Amethyst
I have to admit, these last few days after moving here….have been quite enjoyable. Ok, it was mostly Mark that was making it enjoyable. His roommates hadn't been back yet from their vacation so when he wasn't working at Buzzline, were were hanging out. My best friend Lionel was worried that I was hanging out with a new guy way too quickly, but I let him know that Mark was just a friend and reminded him that love was no longer something for me. A really cute friend, whose company I enjoyed and how could I forget about his friend Collins? You could tell that he was the older one of the bunch, he never seemed to stress over the little things.
He told me about his partner, Angel who had died from AIDS almost a year prior. He told me that Angel and Mark had been really good friends and even though he took her death hard, Mark actually used Angel as inspiration for a piece he made about them and their entire year. You could tell that he was very passionate about his filming and it inspired me to want to get my inspiration back.
That was my mission today. I was sitting in Central Park, watching people as they passed by. Mom's playing with their babies, elders feeding birds and playing chess, a dog running away from its owner. I used to paint honestly anything that came into my mind and made in into my own interpretation. I almost felt like a black Frida Kahlo, painting the world as I saw it through my eyes. I sipped my chai latte and closed my eyes as I tried to listen to the world around me, sometimes I would paint my perception of a sound, how it made me feel.
Shit. I open my eyes and looked around me again and looked up at the sky, waiting for something to pop in my head. Nothing. I groaned to myself and took another sip of my latte and looked around the park again. My gaze landed on a couple who was sitting on a bench close to me and making out, clouds of breath floating around their heads. They made me absolutely sick. I guess the chai wasn't doing it for me, if I was bitter at 10 a.m.. I didn't hate couples or other people loving each other…..just keep that shit away from me. As I stated before, I didn't need love back in my life, that got me nothing but trouble. It seemed like it was time to leave though because now the girl had crawled her way into the guys lap and everyone was gawking at them.
I got up with a sigh and made my way out of the park and to the train station. I watched as people their way to work, reading the newspaper, drinking coffee and talking until it was time to get off at their stop. I was glad that I wouldn't have to look for a job for a while, with all the money that Jacob had made off me (yea I took it, arrest me) I wasn't going to need to work. I had already paid for the apartment a few months in advance , so there was nothing big to worry about at the moment.
I got up from the seat I was sitting and walked off the train, once it was my stop. I loved walking through the subway stations, it was one of the things I loved about living here. It seemed like it was a different world and showed so many different faces. The old men that always sat on the bench and talked to each other, the man who sat in front of a wall and played his sitar, or even the old homeless woman who I always dropped a dollar in the jar for, like today. She looks up at me as I drop in the dollar and smiles at me.
"Thank you baby," she said as I waved and walked off from her. "You need to put a smile on your face sometimes baby".
I stopped walking and turned and looked over my shoulder at her.
"I beg your pardon," I asked. She smiled at me again and put her big blanket over her.
"Smile sometimes baby, you too pretty to look that sad everytime I see you," she said laying down. I stood there and stared at her for a moment before making my way up the stairs that led to my block. I hated when people said that, I wasn't different from any other person and I could be sad as much as I wanted to. So ugly people could be sad but "pretty" people had no right to show their emotions, bullshit! I turned the corner that led to the street of my apartment and sighed. I didn't even think I was that pretty, I haven't thought about myself in a long time.
Jacob use to say that if I was really beautiful I wouldn't be used as a whore, really beautiful girls wouldn't let themselves get pimped out. That's right because it was my fault, if I had been stronger I would've let a long time ago. I wouldn't of let him do any of those horrible things to me and treat me like a piece of hot shit. I had closed my eyes and realized that this probably wasn't the best idea because I'm in New York and someone will probably think I'm crazy. Also, not running into to anything would be nice.
I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where I had suddenly stopped. I hadn't even realized that I had stopped walking and had stopped on the side of the sidewalk, where they were selling things.
"Hey lady," a man's voice said. It made me jump and I looked to the side to see a young man in a orange vest sitting on a chair with a box. In front of the box it said "kittens for sale". "You want a cat, I'll give 'em to you for cheap".
I raised my hand and gave him a friendly smile. "No thanks, I don't need a cat".
"Aww come on, these little guys been gettin' turned down all day, at least give 'em a look," he said pointing at the box. I rolled my eyes and sighed but made my way over to the box. I looked inside and saw the cutest bunches of fuzz and pink skin, rolling around in a blanket the man had put inside the basket. They were those little hairless cats, I didn't really know which breed but there was two of them. They were both pale pink with patches of grey in random places. One had amber eyes while the other had bright blue. They were playing in the blanket, meowing at each other but as soon as my head came into view they stopped playing at stared at me as I gushed over them.
"Awww, they are so cute," I said reaching out and letting them smell my fingers. The man scoffed a little and shook his head.
"Are you bein' for real lady, everyone who's passed these little guys have been sayin' they're the ugliest things they've ever seen," he said pointing to the cats. I paid him no mind and took one of the babies out the box and let him cuddle in my chest.
"Well those people are idiots," I reach out my hand to pet the top of the other cat when he starts voicing his need for attention. "So, how much are they".
The man looked at me and looked at the cats and sighed.
"Shoo take em'," he said throwing a hand in the air. "I was just tryna' see if I could make a buck and I needed to get rid of 'em". I blinked at the man, wondering if I was getting played. What was this dudes game. He got up from his chair and stood with the box extended towards me, waiting for me to take it.
