Chapter 2: I've been waiting for a Girl like you
Tajana plodded along with her old Beetle. She had it from when she was young and it had served her well. But as of late it had been having a few issues. In fact, at that precise second, it decided to start sputtering and jerking along the long straight road underneath the Aurora bridge. She pulled up alongside a statue of a troll. It was interesting, to say the least. She didn't dwell on it much.
She got out the car, it was a lot more difficult than usual because of her enlarged pregnant stomach that pretty much got in the way of practical anything she needed to do. Because of that, fixing the car herself would be near enough impossible.
She lifted the hood up; a horrible rubbery smell coming from under it. Her timing belt had gone for the millionth time this year.
"Damn it, where am I going to find a mechanic. I have no idea where I am!" She said kicking the car in anger. "OW YOU BITCH!" she screamed, just as a Toyota Corolla pulled up by her.
"Uh hey, need a hand?" He asked her. She looked at him like a deer caught in a headlight, too scared to speak to him. He just gave her a strange look and drove off.
"OH GOD, what am I going to do..." Tajana was really panicking now. If she didn't find a place soon, who knew what might happen? She knew what could happen and she never wanted to see that horrible, vile excuse for a human being ever again. She would give the babythe baby to a foster family before she let him have his grubby little hands on her tiny little angel.
She left the bug there and went in search of help. She came on to another long road, to her right was a police station. Perhaps they could help her. She was about to cross the road, when she bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry dear" A posh voice sounded as Tajana pushed back onto the pavement. "I think you must be lost. This is Hyperion Heights; I'm Victoria Belfrey, the CEO of Belfrey developments. If you're coming to view a house, I'm a little busy right now."
"Um… okay... I just kinda broke down and need a place to stay for a while until my car is fixed." Tajana said nervously. This woman was extremely intimidating and was trying to be so. It had an effect on Tajana. She didn't want to speak any longer than necessary.
"I would advise leaving the the broken car here and going. You clearly don't fit into the kind of community I am trying to build here. Now if you don't mind, before you violently attacked me, I was on the way back to my office." Victoria said and walked off leaving Tajana stood there shaking. She couldn't help but notice the woman seemed to be a little panicked.
She saw the man's car who pulled up beside her, outside of a vintage shop. She walked a bit further and noticed a sign reading Roni's. It was most likely a bar and that's what she needed someone with local knowledge. Tajana decided it was probably her best bet at finding the local mechanic fast. She walked up to the bar.
Nervous, she waited outside to gather herself before she met someone else who might be rude with her. She hadn't always been like this. There was a time when she would have given that woman what for. Nowadays she felt like she couldn't even stand up to a flower.
She took a deep shaky breath as she pushed the door open. The man who had seen her earlier was sat at the bar drinking whiskey. There was an attractive brunette behind the bar pouring another drink for herself. Emma stood uncomfortably at the door. The song 'I've been waiting for a girl like you' by the Foreigner was playing softly in the background. It had been so long since Tajana had heard any music,that she instantly calmed a little.
Roni, who had noticed the woman enter, looked up at her and gave her a grin.
"Welcome to Roni's. What can I get ya?" Roni noticed the woman's large belly. "Water, juice, soda?" Emma stood by the door unsure if she could handle being around two strangers. "Come in dear, we don't bite... hardhard." Roni smirked. It was something about the woman that made Tajana feel at ease. She walked up to the free seat next to the man.
"Thank you, I would love some apple juice please," She said in a quiet shy voice, she had been craving some ever since she had broken down.. She lifted herself awkwardly onto the stool. The man next to her looked at her, instantly recognising her.
"Oh, it's you," He said in a monotone voice. He was clearly having a bad day himself. Tajana was quiet while she waited for Roni to bring her drink over.
"So what brings you here..." Roni said, looking for a name.
"Um… I'm Tajana. A broke down car and bad past." Tajana said not wanting to get into the details. "Do you know a good mechanic here? I might need…" Tajana said not knowing what to say.
