Days Of Us

2 -Day The Second-

-Day The Second-

Thursday, week one.

Ray sat on the edge of the scaffolding once again. He took out his box of twenty cigarettes and placed one between his lips, gripping it there while he looked in his deep pockets for his lighter. He could have swore that he took it from his bedside locker that morning right after he had brushed his teeth.

Or maybe he hadn't.

He let out an angry groan as he continued to search in the pockets of his heavy work trousers. He needed this cigarette badly. He hadn't smoked one all day and it was already almost three o'clock. He needed something to run on, he needed-

"Here," the rough voice of Ronnie offered. He stuck his hand out with the lighter and touched the flame to the tip of Ray's cigarette. Ray cupped his hand around it until the cigarette glowed bright orange. Then he sucked in gratefully, letting the calm rush around his body.

He blew out the smoke with a sigh of relief. "Cheers, Ronnie," he said, sitting back down on the edge of the scaffolding. He could feel his veins just pumping with energy. At that moment, he didn't care that he was feeding his addiction or that his lungs could possibly already be coated with a thin layer of tar. Nothing else gave him this feeling. Nothing satisfied him like a good smoke.

"Did you see 'er?" Ronnie asked. Ray heard the distinct click of his lighter as Ronnie lit his own cigarette.

"Who?" Ray returned. Of course, he knew who Ronnie was talking about but he didn't want to sound like he had been watching out for her all day.

Which he definitely had done.

"Red hair," Ronnie answered simply.

"Oh, yeah- I mean no. I didn't see her." Ray stuck the cigarette back in his mouth to shut himself up. Then he sucked in deeply, closing his eyes for a second.

"I owe you a tenner then. I think I-"

"No," Ray said, then he paused to cough. He had almost choked on the cigarette smoke trying to stop Ronnie from talking. He cleared his throat and flicked his cigarette casually to get rid of the ashes. "No. The day isn't over yet. She could turn up later."

"Alright," Ronnie said, sounding slightly disbelieving. He was probably right to sound like that. What sort of idiot would turn down ten quid?

Ray stared down at the crowd, searching for the red hair or the porcelain skin or the handbag or even the scowl on her face. Every time he spotted hair like hers or a bag like hers or skin the colour of hers, his heart made a leap in his chest. What was wrong with him? He hadn't even met the girl and he was already going crazy for her. He sighed, sucking in the last lungful of smoke before quenching the thing and flicking it into the bin behind him.

Maybe she was just a tourist. Or maybe she had only been collecting something on this street. Or maybe she was taking a walk and just happened to be on this street.

He was doubtful that he would spot her in the crowd anyway. Still, he took one more look down at the crowd, searching for her features, before he stood up and walked back to start laying down some more bricks.

He pushed his short black hair away from his forehead, picking up the trowel from where he had left it. He was just about to cover the trowel with fresh cement when he heard Ronnie calling his name. He looked back, pausing mid trowel-covering.

"C'mere. Quick," he ordered, gesturing for Ray to come over to him.

Ray put down the trowel hurriedly and scurried to the edge of the scaffolding where Ronnie was pointing down to the street. "There she is," Ronnie said, a grin on his face. He had just earned a tenner, after all. "Thank you, ginger woman," he called, his voice so loud that it carried down to street, causing many people, including the girl in question, to peer up at the two men.

Ray looked down at her, grinning. There she was, her hair pulled back today with a large clip. She had the same clothes on and the same bag slung over her shoulder. Ray wondered if her clothes were some sort of uniform. He wondered if the scowl that was still plastered on her face was part of the uniform too.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' about you, beautiful," Ronnie hollered, pointing down directly at the red-haired girl. Her scowl grew until she looked utterly disgusted. She flipped them the middle finger once again, holding her hand out to make it clear that she was not impressed with their antics.

Ray stepped back, laughing. He never thought he'd be this glad to see someone that he didn't even know. Especially someone as blatantly rude as the mysterious girl. There he was, his heart beating harder in his chest and a grin so big plastered to his face that he felt like his cheeks were going to break. And there she was, repulsed as soon as she even looked at him.

"Hand it over," Ronnie ordered. Ray slapped the money into his hand, trying not to look too happy.

It was the best tenner he'd ever spent.

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