Couch Surfer

Buenos Días

a/n : you know, I was born in Basildon and live a twenty minutes drive from there and also London so I can give a pretty fine description of the hellhole Depeche Mode managed to claw their way out of, which can be described as Essex in general

ALEX:
Cup of coffee, burning cigarette, open newspaper, 8 am. Lynn had left an hour earlier, ready in her uniform, handcuffs strapped on and hat positioned neatly on her skull. Dave walked in with a grimace, taking the cigarette out of my fingers and taking a long draw. "You keep smoking these and you'll look like a saggy testicle by your forties." He said. I roll my eyes. "I don't usually smoke them, but it's been a stressful week."
"Same." He mused. "So, good morning to you."
"Morning." I say, taking back my cigarette, a puff and then blow it in his face. He closes his eyes and inhales. "So, where's Lynn? Still in bed?"
"She's at work."
"Oh really, what does she do?"
"She's a police officer."
"Woah, and you?"
"I tell kids not to jump on a trampoline at the same time."
"Riveting..."
"Indeed... what do you do?"
"I'm an entertainer."
"Cool, like what, a magician? Singer... male dancer?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"It'd be nice, you know, to know a little something about the guy staying in your flat." I say, setting my coffee down, I stab the cigarette in the ashtray on the table in one harsh jab. I frown at David. I didn't know this guy at all, and that concerned me. I speak with authority. "So, answer my questions with a straight answer, or we'll have a problem." I said curtly. David looked a little shocked. "Alright, sorry, I'm a musician."
"That's better. Coffee?" I say, now relaxed again. He shakes his head nervously. "I'll just get myself some water, thanks." He said.
"Okay, glasses are in the cupboard next to the sink."
"Right-o." He said. We sat in silence for a while. "So, when Lynn said I could stay, did she just mean the night or longer?"
"I think she meant a few days, or at least until you can get back up on your own feet." I say, looking over the paper with little interest. "You still read newspapers?" He asked.
"Not really, it's out of date by like, three years, found it under my bed the other day. I just use it as an oversized coaster but it's nice to remember how simple everything was back then, feels like the worlds only been getting worse as of late."
"Well, that's life I guess, things aren't too great with me either, if you haven't noticed." He said, holding his arms out in a gesture of his dirty clothes, creased from the night on the couch. "By the way, you wouldn't have any clothes I could use?" He asked.
"Um, I have some of my old flat mates shit he never bothered to come back for, I think it will fit you, but it might be a little baggy, I don't know." I say, getting up and heading into my room, rooting around in the back of my wardrobe. A cardboard box presented itself, I drag it out, grabbing some jeans and a shirt, some underwear and socks. "Here, don't think he left any shoes so you'll just have to use the ones you had on last night. Of course, shower first." I say, opening the bathroom door. David smiles and goes in, locking it behind him. "But hurry up! I need a shower too!" I call through the door. "Right!" He says back. I get my clothes ready, I was going food shopping, and going to take David with me, I wasn't leaving him at the flat alone, I didn't trust him yet.
After we're clean and in new clothes, we get into my car and we leave.

We get strange looks in Lidl's, I'm fondling a packet of crumpets, debating whether or not I should get them, David is leaning on the shopping cart. "So what do we need exactly?" He asked, hanging his head down like he didn't want to be seen. "Milk, pasta, rice, curry sauce, chicken and vegetables." I say. "But of course, you never come back with what was only on the list."
"Yeah well, is there any chance I can get some new clothes? You were right, they're baggy."
"Well, we'll get you some clothes later, we'll go to lakeside, I'm not getting you much, we don't have a lot of money."
"Thanks..."
"Yeah, well..."
"I'm gonna try to get you guys more money. I feel like I'm just being a drain in resources. Am I a drain?
"Well... ooh, look, olives!" I exclaim.

We got back to the flat in silence. I'm putting the groceries away, Dave is leaning on the counter and watching me. "Pasta tonight." I say awkwardly. "Don't worry, let me just get everything sorted out and then we can go get you some new clothes."
"Am I a burden then?"
"What?"
"You never answered my question in the shop."
"You asked me if you were a drain, not a burden."
"Same thing." He shrugged, looking serious.
"It's not a nice question to answer David. I don't want to answer it." I say, putting the chicken away. "And it's not the same thing."
"Come on, I need to know."
"But do you want to know?"
"Tell me, I won't let it go."
"Truthfully... I don't know. I don't know you, I don't know what kind of person you are, I don't know if you're gonna cause trouble or not. So, for now, you're not a burden, maybe another mouth to feed, but not a burden."
"I'll only cause the trouble that needs to be caused." He says with a grin, but I can't tell if he's joking or not. I sigh and smile at him tiredly. "What kinda trouble would that be?"
"Not a clue..." He grinned again, hopping up on the kitchen side and swinging his legs slightly like he was a kid who's feet didn't touch the floor. "Hey!" I rebuke sharply. "Sides are for glasses, not for arses."
"You sit on it."
"My flat, the rules don't apply to me."
"Can't argue with that..."
"Anyhoo, should we go get you some clothes now, I know you can't be too happy in that."
"Well, it's not my best look."
"Come on, let's go back to the car."
"Alright."

The stairwell of the flats had their usual pungent odour for the time of day, when it was getting warm and the clouded windows let heat in but did not let it back out again, which causes the halls to slowly bake the dried urine. It wasn't pleasant, and coupled with the ever growing stench of weed from Masons flat as he lit up his third joint of the day, it was rather sickening. This was not a nice place, Basildon, generally, wasn't a nice place, there were better areas of course, like the new builds where my sister and her boyfriend lived, St Nicholas Mews, something like that. We walked through the car park, group of young boys in track suits and a lit blunt between the three of them watched us. "So, what kind of clothes are we getting?" I ask.
"Huh?" David muttered, in a bit of a daze.
"Well, like, are you gonna get some casual clothes, smart clothes?"
"Well, I don't know, but I don't know if jogging bottoms really suit me. When I was younger, yeah, but not anymore."
"Yeah, I wish I could wear a tracksuit and look good in it, but instead I look like a Little Britain character."
"Heh... yeah, you seem like a smart-casual kinda girl."
"Eh, sometimes I like to look good, but really I'm more jeans and flannel."
"I can like that look as well." He said, we reach a small pastel green car. I unlock the doors. "Get in." I say, he does so, I plug in my phone to the AUX cord and put it on shuffle. Nine Inch Nails cover of Dead souls by Joy Division. The Crow soundtrack, wicked movie and wicked music. I start the engine, pulling out.