"You're on the run?" Roni said, knowing the face Tajana wore. She was running away from somebody not something. The terrified, paranoid look about her gave it away, like at any moment someone will come in and rip her life out of her hands.
Tajana didn't reply, just stared at the woman. No one had been able to read her like that. Not even her Mom and Dad. She had been suffering with depression for years and they never once noticed her deteriorating in front of their eyes. She hadn't feltfelt able to talk to them for some reason. There was a voice in her head constantly telling her they would just tell her she was imagining it. That's what everyone had told her. Even him, especially him. Tajana went from going out with her friends almost every day to being inside and feeling agoraphobic. Like eyes were always following her, judging her.
When she had found out she was pregnant, she had to get herself together. Her parents' interference had prolonged her plan, but finally she was free from it. Although she had been terrified to leave by herself. She had needed to go because it wasn't just her to think about anymore.
She wanted to be a good mother to this baby; she knew first she had to get herself straight. She wanted to be able to take her to the park and be able to stop panicking long enough to enjoy herself. The entire drive had made her heart race. The CD player was broken so she was unable to distract her brain from overthinking.
InIn highschool, she had been the captain of the girlsgirls soccer teamteam. Now she wwas a scared lost girl who had no home to speak of with a kid of her own on the way. Her parents had fallen out with her when she told them what had been going on. They hadn't believed her. Only wanting their grandchild to be near them. Now, no one would have her except Tajana, if she could help it.
"I'm taking your silence as a yes…"" Roni said, a friendly smile on her face. Her alluring eyes sparkled in the light. Tajana just nodded.
"I'm looking for somewhere to stay as well, until it's fixed. Is there somewhere around here who will take me in? I don't have any money, though. Don't worry if you can't… I'll work something out," Tajana added anxiously, not wanting to annoy Roni before she even knew her.
This woman seemed to have a hold on her somehow. She had gotten so used to being in the background, that when someone as attractive as Roni took notice of her it felt… alien. But strangely, she liked it. It made her feel more human; something she had struggled with for quite some time. Numbing the world around you can have that effect on a person.
"Stay with me for the night, no place better, not with Victoria Belfrey running this place." Roni said spitting out the name like it was venom.
"I… uh… just ran into her… She told me to leave Hyperion Heights," Tajana said sadly. She hadn't been planning on staying long, but it seemed like a nice place to have some rest before she continued to look for somewhere else.
"Oh really? What did she say?" Roni asked, intrigued, leaning over the counter.
"That I violently attacked her and to leave 'cause I wouldn't 'fit in' " Tajana said. The rejection hurt. Even though she shouldn't be bothered by the woman, it had still made her stomach churn uncomfortably and had left her with a lump in the back of her throat. So many people had turned her away because she was so distant with them. None of them had understood her, even her own therapist had given up on trying to get her to talk. She had only had to go because the obstetrician had booked it for her and she had to go to them.
"Yeah well, she's been trying to change this place. She's buying my bar off me at midnight. Drinks are half price until then, not that it matters much to you in your condition. Why did you come out here so heavily pregnant?" Roni asked, maybe being a little too nosey, because the girl just retreated into herself. Her eyes glazed over as if she were somewhere else. Somewhere that had a huge effect on her..
"It's not important," Tajana dismissed quickly. She wasn't able to talk about it without breaking down. She didn't want the guy next to her to judge her more than he already had done.
"Well, if you need a place to crash…" Roni said, pointing to indicate herself at the end.
"I might take you up on that offer. Do you really not mind me staying tonight?" Tajana asked, not wanting to sound pushy, but scared she would end up sleeping in her bug.
"Of course not, stay for as long as you like," Roni said, smiling and gently placing a hand on Tajana's. "He won't get you here, you're safe," she whispered so only Tajana could hear it. She just looked up to Roni with an extremely grateful expression.
