Page 36 of Rivals
“Do you see beauty as a bad thing?” he asks.
I think about his question and add a line of shadow to the cloud I finished.
“No, but I think that it can be a means for people to excuse everything else.”
“Do you not think you’re beautiful?” Lachlan asks while he cuts shapes out of the paper.
“Did you do drugs or get drunk before you got home?” Lachlan pauses with the scissors and paper in his hands when I said the word home. My hands feel a little sweaty, and I wipe them on my pants before I start my other sketch.
I mean, it’s his home. That’s what I meant. I’m not staying, even if he believes I am. “You didn’t answer my question.” The headache that’s been building in my skull is starting to blossom. I know it’s the drugs and likely the little food I’ve had today. I haven’t stopped since Lachlan walked in, and I don’t even know what time it is.
“You didn’t answermyquestion,“ he retorts.
“Why do you care?”
“Because I’m curious,” he says. My face suddenly feels hot, and I look away. Does he think I’m attractive? I mean, he’s very obviously attractive. I mean objectively attractive, but…
“Is that me?” Lachlan says, looking at one of the angels. I painted his dark hair, tattoos over his arm, and one on his chest that I know he doesn’t have. I shrug and go back to my painting.
I think about his question as we descend into silence. He works on cutting out shapes and painting them to look like statues or gargoyles coming out of the painting. He puts them in the center of the three pages on the wall to create a dome-looking effect.
The figures I’ve painted almost pop out of the center area exactly like we envisioned. He moves a few and notes the ones I painted a little darker, so they display more evil in nature. “I like what you’ve come up with,” he says.
“Was that a compliment?”
“Yes, Revna,” he grumbles. I smile down at the page and hope he can’t see it. My stomach flutters, but I’m sure it’s just the drugs and an empty stomach. “Do you think we should use gold leaf?”
That’s it.
“Yes,” I say confidently.
“Alright, I’m going to have to go to the store and grab it. Do you have to work at the diner tomorrow?” I shake my head, and then he sits back down.
We continued like that for hours, hardly speaking and working together in tandem. I finish the rest of my people and tape the last few to the practice page. Lachlan is passed out on the couch with a paintbrush in his hand and a piece of paper on his lap.
The voice has been relatively quiet, though the drugs could be wearing off. But I don’t think they are because I don’t want to stop. Everything in my body feels better. My blood feels calmer like I was able to get it all out without too much grief. It’s about one in the morning, and I have to be at work in four hours. I grab my hoodie, phone, and keys and sneak out the door quietly.
I don’t like walking home at night. I have my switchblade, which is illegal in the city, but I couldn’t care less about the laws. I will do whatever I need to in order to protect myself. I throw my hood up and put my hands in my pockets. This isn’t a bad part of town, but this is still NYC. Anything can happen anywhere.
I walk quickly down the street, dodging a few people walking in the opposite direction. An eerie feeling comes over me. A few streetlights are out as I make my way down the sidewalk. My heart feels like it’s pounding in my chest, and it’s not because I’m out of breath.
Nerves skitter over my body, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. I stop and look around, and there’s no one that I can see. I keep my head down and continue walking. I go past a smelly alley and suddenly get pushed by a large man who appears from the shadows. “Hey, baby. What are you doing out this late?” he says, slurring his words. I’m mere inches from him, and his alcoholic pickled breath makes me gag. I take slow steps away. If he’s plastered, he won’t be as quick, and I’m faster than this guy.
“Not so fast, pretty lady.” He grabs my arm before I can take another step back and squeezes.This isn’t good.My pulse pounds in my head, and I swallow my panic, looking around for anyone. Of course, no one is on this block, and the only light is halfway down the street, lighting the crosswalk. This man is massive. He has to be almost three hundred pounds and over six feet. I have no chance with this drunk asshole.
“Let go of me,” I say with more confidence than I’m feeling. I knew I shouldn’t have taken the last of that OBA. Now, it’s slowing me down when I need to fight for my life.
“Now, why would I do that, baby? It’s like you walked into my life when I needed something else to sink my sorrows into.” I grimace at his words.
“Let go,” I say again. He ignores me and drags me into the alley I just passed. Blood anxiously thrums through my veins while I look for a way out. If I let him get me any further down this alley, I know I won’t come out. I fish my switchblade from my pocket and press the button.
Gripping the knife tightly in my fist, I try to stab his arm, but he throws me off balance and grabs my throat, pushing me up against the grimy brick wall. I make another attempt to stab him, and he punches me in the face. My vision goes white, and it’s all I can do to keep my hold on the blade and stay on my feet. His hand comes back to my throat while the other gropes my body as if I’m a stuffed animal. His meaty hand tightens around my neck, and I gasp for breath, trying to position the knife to stab into his armpit while his fat fingers slide to the waist of my pants. I try not to gag and focus on getting away.
I finally have a good enough angle with my knife, and I take my chance, shoving it up and hitting flesh. He roars in pain as I take another stab at his shoulder. He rears back, screaming in pain, and I take off. I don’t look back as I run to Lachlan’s.
I hear footsteps behind me and I push my legs harder. My lungs burn, but I can’t stop. He will catch me if I don’t outrun him, and I know exactly what will happen. I have been there too many times in my life—no more.
Lachlan’s building is brightly lit as I come up on it. I don’t check behind me to see if he’s following me. I skid to a stop in front of the door, punch in the code Lachlan gave me, pull it shut behind me, and hurry to the elevator, trying to keep the tears at bay.
