'Vacation'

2

"Nisey!"

Sudden anger took hold of his emotions. HIs hands grasped the sides of the chair gripping tighter and tighter as his name was repeated. Her voice cut through the voices in his headphones. The calming voices, interrupted.

"Nisey!! Nisey." She repeated like a broken record.

It was annoying in the least. But her insistent calling was just a small distraction compared to the constant pounding in his head. It was as if he was cursed with an eternal headache, an eternal weariness, an eternal will to smash his fist through a wall-

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" His voice erupted from his chest like a bomb, pent up energy giving way to flames.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted pepperoni or cheese pizza. Jeez."

"You fucking bitch." Nisey grabbed his keys and stormed out the door. People were stupid. He'd been treated like a worthless piece of shit his entire life- so that's how he treated others. And as far as he knew, whenever he tried to treat people well, they completely blew him off. Like a piece of shit. The piece of crap that he was. "Why am I still here." He asked himself, staring into a dark puddle off the curb.

He glanced at his car, then pocketed his keys and walked past it. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he slipped down the street.

Thoughts drifting past the buildings and over the sea, a familiar face flickered in his mind. Her playful smile was bright and warm. She once hugged him. Her embrace felt like a blanket fresh out of the dryer being wrapped around him. She smelled of vanilla and her bouncy curls tickled his face. The best thing about her though, was that she didn't care if you were crying, if you were showing emotion, because it didn't matter. She'd make sure you were okay. Even if she wasn't good at consoling, just her presence was enough.

He stopped at the corner of 5th and high street. Slowly drawing his hands out of his pockets, his heart rate increased. Staring at them, he flexed one hand, then the other. They were quivering. An image crossed his mind.

No.    Not today.

His eyes flicked up to the sky. Dark and deep, not a cloud or star in sight. The city didn't render beautiful night skies like the hills did. Come on Nis. He frowned. Stomped his foot. Guilt was sinking in. The way he treated his sis back there would catch up to him.

He whipped around and sprinted back to the apartment, as if a man had her at gunpoint.

Bursting into the room, his voice came out choppy. His hand still gripped the doorknob. "I'm sorry I yelled at you!" He said, almost frantically.

"Boy, I know. I ordered pepperoni by the way." She glanced up from her crossword puzzle before shoving another piece in her mouth. "Get some and help me with this shit. I hate these."

Nisey laughed. " Why are you doing it if you hate it?"

"I made a bet with my boss." She fervently erased a word. "How the hell am I supposed to know the duke of whatever the heck that is's name?!" She gasped, exasperated.

"Try Ferdinand." Nisey arched an eyebrow, taking a bite out of the pizza.

"The the actual heck." She wrote in the name, it fitting perfectly. "Nis go away I don't need your help." She leaned over the puzzle touching the edge of the paper with her finger. It left a grease stain.

"Your loss." Nisey shrugged and walked down the narrow hallway to his bedroom.

He took three steps into the room before diving into his bed. The foam nearly absorbed him. It was like a safety zone- The world couldn't destroy him in his sleep. The last time he'd dreamed of anything was years ago.

The throbbing in his head ebbed for a millisecond before returning at full strength when he caught sight of his phone buzzing on the nightstand.

Reaching over, he slid the red circle across the screen. Call declined.

Rolling over, he stared into his pillow.

I wish she would just listen to me. He pursed his lips. That damned woman always found her way back into his head. She had her pick of all the men in the world and she didn't want any of them. Hah, I'll get her. I'll convince her that I'm good enough. He turned onto his back and stared into the ceiling. I ain't got anything else to look forward to in this world. Might as well take a risk.