What He Left Behind

Twenty Five

By the time Saturday 20th eventually arrives, I'm just as desperate to talk to Rena as I was the first time I met her. After all, she's the ultimate alumni of the University of Drug Addiction. She's observed it, succumbed to it, battled it, and beaten it. Maybe she'll be able to help, or at the very least, she'll be able to understand.

"Hey chick, how are you doing?" Rena asks when she arrives to pick me up, her warm carefree energy instantly relieving half the stress I've been harbouring for the past weeks.

"So much better for seeing you," I admit, hugging her tightly before we both get into the car.

"It's really good to see you sweetheart, what've you been up to?"

"Schoolwork mainly," I sigh, "I bet you don't miss that, huh?"

"Hell no, there's not one thing I miss about school. I was a little shit in school anyway."

"Really? I can't imagine you like that." To me, Rena is no less than flawless. She's polite and kind and it's clear she works harder than most people. I can't imagine her ever getting into trouble.

"Oh god, I was awful at school. I never did anything I was meant to. I got into so much shit but I somehow managed to get away with it all, just because I was a smooth talker."

"Sounds familiar," I muse, smirking, "Reminds me of Charlie."

"Yeah, I can imagine him to be like that. I bet he's an absolute charmer."

"Just a bit."

We make easy conversation the whole way to the city centre. Then Rena pulls up in the parking lot of the mall and leads the way to a restaurant which is far too classy and expensive for my liking. I'm glad I brought an extra twenty bucks after all.

"How long are you here for?" I ask once we've sat down and the waiter has taken our orders.

"Not long at all. I'll either drive back tonight or check into a hotel and drive back first thing tomorrow. Jacob's with my friend but I don't like leaving him for too long."

"How is he?"

"He's great. I told him about you, he just babbles away in response. I don't have a clue what he's saying but he sounds happy so I'll take that," she sings, her honey-sweet voice oozing a healthy level of self-assurance.

"I can't believe you have a son," I say, still mesmerized by the whole thing. I feel stupid for not having had an inkling or a gut feeling or any suspicion at all, not of her existence nor that of a kid.

"Yeah, you and me both. I was never the maternal type; I'd have sooner shaved my head bald than had a kid in my lifetime. But you know, he's the best thing to ever happen to me. He's taught me things I never even knew about myself, and he's not even a year old."

"I really would like to meet him."

"Well maybe next time I'll bring him. Or you can come and stay with us. Have you been to L.A before?"

"Once," I explain, "Charlie took me a couple of months back."

"You two are sweet. How long have you been together?"

"Oh we're not together," I correct quickly, too quickly maybe. Rena's face drops, her mouth forming an elongated 'o' shape.

"Bullshit!" she cries and I chew my lip, shrugging. "Shut up!" she exclaims, "I assumed you were a couple. You look like one."

"He's my best friend," I defend.

"Oh come on, you fancy the pants off of each other, there's no doubt about it."