Finding something to live for

you scratch my back, I scratch yours. //Chapter 2 //

I began to set up my new apartment, picking up the disgusting trash, mice shit, and cigarette butts. Needless to say Aaron never left my foolish mind, his image stained into it. The way his eyes shined even in the low light apartment. I knew I needed to see him again, he lit something inside of me, a flame that no sense of sanity could extinguish. After a few hours of being extremely lonely and frustrated I gave up trying to set up my apartment. There was just way too much fucking work to be done and I was exhausted from my interesting day.  I set up my small bed on the vile couch and made my way to the bathroom. I flicked the light on and a 50 year old man was asleep in my bathtub with a bottle of jack in his hand and a packed bowl of weed sitting on his chest. I quickly looked around to find some sort of weapon to defend myself before waking up the man. As odd as the situation was I found a straightening iron sitting next to the toilet and armed myself.

 "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BATHROOM!" My lungs burned from the exertion of the scream, the man immediately stirred and stretched, I could tell this time he was not young, nor attractive. He awoke with a creepy smile on his face and got up out of the dirty bathtub. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade knife, shit.

 "Please don’t hurt me, please." Tears spilled out of my eyes as I backed up against the wall, wow the last time I did this it was extroic and sexual.

"Ahahah we are gonna have some fun first honey don't worry." His awful hand snaked up towards my left thigh, and I squeezed my eyes shut trying to rid his disgusting face from my memory, he slowly grabbed the straightening iron out of my hand and through it against the wall. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment,

 "AARON! SOMEONE PLEASE." His hand crashed into my mouth and smashed my head against the tile, I sunk down to the bathroom floor, my head was spinning and everything was turning black around the edges. In the background I heard heavy footsteps.

"What the fuck are you doing to her?"

Black, swirling, deep, infinite black. Peaceful, cold, black.

I jolted up and I instantly recognize Aarons face, staring at me with caring, soft eyes.

"Holy shit I was so worried about you. Are you okay? Do you need something? Water? Anything Samantha." It took me a second to realize he was talking to me, wow my head killed.

"No, I’m fine, thanks. Um, could you maybe give me some space...?" His eyes turned cold again and his gaze was hard as a rock.

"Fine," was all he said before he swiftly got up from the couch and walked out the front door. I wonder if that old creep was still in my bathroom. I followed him to the door and locked it, I noticed a small sticky note on my counter.

"445-876-0909, call me, xx Aaron"

I crumpled up the paper and tossed it into my purse, i'll deal with that later. I grabbed a large kitchen knife and made my way to the bathroom, again. I  kicked every door, screaming each time like a madwoman to wake up whoever might be sleeping in there. When I reached the bathroom, I noticed the old man had left, but his switchblade was on the ground covered in blood, great. I turned on the sink and brown water spilled out. Drip, drip, drip. The fucking pipes were broken too. Leave it to me to find a broken apartment, infested with hobos in the middle of the ghetto and call it home. I finally got settled on the couch and turned on the tv, static, also great. Tomorrow I needed to look for a job, I had enough money to pay for this shit-hole for a few months but I needed food and essentials.

Beep, beep, beep, 6:30am I groaned as I stretched and got up to get ready for today, I checked each room again; and then took a cold shower due to the fact I figured out only hot water was brown and cold was more clear..ish. After doing my makeup and getting ready I walked out the door to go start my job search and grab some coffee. As I was walking down the apartment stairs I noticed a young man sleeping in the hallway, Aaron. I walked over and shook him slowly, there was a jack bottle just like the one the old man had in his palm and even when he was sleeping his face carried a exhausted look.

"Aaron, are you okay?" His eyes moved a little bit before slightly opening, his body then finally reacted. Still groggy his raspy voice echoed through the halls,

"Oh shit hey, uh sorry am in your way?"

Aaron POV

 Wow she was beautiful, even this early in the morning. I hope I wasn't bothering her or scary to her.

"Oh no its okay no need to move, ill just step over." She said giggling slightly, her voice was like a drug to me. I stood up, my legs shook a little bit before I regained my balance. I guess all those drugs are taking a toll on my health, oops.

" Where are you going so early in the morning?" My breath still smelled of alcohol, and my hangover was just beginning. I backed up alittle to clear the tight hallway for her to walk by.

 "Just job hunting, um if you don't mind me asking do you have a place to stay?" this was the second time she has asked that stupid question, but she was trying to to be as polite as possible I could tell. Since I actually didnt have a place to stay I mentally calmed myself down, and told myself not to fuck up. 

"No," I said looking down at my black boots, I hate talking about myself. I’m not a good person. I own nothing but my soul and the clothes on my back. Her expression shocked me, she wasn't trying to embarrass me, empathy ooze into her eyes as her gaze shift from my hard face to my shoes also.

"Not to be weird but if you need a place to stay, my place gets kinda lonely, and I need someone to protect me. It was be like ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ kinda thing." Her phone started beeping and my attention was switched from her young face to the bright screen. She studied the text for a second before sighing and saying,

"Shit I have to go Aaron, um just lemme know, you can stop by whenever.” She said with a small smirk. I just nodded as she continued out of the building into the frigid morning. Her heels clicking on the hard ground and her red hair bouncing slightly behind her back. I hope she was different from others, I know she is different, I think I will stop by later.