when you met me

homes

Homes

“You think you’ll get into a unit before us, Ash?” Jack asked. Jack was a dark skinned boy, strong physically but not mentally. Beside him sat his friend, Jim. Jim was a contrast to Jack, pale as anything and mentally on a genius level. He was a shoe-in for tech if he could just bulk up.

“I don’t know.” Dud responded, smiling slightly that the real world let him pick his own nickname. “Apparently, Officer MacMillan has his eye on you, thinks you’re being fast-tracked to a unit.” Jim stated, how he found that out, Dud would never know.

“I guess I just really want it.” Dud shrugged, lacing up his boots and stretching. Jim and Jack looked between each other. “What, and we don’t?” Jack asked, raising both eyebrows.

“No, I mean, I’m trying to get out faster. I really want to get home.”

“So do we, mate. It has to be more than that.” Jim wanted the secret that would unlock all of his police academy problems and get him on the fast track to tech. There wasn’t any secret.

“What can I say?” Dud smiled, buckling on his vest, “I miss my girlfriend.”

Dud met Mara on the bridge, and before he could sit down, she was dragging him down the street. “I have a surprise for you!” She giggled, squeezing his hand and walking fast. Dud smiled because she seemed a lot happier since his last visit. In the light of the mid-day sun, Dud noticed something.

“Did you dye your hair?” He asked, examining her otherwise the same as usual locks. Mara didn’t stop moving, even when she’d stopped walking. Both hands went to her hair. “Oh… Yeah, I did, I forgot.” Dud frowned as they continued walking, something was off. “You never told me.” He said, growing more suspicious by the second. “It’s been a busy couple weeks, okay?” She said, getting defensive.

“Mara, it’s been over a month since we’ve seen each other. And we talk every day.”

“Yeah, I know.”

They got to a row of three story flats on a street that seemed fairly barren otherwise. “What are we doing here?” He asked. Mara said nothing, just smiled and motioned for Dud to follow her. Reluctantly, Dud followed his (girl) friend to the back of the houses, where Mara pulled a rusty ladder from behind the large bins, and set it up on the wall.

“Follow me.” She whispered with a silly grin still attached to her face. Dud climbed up after her, not sure what to make of the entire situation, except to wait and hope it was better and more exciting than it currently felt. “Cole! What are you still doing here?” Mara asked, and Dud hurried to climb through the window.

A man with blonde hair and eyes that were any colour you picked, as they seemed to change depending on where he was standing. His baby face would be considered handsome to most people. Dud frowned deeply as he stood beside Mara.

Cole smiled, and that was where his charm came in. Something about it said sinister. “So this must be your boy toy, Dud! Heard a lot about you, I’m Cole.” Cole stretched out his hand, and Dud shook it, promptly looking to Mara for an explanation.

“What do you think?” That was all she said to Dud. Dud finally took a look around where he was. There were posters everywhere. Mara’s beanbag on the floor. A small table with two chairs that looked like they came from the dump, and Mara’s mattress and bed covers in another corner. “Do you live here?” He finally asked, as Mara brought in her ladder and put it in the corner.

“Pretty cool, right?” Cole added in.

“My friend Beth showed me it. Rent free!”

“Do your parents know you’re here?” Dud asked.

Cole snorted, and Dud’s head snapped over to him. “And who exactly is this guy?” Dud asked, overwhelmed with the amount of insane changes that had been made in his absence. He had never heard of any of her new ‘friends’ her new flat, nothing. “Whoa, mate, leave me out of it. I’m just setting up my drums.” Cole surrendered. Dud just noticed the drums, and was even more confused.

“Maybe we should take a walk.” Mara strongly suggested, because as quiet and unassuming as Dud’s questions were, she knew he was not impressed. They walked down the street, back towards their bridge. “I thought you’d be happy. I moved out. I’m starting a band, I have new friends! My place is the only space we can practice freely. I’ve got base. Cole’s got drums, and his cousin Dex is on electric. They’re really good, Dud. You should hear us. We’re only doing covers, but I think we’ll get a gig soon.”

Dud’s mind swarmed with questions until it burst. “Mara, you do realize what you’re doing is illegal?” He tried, to no avail. “It isn’t! Well, it doesn’t matter anyways, I’m just crashing there until our band gets off the ground.” Mara stated, still happy, despite the look on Dud’s face. He broke out of his quietness to get through to her, past her dreams and into reality.

“You can’t do this, Mara. It’s illegal. I mean, what if the police find you out and find I’m involved with you, that I didn’t tell-”

“Are you threatening to rat me out to your cop friends?” Mara asked bluntly.

“No, listen. I’m telling you it shows a conflict of interest. For me to be telling people not to do certain things, arresting them and charging them and then on the side supporting you.”

“So I’d be embarrassing to your copper friends.” Mara’s eyes were growing darker as she became angrier.

“I’d never turn you in-”

“Wow, thanks.” Mara interjected sarcastically.

Dud crossed his arms in frustration. “I’ll always be there for you, Mara. But I won’t support this.” Dud stood his ground, and Mara gaped at him. She wiped under her eyes to get the hot, angry tears away from her face. “Sod this!” She hissed, “I’m going home. I can’t believe I’m being lectured over conflict of interest by a copper who can’t even stand up to his own Dad!” She marched off and Dud clenched his jaw, in quiet defeat. Quiet, as always.