Jailbird Tango

Part 15 - Company

I sat in my lecture, the whispers of other classmates melted into the air. My Professor's voice was long drowned out. All I could think about was going home. How long would it be until I was allowed to return to my normal life? It was over a month ago that I stumbled across the Host in the alley, when could I return to before that? My philosophy lecture countered that argument as soon as I thought it. I could technically never be that person because I have lived through these current experiences.

Absentmindedly scrawling some more notes and lying to myself that I would watch the lecture later, I tried to stop thinking about it. What if Yancy never wanted to be free and I had a five-thirty curfew like a ten year old for the rest of my life? Why didn't he want to be free? Was it just because he was punishing himself for whatever he has done, or was it because he actually preferred prison to the outside world? I couldn't help but think that he probably had no one on the outside and that's why he wanted to stay. I couldn't make too many assessments on his character, I'd only met the man twice.

'Hey!' The girl next to me hissed.

'What?' I whispered back, she rolled her eyes a little and did the strange side nod to the edge of the projector screen. It didn't look anything out of the normal... just flickered every so often. Occasionally it would flicker into the old 3D effect, before returning to normal, or it would go static. The professor grew increasingly frustrated with it, before he turned it off entirely and called a break.

Reyna, the one who had told me about the host, and Levi, who had been in at least two of my classes each trimester since I started, swiveled around in their chairs.

'So, what are you doing after class?' Reyna asked and I could feel the panic build in my chest.

'Uh, nothing. Going home.' I hoped my voice didn't reveal my anxiety.

'You've been different lately.' Levi chimed in, brushing his hair out of his eyes. My voice must have let something slip.

'How so?'

'You've turned into a recluse! We can't even track you down to ask you to go out!' Reyna joked, her voice was light. I fidgeted with my hands under the desk. The girl next to me was giving me a side eye. All I wanted was for the professor to walk back into the room. She was waiting for a response.

'Uh, have I?'

'Yeah! Seriously, come out with us tonight! Puhleeeease?' Levi begged. I nervously shook my head. I could only imagine what Dark would do if I broke the curfew. I couldn't stay. Rolling my shoulder, I tried to disguise the shudder.

'You okay dude?' Levi continued, 'If you can't come out tonight, promise me you'll join us on a triple date on Sunday?'

'But, I uhm don't have anyone....' I rubbed the back of my neck.

Reyna laughed. 'My cousin's step-sister really wants to meet you. You'll get on great! I'm going with my boyfriend, Levi's going with his. It'll be fun! All it is, is just brunch at Waterfall 13. Cheap, cheerful and fun! Please?'

I shrugged, murmuring quietly, trying to be as non-committal as possible. Of course, Reyna took that as a yes. The lights flickered just as the professor entered the room, the projector flicked back on.

Despite the flickering, the lesson continued.

As soon as he flicked to the last slide, I typed my final notes and hastily shoved my laptop into my bag, sweeping my keys off the desk with a flourish. I had to leave, I had to get out of the lecture theatre.

Walking quickly, head down, I tried to brush the thoughts of being watched aside. It was only two thirty. I turned out from campus and tried to block out the world as I walked my usual route. All I could think about, was the prospect of this triple-date. What would they be like? Would they be reserved, or defensive? Would they be standoff-ish? Or would they be sweet? I missed my usual short cut.

Soon enough I was standing on the footpath, just outside my house. The lights were on and the blinds were open. Laura was walking around the living room, watching some trash tv-show that I would have mocked her for. I was only ten paces from the front door. I could knock, say hi. But I couldn't. She'd want me to stay, she'd ask too many questions.

The only direction that my feet would let me move in was forward. I passed the house and kept walking.

It was such a long walk to the manor. The closest bus stop was a route near here, and if I got off at the highschool, it would be a short walk. It was starting to pull up, I ran, my feet slapping against the footpath.

Climbing on, just in time. I fumbled for a bus pass, finding it in my jacket pocket - surprisingly. There was no point sitting for the fifteen minutes, even if I did get odd looks from the old people down the front.

I jumped off, students were flooding from the highschool gates. It was a beautiful campus, but to everyone having to endure highschool there, I'm sure that the nice trees were the last things on their mind. Startling me out of my observation, I was pushed aside by a group of snarling teenagers, dragging a poor girl in their midst.

'Hey! Watch it!' I called out as a reflex.

'Yeah? Why? So you can protect the boy-in-a-skirt?' One of them taunted. That's when I got a better look at the girl they were dragging, Yan.

'If I were you, I'd let her be.' I stated, calmer than I felt. Yan used that opportunity to weasel out of the boy's grip, landing a punch to his jaw. She knocked him down with a kick to his stomach, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

I walked into the centre of the group and placed my hand on her shoulder. 'Let's go home Yan.' She looked up at me, blinking slowly. Home. It was her home, not mine.

We stepped over the boy rolling about on the floor, turning on the footpath. She kept looking over her shoulder.

'How was your class?' She asked in a small voice.

'Good. The projector kept flickering and we got the bare minimum done, but it wasn't that interesting anyway. Then my friends kept harassing me to go out partying with them...'

'Do you not like going out?'

'Not really. But they've invited me out on Saturday. A blind date.' I wasn't sure why I was telling her so much. But, at least her face lit up with a smile.

'Can I help you get ready? I've never had the occasion before!'

'Sure. That is,' I gave her a knowing smile, 'If Dark will let me go.'

We both laughed, it was nice to walk back to the manor with someone else. It eased the feeling that I was unwelcome everywhere.