The Evening Street : RADIODUST

10: Cool Water - 4 :DRAFT:

Stolas beamed. He happily continued talking about how well the musical went. Anthony forced himself to pay attention and play along.

⌛

Anthony opened the doors, breaking out from the suffocating atmosphere of the theater's lobby. After talking with Stolas, he was bombarded by potential fans and praising crew mates. Alastor was a ghost. His figure had hidden within the crowds, no longer standing with Valentino, but dabbling from person to person.

Like a shadow, Anthony saw him once talking to Foxy and another time to Josephine. In a blink of an eye, Anthony would lose him. Alastor was a glimpse, a small spot-it or you'll miss it moment. Anthony couldn't reach out, stuck with people surrounding him and praising him on his work. Anthony felt proud but he couldn't actually focus on the moment.

The questions that burned in Anthony were left unanswered, burning in his gut. His brain was filled with what-ifs and why-nots. Was Al avoiding him? Was Al looking for him? Why didn't he come to me? Where is he?

Eventually Anthony was so drained of wandering, talking, and simply faking his happiness, that he walked out of the noise and into the quieter streets of New York. There was an alleyway beside the theater, alone and quiet. Anthony went there. He leaned his back against the brick wall, taking out his vape.

The vape was pink, a gift from Valentino himself. He sabored the artificial strawberry flavour, blowing out a puff of cold vapor. The sky was such a brilliant blue, but the buildings swallowed the sky's space with grays and blacks.

Another puff of vapor and Anthony's mind began to slow down.

What as Alastor playing here?

Does he even know their bad people?

Why didn't Alastor approach me?

Anthony inhaled his vape once more. He heard the theater door flutter open and closed. That's strange, there's supposed to be an entire celebration. Maybe Caroline's leaving, she's always juggling jobs.

The steps stopped and turned around, not towards the door, but towards Anthony. Anthony didn't have the heart to look up. He was tired and depleted. Social interaction was the last thing on his list.

Anthony fiddled with his vape, ready to speak back if Caroline decided to talk to him.

"Angel?" Alastor said softly.

Anthony jumped, heart beating rapidly in his chest. He nearly dropped the vape.

That would have been absolutely disgusting if his vape touched the shit and crap tainted floor. He would still vape it though.

"I've been looking for you," Alastor said. His smile was gentle and somewhat lopsided. He took a few steps closer, now standing only four steps away from him.

"You look disheveled dear. Are you alright?"

Anthony blinked blearily at him, once, twice.

"Yeah... no, not really. Al, were you like..." Angel, frustrated and tired, waved his hands around, trying to express the inner conflict he was feeling.

"Al, were you avoiding me? Were you ashamed to know me? Because nowhere in hell did you try to say hi or anything— I don't know. You seemed so happy and excited to come see my show and... y'know."

Anthony's lost confidence the longer he talked.

Alastor appeared to be weighing his words, a flicker of indecision in his eyes. He took a step forward, his hands folded behind his back.