up tightly. Samuel chewed through his bite, brows raised. "Why do you think that?" Samuel called, voice muffled as M.M. sighed, grimacing at the sound of Samuel's mouth. "He was nice." Hughie spoke, M.M.'s brows scrunching.

"And he, uh, he called me his canary?" Hughie asked, Samuel scoffing a little. "What the fuck is a canary?" He asked, eyes glued to Hughie. M.M. turned around, watching Hughie explain. "He also told me to thank you for the anchor, back on the yacht." Hughie watched as Samuel's smile fell a little, M.M. making brief eye contact with the boy.

"Tell me everything he said."

∞

"ACT LIKE YOU LIKE HER." ANNIE LAUGHED WITH THE DIRECTOR AT HIS ORDER, STORMFRONT WATCHING THEM. "If I have to." Annie joked, the director laughing before walking away. "Of course you like me. You've been eye-fucking me like a lovesick stan girl all day." Stormfront remarked, walking away as Annie followed. "Why is that?" Stormfront asked, glancing at the woman.

"I don't know. I think that you're a good actor." Annie lied, pointing back to the movie set. "And I just, feel like a friggin' fembot up there." She chuckled, Stormfront walking ahead. "You know-" She stopped when Stormfront walked away far enough, a woman stopping in front of her to touch up on her lipstick. "Everyone, can we please stand by to roll. Let's try to make our day." The director called, Annie smiling at the woman as she left.

"Thank you."

∞

"BANANA SALTWATER TAFFY." THE ELDERLY WOMAN GAVE A BOX OVER TO HER FRIEND, THE WOMAN SMILING. "Ron cannot live without it. Thank you." She smiled, the doorbell ringing. Opening the door, the elderly woman's smile fell. "Billy?" She spoke, the two women watching him hold a small box. "Hello, Judy." He smiled, Judy's friend's brow furrowing.

"Who's this?" She asked, Judy staring at Billy. "He's my nephew." She answered, the woman beside her nodding briefly.

∞

"FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, BILLY, YOU GOT TO RING YOUR MUM." JUDY TOLD BILLY, THE MAN RUMMAGING THROUGH HER FRIDGE. "Where's my boy?" He asked, ignoring the woman as he chucked a grape in his mouth. "Your mum and dad are flying over, you know?" The two ignored each other. "Your mum's worried to death about you." Billy shut the fridge, looking back at Judy.

"No. You tell 'em no. It'd be a waste of a perfectly good plane ticket." Billy nodded, watching his aunt sigh. "Your father's quite ill. The cancer's spreading fast." She nodded, Billy shrugging. "Yeah, well, not fast enough. I ain't seeing 'em. Now, where's me boy?" Billy's tone sharpened, watching Judy's brows raise.

∞

LETTING THE DOG INSIDE, BILLY SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND HIM. "Oi, Billy." Judy called, the man stopping in his tracks. Samuel, Hughie, and M.M. sat on the couch, tea and biscuits around them. "You should've told me you were bringing company." Judy smiled, Billy watching her hand Samuel a biscuit and rub his shoulder like a mother would.