Crazy Day in the City, Part 4: Depression

Central park. A tiny bridge over a small pond. Desperate to get away, Gwen ran all the way here in a very short time. But now exhaustion and depression overtook her. She leaned over the railing and stared at the water below, oblivious to others crossing the bridge.

"I knew all that without you having to tell me..." she whispered.

On TV, a split personality always represented the person's own subconscious feelings. Gwen silently begged for it to be wrong.

You're not him... I don't WANT you to be him...

Her cell phone rang. Knowing it would be Mary, she absentmindedly took it out of her pocket.

At that moment, a group of kids came running across the bridge.

"Comin' through! Outta the way!"

They shoved one teenage boy to the side - Gwen's side. He collided with her back and knocked the phone out of her hand. "Ahh!" The mobile dropped into the water.

"The number you have dialed is out of the covered area. Please hang up and dial--"

Mary Jane ended the call and stared at her cell phone. "That's weird..."

Gwen and the teenager stared agape at the rippling water.

On top of everything that already happened, this did not improve Gwen's mood. She gave the boy the worst version of The Look she had ever given.

"I-I'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I'll buy you a new one! Right now!"

After a few more seconds of glaring, she sighed and walked away. "Just forget it."

Unexpectedly, he followed her. "No, really. I'll replace it for you. No strings."

"I don't want your charity."

This seemed to puzzle him. "It... It's not 'charity.' If I break someone else's things, I should take responsibility for it."

"You don't need to repay me."

"I need to make it up. For karma, if nothing else! I can get the newest, best phone of the market."

"Definitely not!"

"Okay... a cheap phone."

"I said no."

"I can't do anything at all to pay you back? A cell phone strap? Three hundred new minutes? A keychain? A flashlight? A get-well card? A stick of gum? Something?"

The guy seemed desperate enough. It's not everyday someone begs you to receive free stuff. But Gwen was fully aware of how irritable she was. She was afraid that if she let herself, she'd end up taking advantage of this guy. Still...

She stopped walking, turned around and faced him. "You really want to make it up? Get me something tasty."

"Done!"

Author's Notes: (1/19/2012) Another short chapter. The next one will be much longer.

In other news, thanks to "JCB" for reviewing my story.