Starry Nights Escaping the City Lights, chapter 2
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Roughly three months had passed since I had blown up in Jackman's face, and for two of those months now I had been working at a small animal shelter that stood as a sort of halfway house for animals that had been seized by the ASPCA and then approved for adoption. It was basically a place for the animals to recoup while they waited for a home that wouldn't treat them like shit. I kinda liked working there and the pay was pretty decent too. Steady job, good pay, and life was pretty normal. That is until one day as I was coming up onto the sidewalk from the subway.
I had my headphones on and was listening to Green Day as I made my way away from the crowd and started angling my way towards my apartment complex, which was a pretty decent walk away. Some guy that had been kind of watching in the crowd started walking along beside me and I ignored him for the most part. He was probably just heading towards a shop up the street or something.
I walked a few blocks and the mystery man was still keeping pace right beside me. I glanced over at him, the hood of his jacket hid his face and I couldn't really make out any of his features. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. Some person trying to bug me into talking to him probably, I thought.
But as I continued walking he didn't leave so I finally stopped on a deserted street corner turning off my music and pulling my headphones down around my neck, "Listen buddy, is there something I can help you with or are you just trying to be annoying," I snapped. He stood quiet for a moment, "What are your opinions on pit bull fighting." Anger washed over me, this asshole was trying to get me to go to a damn dogfight! "Listen buddy pit bull fighting is illegal for a reason and you better just get the hell away from me before I report your ass to the cops!" He kinda shifted his weight from foot to foot then spoke again, he still wouldn't make eye contact with me, "Don't go jumping to conclusions. I am looking for someone to go check out this supposed fight I heard is tonight and see if it's the real deal or not. If it is a real fight the cops will need to know."
I was slightly confused. "Why did you target ME for this?" "Because I've seen you working down at that animal rescue place and figured that you would be a good choice for the job." He replied smoothly as if he had known how I was going to react. "What is it I have to do exactly and why cant you do it yourself?" I was interested, yes. I despised pit bull fighting and would love to bring the cops crashing down on one, but I wanted to make sure this guy wasn't full of shit. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me, an address and time was scribbled on it. "All you have to do is get to this place at around that time and do a bit of snooping. Being caught or noticed is one thing that you don't want to happen though, so I'd suggest a disguise of some sort. As for why I'm not doing it myself? Well lets just say I have had a run in with this group before and they know me too well." That sounded a bit weird to me but I agreed none the less. I was just going to inquire further, when a voice drifted to me from down the street. ""Kitra! Hey Kitra wait up!"
It was Charlie and he was jogging up the street towards me. I looked over my shoulder the man had vanished... Weird... I shoved the piece of paper into my pocket and Charlie came up to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Hi KiKi how's it goin?" He asked. Charlie had been my best friend since we were in kindergarten and we had done everything together since then. Summer camps, all sorts of classes together through out middle and high school, he had even been my date to senior prom. We were like brother and sister practically, always there to help each other through bad times and celebrate the good.
I gave him a playful jab in the stomach. "You know I HATE it when you call me Kiki. He gave me one of his weird lopsided grins as we started walking up the street. We both lived in the same apartment complex, "Sorry Kitra, couldn't help it." I knew he could of and I gave him an elbow in the side and he winced "Ow." He wasn't hurt he was just being over dramatic.
Streetlights clicked on all along the block as we continued walking and stars began to blink on in the sky. Charlie stared up as we walked. He did that a lot, "So I heard that Green Day's playin a few concerts around here over the next few weeks." "Ya I've known that for a pretty long time now." I replied. "I can't afford tickets right now though. It's KILLING me!" Charlie gave me a sympathetic look. "Ya me neither. But maybe if we get enough money in time we can fly out and catch them when they play in Colorado." "That would be cool." I agreed as I dug around for my apartment key.
We had reached my door while we'd been talking, just thinking about missing Green Day was kinda bumming me a bit plus I was side tracked by what I was about to do later tonight. "Kitra are you doin alright?" Charlie asked placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned and smiled "I'm doin fine. Yourself?" He shrugged "I'm fine you just seem a little side tracked." He chuckled. "You're thinkin about the fact you're going to miss a chance to see Tré Cool in action aren't you?"
I giggled a bit. Tré was both Charlie and my favorite Green Day member. Tré was the very person who had inspired Charlie to pick up the drums and he idolized him for that exact reason, always saying Tré was the best rock band drummer of all time and all that. I whole-heartedly agreed but I also found Tré extremely cute. Charlie teased me about this a lot. "Who's Tré Cool?" I joked.
"Huhhh.... Geez... " Charlie sighed.
I knew what was coming and sure enough he broke into 'Rock n Roll Girlfriend' "I got a rock 'n roll band, I got a rock 'n roll life, I got a rock 'n roll girlfriend, And another ex-wife" he sang and I snagged the next part, "I got a rock 'n roll house, I got a rock 'n roll car, I play the shit out the drums, And I can play the guitar!"
We both jumped into the last few lines "I got a kid in New York, I got a kid in the Bay, I haven't drank or smoked nothin', in over 22 days" we sang and then I yelled "Don't wanna be an American idiot!" (It's there listen closely! ) and we finished off screaming the last lines, "So get off of my case, off of my case, off of my case!"
