Friends

Ch-17

Silence stretched between them as he failed to reply. She could feel his gaze hot on her, piercing through her skull, wrecking her barriers apart solely because he loved watching her fall apart. And he could do that without even touching her. She was terrified of that.

"But indeed I am enjoying this place. I like calmer sceneries." Luciana said with a nervous smile.

"I am glad you are enjoying this," Oscar said, his voice softer than usual.

"Earlier, our chat—" before Oscar could finish his sentence he was interrupted by a phone notification.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Luciana said apologetically, pulling the device from her pocket. "Excuse me a moment."

It was Joe who had texted her.

[Luc, did you have any food? The cab will arrive in ten minutes. Remember.] Joe's concern was evident even without emoticons.

[I've had food.] she replied. [I came out to the garden beside the hall for fresh air.]

Her fingers were pressing furiously on the tiny digital keyboard. [But guess what, the devil is here. Come and take me away. Please.] Luciana sent the texts without checking for typos, noting Oscar's wandering eyes towards anything but her phone screen. He respected her privacy, she noted appreciatively.

[I will come soon. Wait there.] Joe texted back immediately. Only after receiving his text did she feel relieved.

"I am sorry. Mr. Bernadetta. My friend was just worried since I didn't have breakfast," she explained when she noticed the expectant look he was throwing her way. You're not entitled to any of my personal information, she thought uncomfortably.

She was deeply frightened by his presence and his intimidating stare wasn't doing any good either. She admitted to being scared shitless of him, though she feigned indifference.

There was this aura about him that told her that he wasn't someone to be messed with. One could feel his presence, feel his aura but could not be dared to look at him directly into his eyes. His presence would be felt but it was hardly ever intense.

But when he looked at you, you would feel like pissing your pants. His eyes were like an eagle's, fixed solely on its prey. His movements were like a patient lion that hid between the bushes, waiting soundlessly to attack the oblivious prey. His voice held the authority of a king that made others unable to refute him. He is an intense and dangerous person.

Luciana was the kind of person who stayed away from trouble. And Oscar was the epitome of trouble. She had to get away from him. His personality was the exact opposite of hers.

"It's fine. Friends, they worry." Oscar's smile looked calculative like he knew something she didn't. " If they don't, they are not friends,"

Luciana stiffened at his words.

—------

Back in the day, she was surrounded by people and she reveled in the spotlight of it all. There was no person whom she did not know. Luciana Carlson meant connections. Spending time with her was equal to a boon to others.

She thought she had many friends, who could help her when she needed them because she helped them when they needed her.

But when the thirty-third day came [1], there was nobody beside her. Nobody asked if she was okay if she had eaten, her well-being. They talked only about themselves. Nobody worried about her. Even the person who claimed to be her best friend left her because she was no longer a lady.

Her brother came to her and helped her settle in this country. She'd managed to get a job here. The family he found for her to live with were nothing but money suckers. She couldn't stay any longer and left the house.

She went directly to a bar. She knew it sold the cheapest liquor. Joe owned it, and that was how she came to meet him. She met Evelynn there too, who often sang to entertain the customers when she became intoxicated.

One night in particular she was enjoying Evelynn's genuinely impressive vocals when she overheard a nearby conversation.

"That. That girl will make good plaything in our beds tonight," someone said, his words slurring.

"She is drunk and all alone. She's easy." his companion said, and she saw him eye her top to bottom, a disgusting glint in his eye.

"There are no bouncers here too," the first man added. "That makes things even easier," the other said with a harsh laugh.

"And to our luck, she isn't in her senses, girl is hardly ever sober here." a third snickered, his 4th glass being filled by a silent bartender.

"We need to get her out of the crowd first," the second man said, tipping back his beer, slamming it down so hard Luciana flinched.

"I'll handle that." the third said, rubbing his hands together.

Just then Luciana threw her glass at a nearby wall to divert their attention and stole towards Evelynn. She pulled the drunken girl away, out of sight. Out of danger. Soon, at least.

"Sister, it's time for you to leave this place. Don't worry about your parents finding out, we'll sober you up. Those men are planning to take advantage of you. We need to leave." Luciana said as she dragged her luggage and Evelynn together, ruining the men's plans.

"I'm fineeeeee. I can... dealt..deal with them. Agh. I knowwwww how t-to fighhhhtttttttt," Evelynn said in her slurry voice, stumbling over her words.

She gripped the girl's shoulders. "There are three of them. You can't take them down. Give me your address, miss. Or I could drop you off at a hotel if you'd rather."

Evelynn was too dazed from all the drinking. Luciana used all the possible methods to get her address. When she finally got a comprehensible, existing address from her, it felt like she'd just redid her A-levels.

She dropped Evelynn at her house. But she couldn't leave her on her doorstep so she fished the keys from her pocket and helped her change out of her clothes and filled a tumbler with water for Evelynn to sober.

"Miss, since you are fine. I will leave," Luciana said.

"Stayyy. Pleaseee." Evelynn said, eyes bloodshot still. She was lying half on her couch and half on the floor, looking up at Luciana with pleading eyes. Luciana glanced at her phone, none of the rent applications she'd sent had been replied to yet. She'd been in worse situations, she decided, and put down her things. She hauled Evelynn to bed, turning off the lights to the girl's obnoxiously loud snoring. She settled onto the couch and closed her eyes. The flickering embers of the dying fire were a comfort to her tired eyes.

The next afternoon, (Evelynn had stayed in due to her blinding hangover) Evelynn came out of her room, holding her head still, almost surprised to see Luciana. Her eyes widened and realization.

They had lunch together. And Evelynn made an offer to Luciana.

"Down the hall is the guest bedroom. You can stay with me until you find your own place." she offered, gulping down an aspirin.

"Why would you allow a stranger to live with you? Aren't you afraid that I would kill you, stab or loot you?" Luciana asked still in shock. No one would be generous to offer a place to a stranger,

"If you are that malicious, you wouldn't have helped me from that group of men. Besides, you needn't feel guilty. I am simply returning what I owe you. You saved my life, Luciana." Evelynn cocked her head, thinking. She winced then, rubbing her temples. "It's only temporary after all. My neighboring flat is vacant. So, you can talk to the owner and get the place. You can say… I am just allowing you to stay here for a few nights," Evelynn said, grinning.

Luciana doesn't want to regret not taking this opportunity. So she settled herself into the room Evelynn had spoken of.

The next day she spoke with the flat owner and signed the rental agreement. That was how she met her two best friends.

Evelynn and Joe had been friends from the start. As the pub owner, he didn't visit his bar very often. But after that incident, he'd employed bouncers to make sure things like that never happened again. Evelynn was to have her fun safely because he was of the opinion that friends come before his cheapskate ways and poor management of his own bar.

—------

"Miss Carson are you still with me?" Oscar snapped his fingers in front of her eyes.

"I am sorry. My friends do indeed worry. They are good people." Luciana said with a nostalgic smile so breathtaking he felt his heartache. But he crushed the feeling and brushed them away.

—----

Author's Guide:

When the thirty-third day came: It's a proverb in my region. We generally use it to refer to the showdown day. It's like… the true characters of people coming out on the final day.

Author's Notes":

Do comment and vote.