We Are Broken (Tayley)

Insight

His face was closer to mine now, and I couldn't help internally freaking out.

"You look terrified," He noted.

"I am terrfied," I confirmed and he laughed again.

"I told you not to be scared of me. It's okay, I'm not going to do anything." He leaned back again and resumed staring straight ahead.

"Anything like what?" I asked hesitantly, when he didn't answer, I moved to my next question. "Do you always do this to people whose friends buy drugs from you?"

He smiled before turning his head to me again. "Not usually. I just thought you were cute."

"Oh," was all I could say. I was starting to get tired again quickly, so without saying anything I eased down onto my back and stared upward at the stars. I could feel Taylor's eyes on me, but the stars were beautiful so I didn't look away. Eventually, I closed my eyes and didn't open them again until eight in the morning.

I woke up in the backseat of a car that wasn't mine. Sitting straight up, I couldn't help the sigh of relief when I saw that the park was still outside of the window. I wrinkled my nose in more curiosity than disgust when I noticed the worn hoodie draped across me.

"You're awake," Taylor's voice made me jerk my head to the side where I could see that he was sitting in the driver's seat of the car. I could tell he hadn't slept, but at the same time he didn't look tired.

"Yeah," I looked around and realized that this must be his car. I'm slow in the morning, so it took longer than it should have but it was still reassuring to at least be with someone I knew, even if he was a creepy drug maker guy. "What time is it?"

"8:27 in the morning," He told me and I could tell that he was going to add more to that before I interrupted him.

"Fucking shit! I have school today! Oh my god, it started already. Plus I can't go like this, I wore this yesterday! Oh my god, I probably look like a train wreck. My school work isn't done, oh my god I'm boned." I was out of breath by the time I finished, but I was still panicking. I couldn't miss school.

"Relax," Taylor's calm voice came from the front of the truck. He was still looking straight ahead. I don't think he had looked at me since I woke up. "You can just skip."

I stared at him, almost wishing he'd look back so he could see how outrageous that was. "No, I can't skip. I have to keep my grades up for college."

He smiled in a way that was almost sadistic. "So what's one day going to matter? You get sick, don't you? Just pretend like it's a day off to calm down and be sick."

That didn't make explicit sense to me, but it only made sense that he knew more of what he was talking about than me. I refused over and over after that, but finally, he persuaded me by saying that we could go get breakfast somewhere and then, if I wanted him to, he'd show me around his basement.

It was one of those things that you didn't really notice until the opportunity arose, but I was dying to know what was down there. Did it just look like a chemistry lab? Was it a giant death trap? What could it possibly be like? Besides, it was like he said. What could be the harm in missing one day?

Getting my schoolwork out of my car, I climbed into the passenger seat of Taylor's car, sending Sarah-Beth a quick text that I wouldn't be at school that day. It was about a half an hour drive the place Taylor had picked out, only we didn't stop talking this time. It was mostly just us shooting questions back and forth, but it wasn't awkward like I would have expected it to be. He found out that my eighteenth birthday was in a month and I found out that he was twenty-three and a college drop out, among other things.

I got a text back from Sarah-Beth on the way, but it just said, 'Whore. You're lucky I'm spun as hell or I'd be bitching at you so much.' I didn't bother replying.

Once we got into the place, this kind of old-timey diner that Taylor apparently liked, I asked him what he was getting. He told me he wasn't hungry a good twelve times but I wouldn't stop until he agreed to at least split something with me. He already hadn't slept. I wasn't about to let him go without eating, too.

I had been gathering up my nerves the entire time to say what came out of my mouth after we had already ordered and gotten out food. "No offense intended, but I really didn't expect you to be so normal," I told him and shook his head, giving me what appeared to be a mix between a smirk and a legitimate smile.

"I choose not to let my work consume me. Some people do, some people don't. The people that do are usually train wrecks, though, and I find it's better for business if you have some sense." He spoke as if he were nothing more than a slightly obsessed car dealer or something else quite dull.

Everything was going smoothly when a man walked in. He was wearing a muscle-tee and I could see the dull colors of old tattoos stretched across his arms. He looked like a character straight out of a stereotypical biker gang. Taylor didn't look back, but I saw his shoulders tense up when the man spoke.

Hey, if it isn't my main man," The man said almost mockingly, walking forward and throwing an arm around Taylor's shoulders. I heard him almost growl, "Don't touch me," before the guy continued. "It's sure been a while, huh buddy?"

"It has," Taylor spoke louder now, and in a less menacing voice. "I think it would be best for us to catch up outside, for fear of disturbing the customers, huh Jerry?"

Jerry agreed with a hint of uncertainty hidden in his voice and Taylor told me he'd be back before leaving with him. I almost wanted to go check on him, but I was worried about what would happen if I did.

I waited for longer than I was comfortable with, but finally, my acquaintance came back and took his place across from me. Jerry wasn't behind him. Asking him where his friend, I used the word "friend" lightly, was, he just told me not to worry about it, setting a ring on the table.

I glanced at it briefly. It was simple, but still pretty. It was far too big for either of our fingers, though, and one thing stood out to me.

"Is that blood?" I tried to ask quietly, but the shock in my voice made me louder than I should have been.

He just shrugged, wiping the ring on a napkin and placing it back on the table. I didn't know exactly where he got the ring, but I could make a pretty educated guess.

I knew he could tell I was about to ask him about it when he stood up. "Let's head home." I didn't object and he dropped a few bills on the table, taking the ring and walking out, not bothering to check if I was following him. I guess he knew I was.