Bloodstream

Colour Crimson In My Eyes

I’ve known Bo for a few years now and everything has been pretty simple, our friendship was pretty normal; he seemed like a genuine straight forward guy. He was very funny and talented, one of the smartest people around.

He and I never kept secrets from each other, never; well I thought so.

--

My life is pretty straight to the point; I worked at a bar, that’s where Bo and I met. Late shift almost every night of the week sucks but it paid my bills. I was also in a small city band, fem punk. 

Nothing serious, life was boring and repeated. 

--

I sat at the back of the bus, it was 5pm and I have till 1am, Lana Del Rey rings through my earphones, we pulled up at Bo’s stop, he trudges to the back of the bus and flops down next to me.

“Tired?” I questioned, his eyes were red and he looked tweaked,

“Beyond, how are you?”

“Bored, really don’t want to work this shift” 

“Come back to my place after? I probably won’t sleep afterward and I could use some company”

“Sure” I smiled,

“Can I bum and earphone, I left my iPod at him” I nodded, handing him an earbud,

“whatcha listenin’ to?” 

“Lana?” I flashed him my phone screen and he snatched it from my hands, flicked through and changed the song,

“Hey!” I took my phone back “I was listening to that”

The bus continued of for another few minutes before it pulled up a few minutes’ walk away from the bar, I thank the driver and walked off with Bo.

-

A few hours into my shift I went out for a cigarette break, I lit it and took a long drag in and a long breath out; it was fairly warm outside, well warm for winter. 

“I can I bum one of those, love?” I heard a deep voice drag,

“Sorry, last one”

“That’s too bad, whats your name?” he asked, getting closer to me,

“Genevieve”

“That’s a pretty name for a pretty lady”

“Im sorry, I have a boyfriend” I use this excuse too often,

“What? That skinny white boy you walked in with before” he laughed “let me show a real man honey” he slowly backed me against the wall, and went to kiss my neck

“Hey!” I heard a voice bellow, Bo. “You need to leave her alone” 

“What are you gonna do, bones?” I see Bo’s jaw clench as well as his fists, Bo swings at the man and take him out clean, his eyes darken and he pulls me off back to the bar door,

“Are you okay?” im speechless, I’d never seen that side of Bo before,

“Err, um, yeah, im fine”

“Let me talk to John, I’ll get out shifts reduced and we’ll leave, sound good?” I nodded, he grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd, he talked to the manger and he agreed to let Bo and I off early, we walked out of the bar and walked back to his house, it was a fair walk but I needed to clear me head, Bo still hadn’t let go of my hand.