"How did you..?" Tajana asked her. This woman was amazing. She was beautiful, with her wavy chocolate hair and soft brown eyes that stared into her soul. There was just something about her that Tajana felt was trustworthy.
"I know that look, dear… I've been there before. Trust me, it's worth the hardship to get here. From now on, your life is your own," She said, her lips forming a gentle smile. "Don't worry about Belfrey, I'll deal with her."
The man in the other barstool looked at her. He had caught the end of the conversation. "Don't let people dictate what you do with your life."
"Uhh. Thank you…" She said, feeling uncomfortable speaking to him after she had been so rude this morning. "I'm really sorry about this morning, I was out of turn. My car had just… gotten to me."
"Yeah, I get it. My name's Henry Mills; I just got here too. Looking for the girl who took my laptop," He said. The boy had an inner sadness to him, like he had lost something dear to him he could never replace.
"It's nice to meet you. I really am sorry; you just took me by surprise before," She said, hoping he would forgive her.
"It's okay, Tajana. I get it, I swear. No harm, no foul." He said, adding a small smile at the end. He downed his drink.
"Yeah, I guess…" Tajana smiled back slightly and left it at that.
She felt like she might pass out. She had been driving for a full day and night. Hyperion heights had been a godsend. She was just about to find a hotel when her car had broken down. Not having a map on, her she hadn't been expecting to be so close to somewhere. She was beginning to feel dizzy and disorientated. Her eyes couldn't focus properly.
"Tajana, I think you need to rest. You look dead on your feet," Roni said with concern, noticing the woman fighting to keep herself upright. Tajana just looked at her, she couldn't have asked to find anyone else better to help her. This woman could be the person she had been looking for when everything had started to happen. Now, years later, she finally had her prayers answered.
Roni came to sit next to her. "Please let me take you upstairs; you can take my room before you pass out. The baby needs rest too," Roni said, reaching out to rest a hand on her stomach; but Tajana flinched away on instinct. "I'm sorry, love, let me take you upstairs. I promise this will all be easier with a bit of sleep in you," she said, her voice taking on a gentler quality at her concern. Tajana just nodded and got up. Roni, showing her what she was doing, put her arm around her to support her as they walked upstairs, leaving Henry to his whiskey.
Roni led her up the stairs to her apartment. I wasn't big, it wasn't flashy, but it was home. She opened the door and revealed an open plan great room. Roni left the brick exposed on the walls and just plastered an array paraphernalia hung up for decorations. There was a Suzi Quatro t-shirt pinned to the wall, a Rocky Horror Picture Show movie poster and even a picture of the original illustration of the Mad Hatter's Hat. There was a small bookcase half filled with books, the other half taken by record singles and cd's.
In the corner lay her prized possession: her Gibson Les Paul traditional bigsby. She had bought it full price after saving for three years. She should probably have bought a car or something more practical, but at the time she was in love with it. She would walk past the shop window almost every day to make sure one was still in stock. The day she bought it she hadn't put it down. She had also bought an Ibanez parlor acoustic as well when she got older, but that stayed in her bedroom.
"You play guitar?" Tajana said, obviously noticing the piece of art in the corner. It was varnished brown with all the original features to it. The same faceplate, controls, even tuning heads. She had looked after her baby well.
"Yeah, I started learning at a young age. I kinda just picked it up and started playing by ear more than anything," Roni said. "I'm not a great player, but it's fun."
Tajana just smiled sweetly at her. "I used to play too, until…" she said, cutting herself off after remembering the reason she stopped. In her head, she could see her guitar in pieces on the floor She shook her head to rid it of its thoughts. Roni stared at her, concerned.
"Maybe you could play one of mine sometime?" Roni said, knowing it would be good for her to get back to things she used to like to do. Tajana just hummed tiredly in reply. "Come on, sleepy head! My bed's this way; you can borrow a t-shirt to sleep in for now." Roni said as she walked her into her small bedroom. It was decorated similarly to the front room, but she added more to it. There were photos scattered over the walls and the odd quote; some of them inspirational, others just funny.
