OPIUM (Joe MacMillan story) - Currently being rewritten

Chapter 6 : Rocket

 The year 1982 finished, 1983 started. Karen's leg was cured, her life was now more than better. Every week, she had her special day to meet Cameron in Houston. They were focused on creating a new type of code to raise a computer's power. People were sometimes amused by this duet. Cameron was this tall mysterious girl, dressed in large jackets and large pants with short blond hair, always carrying a big bag filled with stuff she was sure to use. Karen was the short silent girl, always classy, her red hair tied in a bun, and always carried a little pannier with a few papers.

During that time, Karen had no idea that Joe was having a relationship with Cameron, who distantly but surely wanted to keep him away from her. Cameron loved Joe a bit too much, but her primal desire was to protect the poor Karen who endured deaths and terrible accidents in a little less than a year. Joe was a danger for her, and she needed to keep him away from the girl he loved. Cameron knew it would make Karen suffer and had the wish to tell her about what happened, but ended her relationship with Joe before even trying anything. She had a little relationship with a certain Tom Rendon who was slowly curing her from the terrible misadventure she had with MacMillan. Joe was still terrified to think that the two girls were talking to each other until the day he saw Karen at IBM's office. She was dressed with, mostly, Cameron's outfit.

-What the hell are you wearing ? Joe asked

-Fashion.

Joe hated to see Karen change. This singular day, he noticed that she beared a fashion which wasn't really usual. From the classic jackets, large jeans, nice white jackets and little loafers to the large grey sweater, ripped jeans and large trainers, there was a sea change. He couldn't say what was wrong, but he largely prefered Karen wearing some casual clothing that Cameron's stuff.

-I want you to get back home and change yourself in a decent outfit. Joe whispered, slowly pushing Karen against the wall so no one would see her

-Is there a problem ?

-I'm serious, get back home. We're in an office, not in a junkyard.

-You can't tell me how I need to dress up, Joe.

Karen pushed him back and walked in the office, not even bothering on what people said about her. As Gordon saw her, he sighed. It was like he saw Cameron in the office, and quickly understood that there was something wrong. Gordon was aware of Joe's relationship with Cameron, but was also aware of the relationship Karen had with Ian. He knew everything about her, and knew it was Joe's fault if Karen had another man in her life. Joe corrupted the angel she used to be. He wasn't on his way to say anything to Karen, on the contrary. He wanted to make her learn by herself. While she was programming a software, he walked in the office and smiled.

-Hey girl, how's going ?

-Pretty well ! Karen smiled to him, What about you ? How are the girls ?

-Everything's fine.

He watched her working on the software and quickly left the office as he saw Joe in the corner. Since a few months, Joe couldn't do anything else but staring at Karen, or simply watching over her for hours. He didn't want her to leave him, but quickly understood why the distance rulled their relationship. She found someone else, someone better than this man. But Joe first dislike was to share. He had an extreme way to express his feelings for Karen, his jealousy toward people getting close to her. Sometimes, when she wasn't really in a great mood, Joe kept his prodigy in his apartment, locked. Only Gordon knew that truth since Karen was telling everything to him.

There was this night when Joe left her for a while. Karen wasn't going back home that night, she prefered to enjoy her time with her friends. They left to go to a club in the middle of Houston and, for the first time, Karen had the right to have a view on another world. The world of those who enjoy their lives. Ian and Terrence went downstairs to order some drinks. As her and Becky were sitting on the stairs, a random man went closer to them. He stood still and smiled.