xX… well, I'm back (I can tell I was missed! ) The SOR Fanfic section sure has changed since last I was on the scene, let's hope I still got it… xX
"Aaron?" a short pause, "Please send the car down."
Hanging up, she looks around her apartment. It's old, it smells old. It's terrifying to be alone. Especially on the 16th floor. She looks up at the photograph of a man, hanging on above the mantleplace.
"I'm going, dear, I'm going…"
Grabbing her exquisite fur coat, she opens the door and steps out into the suffocating heat of the elevator hall.
Opening the door for her, Aaron smiles: "See you later, miss."
"Yes… Aaron. I suppose so."
Checking for her Opera Glasses in her handbag, she gets in the back of the Rolls Royce parked in front of the building and is off.
XOXO
The door of Prince International School fly open and smash against the granite of the building. The school is housed in three, very large brownstones, which have been converted into one school. The school is located between 68th, between 5th and Madison.
The students gush out, there are about 300 of them. All dressed in that same, strict uniform. For the boys- gray sweater vests, over a pinstriped shirt with a plain, thin, black tie and black pants. The girls are in the traditional pleated skirts, with white shirts, tie, that sort of thing.
David Mooneyham swings his book bag over his shoulder and pushed his floppy chestnut hair out of his eyes.
"You comin?" a girls voice calls. It's Nina. The tallest person David knows. She's drop dead gorgeous, tall, leggy, dark almond shaped eyes. Dark skin and long, naturally streaked black and blonde hair. She's already pulling off her shoes as she waits in the doorway for David.
"Yeah…" he says. Nodding to Mr. Tomson, wishing him a good weekend, "Let's go."
"Thought you'd never mention it," she says, smiling. They are some of the last to leave the school and as they descend the steps they are alone in front of the school front. They walk two blocks north, to 70th, talking about to Pre-Cal test and Nina pushes the door open to Crumbs bakery. Ordering two Black N' White cupcakes and one cup of tea (for David) and one coffee (for Nina), they settle into the two big easy chairs situated in the corner and sigh heavily.
The calm is disrupted by David's phone ringing, the Sex and the City theme song blaring in true Midi fashion throughout the tiny storefront.
"Da'?"
Through the voice, David can hear the gravely sound of his fathers voice,
"David… Where are you?"
"Crumbs, Da'… we discussed this last night." He's turning bright red.
"Well come home. I don't remember!"
"'Course you don't Da," in frustration he slams his phone shut and throws it back in his bookbag.
"Fuck it." He says. Nina laughs, cutting into the last half of her cupcake.
The door to Crumbs opens, the cold air flying in. A woman, middle aged, enters. Wearing a large fur coat. David stares at her.
"David…" Nina snaps him back, "Ok?"
He pauses, "Yeah. I think."
"You sure you're up for it?"
"'Course."
The lady buys a cup of coffee to go and leaves, stepping into a large black Rolls Royce.
"Well, than, I suggest we should get down there. If we're walking. We want to be first in line."
Still half distracted, David nods. Still in a daze, thinking of the woman, where has he seen her before, he slings his bag over his shoulder and places his mug and plate on the counter. Still in a trance he runs into the glass door.
"Oh god…" he says, blinking once or twice.
Nina's laughing behind him. "come on Mr. Mensa"
Halfway across the park David's phone starts to chime again, pulling it out he reads the caller ID: Dad. Annoyed he tosses it back in his bag.
"Dad?" Nina asks.
"Yeah."
On the West Side now, they pass 7th Avenue and enter the Times Square area, they head towards the Eugene O'Neill theater.
Entering the gilded lobby they make their way to the Same-Day ticket window.
"Two students please," David says to the bored looking man.
"47.98" he says, fixing his visor. But David isn't paying attention to the counter, he's paying attention to the black Rolls Royce that just pulled up in front of the theater.
"David!" hisses Nina from behind him, "Pay the man!"
"oh, Right," David says, fumbling into his wallet and taking the 23.99 that Nina is handing him. The woman gets out and enters the lobby, heading to the will call line, she speaks to the man.
"One ticket, Hathaway."
"Right, Miss Hathaway, enjoy the show."
"Thank you."
"47.98 SIR!" the man says, now annoyed. Nina is covering her face.
"Sorry." He hands the money to the man who prints two tickets for them. Taking their two tickets they go and lean up against the counter on the other end of the lobby. David is only half listening to Nina and her chatter about Chad Lackwood, the woman is staring straight at him. He looks away.
"Yes. I agree." David says, not listening.
"DAVID!" she say, throwing up her arms, "what the fuck is wrong with you today? I just asked what you thought of my Dad leaving my mum! Are you even listening?"
"Yes, yes, yes of course…"
The woman with the jet black hair and the fur coat smiles at David and hands her ticket to the ticket collector who just opened the door.
Nina gets up and goes in, David in tow.
"I'm excited about this, aren't you?" Nina says chirpily.
She receives her Playbill, it says Sweeney Todd on the cover. They take their seats. The woman not five rows behind them.
XOXO
"I saw him, love, at the theater." The woman says, staring at the photograph above her mantelpiece, "He looks just like his father, oh god," she covers her face with her hands, "JUST LIKE HIM!" she screams, throwing her fur coat on the couch. She goes into the kitchen, sobbing quietly, takes out a mug and putting up some tea.
"Fred, dear, I saw him, can you forgive me?" she pokes her head out of the kitchen, talking to the photograph.
"No. No you can't. 'course not." She says, crying, in hysterics. She drops the mug on the floor, no recollection of the act, moments later. The porcelain pieces shattering, she turns off the water and collapses onto the couch. Too tired and distraught to have any more thoughts. Or emotions. Or pain.
XOXO
"Where've you been?" he growls in his low, smoke infested voice.
"At the theater, Da, where you think?" David says, entering their suite at the Kelsey Grand Hotel that he lives in with his dad.
"I've been up half the night, waiting for you, I've got a deadline tomorrow and I'm up waiting for you!"
"Da," he says, his voice calming, "I know, love, I know." He takes out two mugs and puts some water on.
"Did you take your pills, Da?" he asks casually.
"Of course I did!" he shouts.
"I can see you haven't shaved." David says, glancing up at his Dads gruff appearance. A shirt stained with grease, khaki pants splotched with catsup, hair messed up, chin full of stubble.
"I didn't have time… None of your bleeding business anyway."
"I know, Da, I know…" he says, smiling, soothingly.
Tea mugs in hand, he puts his dad to bed.
"You can get up extra early and work on the article dad, it's too late for you."
"No! no… the deadline…" he says, through fits of sleepiness.
David puts the mug on his dad's nightstand and goes to his own room, flips on his computer and sips his tea.
He says hi to Nina who is logged on.
But she logs off.
Tired, he switches off his computer, finished his tea and climbs into bed, stripped down to his boxers and a white t-shirt. He pulls a book of Sarte from his nightstand and flips off his room light and the reading light on. But in ten minutes, he's asleep.
xX… well? …xX
