Chapter 3

The wind was cold, the sky was gloomy and I didn't want to go back to the apartment to get my car. I started walking down the street… slowly. Drastically slower than what I was doing before. The mad run had caused my mind to go numb and my feet to hurt in the shoes I was wearing.

The lightning flashed and thunder cracked as if laughing at me.

I stared up at the sky in amazement and disbelief at what was about to happen.

The skies gave way and began to soak me through to my core.

I knew I wasn't far from Monica's… or Tom's place for that matter… but I just stopped and couldn't help but laugh.

The skies roared with me and I started running again, thinking I probably looked like a fool standing in the middle of a road staring at the sky.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lightning exploded outside the window, and the TV flickered from the interference.

I laughed at Dougie's worried expression.

"What?! The power might go out… then what are we gonna do?" he ask, frustrated with me.

"Oh I dunno… maybe play a board game or some cards," I replied with a smirk on my face.

He laughed at me wildly and then stopped: "no," came the all too simple reply and he went back to paying attention to the TV.

I took another mouthful of my beer and wondered what Emily was doing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was wet and cold now. No measurable warmth in sight.

Monica's house was too far from here, and I couldn't walk anymore in the shoes I was wearing.

I had only one other option really… and that was Tom's place.

If I was lucky (which I rarely was) Harry wouldn't be there and I could talk to Tom alone and ask him about this HUGE issue I was facing. Although the other – and more likely – option would be that Harry was there and Tom, being the do-gooder as he is, would make us talk and 'sort things out'.

I laughed aloud to myself as I made my way up to the door of his house.

I knocked once, hoping for no reply but receiving an instant answer.

"Oh hey Emily!" Danny said in a warm, Bolton accent. The heavy smell of beer hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Hi… how are you?" I asked him awkwardly, looking down at my feet.

"Oh yeah, not too bad. Wanna come in… you look a little wet," he laughed opening the door for me.

I nodded a reply and slowly walked in, wiping my feel on entry – although I don't think it would have helped, I still left wet splodges as I walked in towards the bathroom – I needed to see the messy outcome.