In The Blood

A Long Night

(Chance)

Hearing Tim sob into the phone about broke my already fragile heart. He was scared to death for Rob—hell, we all were—, and talking to his brother, who was scared to death for him. My own mother had been beside herself. It'd taken me a minute to calm her down and even get her in any shape to talk. And when she realized my phone wasn't even working or with me, it'd only scared her more. I hated, hated, hated to hear her cry. Initiate heart breaking.

I tried to snake an arm across Adam towards Tim, but he turned into a jumping bean and leaned forward and wouldn't let me; I tried twice more but he just kept moving. Damn, dude, be still, wouldja? Needing to touch and reassure a crying Tim, I opened the car to walk around to the other side. I'mma get to him somehow. I was directly behind the car when it kicked back on, making me cough. I walked quickly to the passenger side just to have them drive off. I threw my hands in the air. What the hell? Where he—can't they see I'm not in there with them? Hello!!! Never mind little old me here who's just trying to get to a friend in distress! Alarmed, I jogged after them, waving my arms around in the air trying to catch any of their attention. The car pulled out of the Citgo and started rolling down the surprisingly busy roadway. I stared after them, feeling my mouth drop open. They'd actually left me behind. And no one had noticed I wasn't in the car. Adam at least had to have seen me get out of the vehicle. Shit, Adam, why couldn't you have said something? The hell, man?

Feeling miffed, I let my arms drop back down to my sides. Clearly, running after them had been useless. No one had seen me anyway. Well, except for a woman who was just strolling down the sidewalk and eyeing me suspiciously. Probably thought I was crazy. I let out a long breath and started a few steps in their direction, trying to see if they'd stop or try to turn around. Course, by now I didn't even see the car. Goddamn it. What I get for trying to be a nice guy and a caring friend. No, no, no. Got to stop thinking like that. Surely it had been accidental. They wouldn't try to hurt me. Still, it bothered me. I sighed and sat down on the curb, trying to decide the best course of action. Obviously, I can't run after them; I'm on foot and they're in the car. If I had my phone I could call them, but I didn't and I couldn't. Reckon I could go back and try to see if someone would let me borrow a phone real quick. I'd just placed my hands on my knees to help me stand up when a handful of change rained down in my lap. I glanced up to see where it had come from and was slightly horrified to see a kind man wave at me and jog up to the gas station, a one-gallon gas can in hand. Oh my God, he'd thought I was... I felt my whole face redden.

OK, I got to get off this curb. I am not homeless and I'm actually well-to-do; I don't need to look like a destitute beggar. I stood up and moved back to the sidewalk, just behind a woman who quickly spun to me. Her eyes widened and she thrust a hand out towards me, hugging her purse to her chest.

"I'm not a thief!" I said hurriedly, throwing my hands up to show I was harmless.

"Uh-huh," she mumbled, clearly not buying it. She hugged her purse tighter to her chest and ran past me towards the Citgo.

Now feeling bad she thought I was a thief that scared her, embarrassed that the guy thought I was a beggar and tried to give me coins, and self-conscious that the first woman wrote me off as crazy, I started to jog towards the gas station. Probably shouldn't have started down the street anyway. I brushed against a guy walking a dog and apologized but he just ignored me. Whatever, dude. I'd just stepped foot onto the Citgo parking lot when the woman in the corner of the lot trying to scrape something off of a kitchen towel looked up at me and screamed. She dropped the towel, clamped one arm across her chest, the other to her pants zipper and button, and screamed again. A bit frightened myself now, I screamed with her, both of us staring at each other in horror. She didn't look threatening, but I was on edge. Just hours ago, I'd practically felt the gun's sites on me, sensed Adam's fear, and seen Rob get shot. This girl had no weapon other than a light blue kitchen rag, but still my heart pounded.