Remnant Friendship
[Burn After Reading] A year later, Linda learns the truth about what happened to Chad Feldheimer.
Disclaimer: The Characters belong to Focus Features, and the Coen Brothers. This is a not for profit work.
Linda entered Chad's house. She used a spare house key that he kept in his gym locker. She took a deep breath and with a shaky hand started to walk through the place. It was a modest little place, cheerful looking with its pastel cream colored walls with pictures of Chad and his friends. Linda included. One particular photo showed Chad with his arms wide open around Linda and another co-worker giving his dopey smile for the camera.
You shouldn't be so sad, girl!
Oh Chad, I've just been tired of sleeping alone lately.
Really? Try going out on a date then. There's plenty of sites that can get the ball rolling.
I've haven't been on a date for so long though.
Hmm, well there is a new movie coming out, "Coming Up Daisy" we can go see that and get you acclimated again.
Hey, yeah! That's supposed to be really funny too!
The electricity and water was still active because Linda kept paying for Chad's bills even after three months after his disappearance amid the fucking "Cox Affair". Deep inside her heart she really knew what happened to him. She looked inside his fridge and saw to no surprise a whole bunch of sports milkshakes and supplements. The smell of rotting vegetables made her puke and she made a note to empty out Chad's vegetable bin on the bottom. The sour milk smell made her amend that to include cleaning out the entire fridge. She moved to the living room and saw his small but sleek wall mounted HD set along with his DVD library. He had a DVD of the movie Dirty Dancing out on the coffee table and the case was open but he never got to watch it. Or he already watched it and forgot to put it away.
What kind of guy you looking for sweetie?
Who says I'm looking for a guy?
Oh, looking for a girl then?
Chad, you airhead!
I'm joking!
Riiight.
No really!
Linda went up the stairs and into his bedroom. There were some sweatpants on the floor and the room was very small and cramped compared to the rest of the house. There was a small bookcase underneath the window which had light streaming in the curtains. Bob Green and Rachael Ray books were neatly arranged. For Linda it was getting harder and harder to breathe as her heart was painfully beating in her chest. There was a full length mirror with a dresser beside it. She looked at herself in the mirror all plastic, tight, fake and all too garish.
I see all these people sitting alone on a bench without someone.
So?
So? I don't want that for myself.
You see an empty bench? I see way more legroom for myself.
Pfft, you would say that.
You could always get a store mannequin and carry it around with you.
That's like getting a blow up doll!
Well, um…at least it would always be hard for you!
Hello, it's a mannequin. It has a blank space!
You could flip it over…
Stop, stop! While you're still ahead!!
One year ago a Russian bureaucrat, a pencil pusher lowest of the totem pole, gave Linda a certain file. The file was a compilation their agency and several other agencies both U.S and Russian got on the Cox Memoirs and managed to make sense of the horrific fuckup that took place because of it. This rank and file person with no real clearance also managed to give something precious to Linda thanks to the infamous "friend of a friend of friend who called in a favor" system.
Chad's ipod player.
Whatcha doing?
Putting makeup on, I got a hot date tonight.
Eww, don't put so much on!
It's just Revlon!
You look beautiful as yourself.
I look all saggy and old.
If you always feel that way you'll really look saggy and old. Say, all my lady clients go this one plastic surgeon. Why not talk to him, if you're so hung up about it?
I think I'll look in that. (she reaches out and gives Chad a bear hug) Don't mind me so much, I'll be okay.
I hope you'll do more than okay! I want you to be like the queen of the entire street or something!
The entire street?
Yeah, go all out if you really want to.
Hmm, maybe I will. It might cost some money though.
She curled up upon his bed and listened to his playlist on a low volume. The white device had all the reverence and meaning of a rosary. She thought about Chad's gentleness, and devotion then thought about dating Harry and the wonderful times they had including the raunchy sex.
"Hey Chad, do you think I'm beautiful now?"
Linda only had two of the surgeries suggested by the doctor. The rest of the money went to hiring an assassin to take out Harry Pfarrer. She didn't know how that turned out but as long as it got done she didn't care. Linda Litzke used to think she was a good person, but thanks to Chad, now she knows better.
She always thanks him for that too.
-End-