"You're just going to give them to me like that, isn't that bad for your business," I said watching him as I hesitantly took the box. He shook his head
"Not a breeder, there was a pet shop that was a few blocks from here that closed down, I worked there and the owner asked if I could try to sell these guys," he said picking up and folding his chair. "Like I said, nobody wanted 'em cause they thought they were ugly and I got a dog at home man. That shit is like war, anyway just make sure you take care of 'em alright"?
"Yea, I will, hey thanks," I said. He gave me a smile and a wave before walking with the crowd. I looked down at the little bundles of skin and smiled down at them as I put the one I was holding in the box and covered them with the blanket. "Hi guys, I'm your new mommy, let's get home huh"?
As I walked home with the kittens I decided to go ahead and named them. Luckily, it didn't take rocket science to find out they really were boys. The one with the blue eyes would be Othello and the one with the amber eyes would be Jareth. I cooed at them and blew kisses as I walked home. I'm sure I got a few strange looks but I didn't care.
"Whoa Amethyst," a voice rung out. I turned and was surprised to see Mark rolling down the street ,on his bike towards me. I did a little fast walk to him, for some reason feeling in a hurry to meet him. The sun was shining down on his blonde hair, creating a halo as he walked over to me with a cute smile on his face. He actually looked cute today, I'm allowed to look!
"Hey Mark, what are you doing out and about," I asked as he walked his way to my side.
"Nothing, I just got off work, saw you and thought maybe you'd want to hang out," he said. His eyes traveled down to the box and his brow knit together in confusion. "What's with the box"? He leaned in and the backed away, sucking in some breath and staring at me.
"Aren't they cute," I asked, smiling down at them.
"What the Hell are they," he asked, slowly looking back into the box.
"Cats," I said.
"Cat's," he repeated. I nodded. "Why did you get cat's and why do they look more like rats"? I moved the box out of his view and out my hand over it, covering them from his words.
"They don't look like rats," I looked down in the box and kissed the air near the kitties heads. "Don't listen to him my babies, you don't look like rats".
"Anyway, I should probably get these little guys some stuff, so they're comfy at their new home".
"Well, why don't I just come with you," Mark offered. He was so sweet, too sweet. I'm not saying that Mark didn't seem genuinely nice but I didn't want to give the impression that he was going to be receiving something for his kindness, people could be like that.
"No it's ok Mark, I don't want to bother you with stuff like this and you just got off work and all," I said, freeing my hand and waving it at him.
"Amethyst, do you even know where the pet store is," he asked me with a small smile. Damn, he got me there.
"No...I don't," I said, looking off to the side. He rolled his eyes and started walking, giving my elbow a nudge so I would turn with him.
"Come on, I don't want you getting lost and I have nothing better to do anyway," he said as we started walking. I pretended to act offended and looked away from him.
"Well I'm glad that I can be the cure for your boredom," I said. He gave me a bump on my arm and made me smile.
"Don't say it like that, I consider myself lucky, if anything," he said. My brow knit together and I looked over at him.
"Why's that," I asked.
"Well, I guess you haven't realized it but you're a really cool person and I like hanging out with you," he said. I felt myself suddenly feel shy, something I never was.
"Thanks Mark," I said quietly, when I looked over he was just looking down at me and smiling, before he looked back in front of us.
"I can't wait to introduce you to my other friends, Collins already thinks your awesome. He said that you reminded him of a young Erykah Badu...who is that"? I laughed a little and felt a toothy grin come to my face over the complement.
"She's a singer, very in tune with herself, beautiful, very real and she has a magical voice".
"So that's a really good thing"?
"A great thing".
"Man, now I want to listen to her".
"I just happen to have all her albums, so we can have a dance party at my place". Mark turned and looked at me, giving me a look that just said a straight up "no". I laughed a little and rolled my eyes at him. "Ok, maybe not".
"Then again who knows, I never thought I would be dancing to death metal sometimes". Now was my turn to give him a strange look. "My roommate Roger, rocker days".
"I see, I'm gonna have to ask if there is video and pictures somewhere". I sniggered when Marks face got all red and he almost tripped over his feet. I looked over to the side for just a second, worst mistake. It was Jacob, all in his European-god like glory, walking down the street in a white shirt with black jeans and a biker jacket and his usual small gold hoops in each ear. He was six-two with chocolate brown hair and sea-blue eyes. He had full lips and high cheeks bons, you would never think he was a druggie and woman beater. What was he doing here, was he looking for me?
"Oh come on Ame, don't ask for that, no one needs to-"
"Shit"! I lowered my head and tried to tune out the beating of my heart in my ears. Mark moved his head closer to mine and I could see worry on his face.
"What's wrong," he asked. I licked my lips and looked over at him from the corner of my eye, still trying to keep a eye on Jacob's movements.
"My ex is just right across the street," I said. Mark's eyes went wide and he looked around us.
"Just don't bring any attention to yourself ok and get on my side of the street," he said. I nodded my head and let myself slip behind him and get on the side he was previously on. I saw Mark keep looking in front of us but every so often, looking on the side of the street. Which was a little funny to me since he didn't know what Jacob looked like. "Do you think he's here looking for you"?
"I sure as Hell hope not," I said sighing as we got further down the street. What I failed to realize was Jacob, turned around and was looking at Mark and I retreat down the street.