"I like your taste," Tajana said before letting out a huge yawn. Maybe she was tired. Roni handed her a long black t-shirt for her to wear as Pj's.
"Thanks, whose is it?," She said looking at Roni's slight form. Her eyes trailing from wavy brown hair slowly down to her leopard Chelsea boots looking at Roni's slight form. Her eyes trailing from wavy brown hair slowly down to her leopard Chelsea boots. The shirt looked miles too big for her, for Roni even. She felt too uncomfortable to ask for a pair of bottoms. She wondered why Roni even owned a top that huge.
"It's an ex's, I kept it because it was from a Joan Jett concert, back when I was punk rock. It was the last one, and in large. You can keep it as a … souvenir… for my bar." Roni said, faltering a little at the end from embarrassment. Tajana smiled at Roni's stamer. She knew it couldn't be because of her, she was fat and gross. But it made her feel good that Roni wanted her to think well of her. Tajana smiled at Roni's stamer. She knew it couldn't be because of her, she was fat and gross. But it made her feel good that Roni wanted her to think well of her.
"Okay... I don't think I need a souvenir to remember you though," Tajana said licking her lips and letting her eyes wander down Roni's body again licking her lips and letting her eyes wander down Roni's body again, not noticing what effect it had on Roni, who couldn't help but smile at that. Clearly the new girl had the hots for her.
The brunette showed her to the bathroom so she could freshen up. "Feel free to use whatever, there isn't much but it does the job," Roni said. She wasn't one for spending tons of money on a shampoo because someone else told her it was good. She liked to make those decisions for herself.
Tajana went into the small bathroom. It contained a small shower, a toilet and a sink. The walls were painted a calming blue color and the floor was white tiles. There were small pictures of sea creatures on the walls. The blonde smiled as she opened the door to the small upright stall and turned the shower on.
As the spray of water came to a decent temperature, she stripped from her clothes as quickly as she could and got in. She quickly cleaned her hair with Roni's apple scented hair products and rinsed it letting the water cascade down her back relaxing her muscles one by one.
After she was done, Tajana reached for one of Roni's soft towels to dry herself with. She wrapped herself in it, and put her damp hair into a messy bun. The blonde tossedtossed the shirt on. It was down to her knees but her legs exposed to the air. She felt uncomfortable. She couldn't leave the room to stand in front of Roni in this. She would see the damage he had done. The bruising and scars being on show left her feeling self conscious.
Roni knocked on the door. "Hey, everything alright in there?" She shouted through the door.
"Could I have some pants, please?" Tajana said in a shaking weak voice. Something she had come accustomed to hearing.
"Sure, let me see what I have for you" Roni said through the door. She knew this might happen. Tajana was broken, someone had broken her. Left her a shell of her former self. She searched her dresser for the stretchiest pair of pants she had. Something she could put on, and drape just below her belly. She searched her dresser for the stretchiest pair of pants she had. Something she could put on, and drape just below her belly. She quickly found a old pair of leggings. She knocked on the bathroom door. " Here you go sweetie, are they ok?" She asked when the door open just enough for Tajana to grab it. The blonde took them from her cautiously.
"Thank you...for everything. I didn't think people like you existed still. You know people with a heart? Most people would have thrown me back on the streets." Tajana said. She had tried so many times to get help but in the end the only person she could rely on was herself. She had up and left in the middle of the night. It had been the scariest thing she had ever done. She knew she had to. For her baby's sake. That monster wasn't coming anywhere near her.
Roni could see the torment in her eyes. She led her over to the sofa. They sat side by side, Roni turned in her seat, propping a knee on the back of the couch to face her. "He won't find you here. I promise, and if he does, he has to get through me first. I'm a tough cookie to brake. I won't let you go back to him." Roni told her knowing the girl needed to know she was safe with her. This tiny apartment was her refuge. She was willing to share it with someone who needed the shelter as badly as Tajana. In fact she was more than willing