V & V - Rageous Rageon Rise

My Sad Clouds

Dom POV:

Johnny: "So, yeah, Sam and I are back, baby."

Brandon pats him on the back, the two cheering drunkenly. I get into his front seat, waiting for them to get their seatbelts on.

Brandon: "Dom... Dom. Drop me off first."

Dom: "Alright."

I pull away from Ven's apartment, and it takes me a minute to figure out where I'm going. Every little sound in the car or random light on the sidewalk catches my attention. I'm super on edge... which I really wish I wasn't feeling. I'm not nervous to be driving like I'm drunk, because I had only one drink. I'm anxious I'll see something. I'm nervous I'll start hallucinating again.

As I feel a bit panicked, a small voice in the back of my head reminds me of what happened at the party. I haven't seen a monster... I haven't seen my doppelganger. Maybe... I don't have to be as scared, though; I'm not used to letting my guard down. 

Having those feelings flow is oftentimes how I get hurt, or... how I hurt others, because I can't control what I feel in a healthy way, I guess. But... after Ven... forgave me, I haven't seen anything. With that in mind, I try to relax as the boys in the back talk loudly.

Johnny: "D... D..."

Dom: "Hmm?"

Johnny: "You're so boring now, dude. You turn us into... into monsters... and somehow we were more entertaining... than you are now."

Brandon: "Yeah! Be fun again! Like the old days."

There weren't "old days" for me. They never paid attention to me. I think they're just trying to annoy me now. Or, maybe, through their drunken rambling, they don't see how much their words... hurt me. Not that they've ever really cared about that before, we were all raised to be pretty independent, have thick skin, that sort of thing. 

After learning... I don't need to continue to think that way; I've realized that a lot of what they do say to me... hurts. Maybe I can talk to them about it once they're sober. I wonder if they will listen.

I get to Brandon's apartment, dropping him off quietly. Once he's out of the car, I drive Johnny home.

Johnny: "How... how are... you gonna get home?"

Dom: "I'll walk."

Johnny: "You... you really need... a car, man."

Dom: "I had one, but a monster was smashed on top of it."

Johnny: "Well, get... get home safe."

With that, he walks inside. I sigh and stare out at the street before me. It's not as dark as it used to be; the lights of Mount Rageous are back on. The only difference is that before the fall of the Rage Dome, there would be tons of Rageons out and about.

Now, there's no one. I guess everyone is still too scared to come outside. I start walking home, tired and hungry. Oh, yeah, I don't have any more food in the apartment. I guess I'll have to go shopping-

*HONK*

I jump as a car slows next to me.

Midori: "Dom! Wanna ride?"

Oh, it's that girl. Midori.

I look back to the sidewalk ahead of me, then nod. I get in the backseat, seeing Carlos at the wheel.

Midori: "Hi, Dom!"

Carlos: "Hello."

Midori: "Carlos just took me to get ice cream!"