Call it Fate, Call it Karma

Observance

I greeted Fab with a hug and ushered him inside, where I made us both a cup of coffee and some snacks. We sat down and talked for a while, filling each other in with any somewhat important details of each of our lives that the other might've missed out on.

"Thanks for coming over Fab," I said as I handed him a cigarette and pulled one out for myself. "...I really needed it. "God only knows where Julian's run off to. What if he doesn't come back?! I can't believe I just let him go!"

"Hey, chill out man." said Fab nonchalantly. "He'll be back."

"How do you know he will?" I watched as he placed the cigarettes on the table and pulled out two much needed joints instead, then lighting one for me and one for himself.

He shrugged, taking a long drag. "I just do."

"Well, you better be right or I'll never forgive myself."  I tapped off the ash of my joint with a frown.

"When's Albert home?"

I leaned forward to grab Albert's watch off the table that he'd forgot to bring to work that morning. "Two hours, I think."

Fab nodded to himself and took another drag. He did some sort 'french inhale' thing that Julian had showed me back when we were in school, where you exhale the smoke and somehow inhale it back through your nose? As strange as it sounds, Fab looked kinda hot when he was doing it and I couldn't help but to stare. His dark curls almost covered his eyes, giving him some sort of mysterious look.

"I like your hair." I spoke after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Fab looked at me, his face scrunched up in confusion. "My hair?"

"Yeah...I like it." I leaned over to touch a stray lock of it. "It's longer."

"How observant of you." he chuckled.

I chewed on my bottom lip and pulled my hand away. "You've gotta teach me how to do that smoke thing."

"Oh, really?" Fab watched me with an amused grin plastered on his face. He did the french inhale thing once again to tease me and changed the subject. "Wanna play some old video games?"

I shook my head with a grin. "Sure."

We dug up some of Albert's old games and ended up playing 'Space Invaders' and some other games for a while until Albert got home from work and joined us. It'd been 5 hours and still no Julian. I explained the situation to Albert, who looked a little less worried than I expected him to. He told me that he'd probably come back because of his personality improvement and stuff and how it'd be stupid to just throw it all away. I tried to agree with him, but I was too overridden with worry.

"I bet you he's out there right now with a needle in his arm, half dead!" I groaned as I packed up the video game console.

"Jade, he said he'd be fine, didn't he?" said Albert. "You've gotta trust him."

"You can't blame me for not trusting him!" I hissed, crawling back over to the couch.

"He won't fuck off again." Fab said, somewhat reassuringly. "He's got it good here."

"You really think so?"

"For the last time -- he was living in a derelict building filled with junkies! This is pretty much a five star hotel for him at the moment!" Albert threw his arms up in the air frustratedly with a scowl.

"Here I go with the excessive worrying again." I whined, resting my head on Albert's shoulder. "Sorry for dampening the mood, guys."

"It's good to see you genuinely caring for things again." Albert sighed, patting my back. "You were just blank before. You didn't care about anything."

"I'm sorry about that too." I was embarrassed at it being brought up in front of Fab. "I was in a dark place." I knew I quickly had to change the subject to avoid anymore awkwardness. "So! Are you staying the night, Fabrizio?"

"Aw man, I'd love to, but I have work tomorrow."

"Oh? Where do you work now?"

"Well, it's not really work, so much as a pathetic internship." he explained, slightly intriguing me. "I basically follow around this snobby artist guy from art gallery to art gallery observing and stuff, I guess."

I beamed. "You still do art?!" I was always very excited for him when it came to this sort of stuff.

"Yeah." Fab nodded. "I'm hoping to make some sort of career out of it...hence the internship."

"That's so great, Fab!" I yelped, engulfing him in a short hug.

"It's alright." he shrugged, standing up. "Well, I better get going. Thanks for inviting me over, Jade."

"Anytime." I jumped up to kiss him on the cheek after he bid a quick goodbye to Albert. "Goodnight, Fab."

"Goodnight!" he called back as he left through the front door.

"I'm probably gonna head off to bed." Albert yawned.

Realisation set in once again, leaving me distraught. "Julian still hasn't come home yet!"

"Please go get some sleep." Albert sighed. "He'll come back."

"Can I sleep with you tonight? If Julian comes back I want him to have a bed to himself. He's probably gonna be so tired."

Albert rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle. "Whatever you say."