We both laughed and the batty woman who lived in the apartment next to me poked her head out the door, "Will you two go somewhere else to sing about your cursed rock 'n roll lives! I'm trying to watch my stories!" She slammed the door and we positively roared with laughter. I wiped the tears of mirth out of my eyes and gave Charlie a hug, "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" He nodded with one last smile and then headed up to his apartment, which was right above mine. I pushed open my door and walked into my apartment closing and locking it after me.
I had my headphones on and was listening to Green Day as I made my way away from the crowd and started angling my way towards my apartment complex, which was a pretty decent walk away. Some guy that had been kind of watching in the crowd started walking along beside me and I ignored him for the most part. He was probably just heading towards a shop up the street or something.
I walked a few blocks and the mystery man was still keeping pace right beside me. I glanced over at him, the hood of his jacket hid his face and I couldn't really make out any of his features. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. Some person trying to bug me into talking to him probably, I thought.
But as I continued walking he didn't leave so I finally stopped on a deserted street corner turning off my music and pulling my headphones down around my neck, "Listen buddy, is there something I can help you with or are you just trying to be annoying," I snapped. He stood quiet for a moment, "What are your opinions on pit bull fighting." Anger washed over me, this asshole was trying to get me to go to a damn dogfight! "Listen buddy pit bull fighting is illegal for a reason and you better just get the hell away from me before I report your ass to the cops!" He kinda shifted his weight from foot to foot then spoke again, he still wouldn't make eye contact with me, "Don't go jumping to conclusions. I am looking for someone to go check out this supposed fight I heard is tonight and see if it's the real deal or not. If it is a real fight the cops will need to know."
I was slightly confused. "Why did you target ME for this?" "Because I've seen you working down at that animal rescue place and figured that you would be a good choice for the job." He replied smoothly as if he had known how I was going to react. "What is it I have to do exactly and why cant you do it yourself?" I was interested, yes. I despised pit bull fighting and would love to bring the cops crashing down on one, but I wanted to make sure this guy wasn't full of shit. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me, an address and time was scribbled on it. "All you have to do is get to this place at around that time and do a bit of snooping. Being caught or noticed is one thing that you don't want to happen though, so I'd suggest a disguise of some sort. As for why I'm not doing it myself? Well lets just say I have had a run in with this group before and they know me too well." That sounded a bit weird to me but I agreed none the less. I was just going to inquire further, when a voice drifted to me from down the street. ""Kitra! Hey Kitra wait up!"
It was Charlie and he was jogging up the street towards me. I looked over my shoulder the man had vanished... Weird... I shoved the piece of paper into my pocket and Charlie came up to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Hi KiKi how's it goin?" He asked. Charlie had been my best friend since we were in kindergarten and we had done everything together since then. Summer camps, all sorts of classes together through out middle and high school, he had even been my date to senior prom. We were like brother and sister practically, always there to help each other through bad times and celebrate the good.
I gave him a playful jab in the stomach. "You know I HATE it when you call me Kiki. He gave me one of his weird lopsided grins as we started walking up the street. We both lived in the same apartment complex, "Sorry Kitra, couldn't help it." I knew he could of and I gave him an elbow in the side and he winced "Ow." He wasn't hurt he was just being over dramatic.
Streetlights clicked on all along the block as we continued walking and stars began to blink on in the sky. Charlie stared up as we walked. He did that a lot, "So I heard that Green Day's playin a few concerts around here over the next few weeks." "Ya I've known that for a pretty long time now." I replied. "I can't afford tickets right now though. It's KILLING me!" Charlie gave me a sympathetic look. "Ya me neither. But maybe if we get enough money in time we can fly out and catch them when they play in Colorado." "That would be cool." I agreed as I dug around for my apartment key.
We had reached my door while we'd been talking, just thinking about missing Green Day was kinda bumming me a bit plus I was side tracked by what I was about to do later tonight. "Kitra are you doin alright?" Charlie asked placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned and smiled "I'm doin fine. Yourself?" He shrugged "I'm fine you just seem a little side tracked." He chuckled. "You're thinkin about the fact you're going to miss a chance to see Tré Cool in action aren't you?"
I giggled a bit. Tré was both Charlie and my favorite Green Day member. Tré was the very person who had inspired Charlie to pick up the drums and he idolized him for that exact reason, always saying Tré was the best rock band drummer of all time and all that. I whole-heartedly agreed but I also found Tré extremely cute. Charlie teased me about this a lot. "Who's Tré Cool?" I joked.
"Huhhh.... Geez... " Charlie sighed.
I knew what was coming and sure enough he broke into 'Rock n Roll Girlfriend' "I got a rock 'n roll band, I got a rock 'n roll life, I got a rock 'n roll girlfriend, And another ex-wife" he sang and I snagged the next part, "I got a rock 'n roll house, I got a rock 'n roll car, I play the shit out the drums, And I can play the guitar!"
We both jumped into the last few lines "I got a kid in New York, I got a kid in the Bay, I haven't drank or smoked nothin', in over 22 days" we sang and then I yelled "Don't wanna be an American idiot!" (It's there listen closely! ) and we finished off screaming the last lines, "So get off of my case, off of my case, off of my case!"
We both laughed and the batty woman who lived in the apartment next to me poked her head out the door, "Will you two go somewhere else to sing about your cursed rock 'n roll lives! I'm trying to watch my stories!" She slammed the door and we positively roared with laughter. I wiped the tears of mirth out of my eyes and gave Charlie a hug, "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" He nodded with one last smile and then headed up to his apartment, which was right above mine. I pushed open my door and walked into my apartment closing and locking it after me.
