Chapter 6: Meeting With Friends

David snatched his face off the computer's keyboard. Somehow, he had fallen asleep at the computer instead of climbing into his bed a few feet away. Thankfully, the screen was blank indicating the computer wasn't on. There was no telling what odd combination of keys he would have pressed otherwise. He groaned loudly as he stretched. The unintended nap he just took was the best sleep he had in weeks. The last several days had been restless, even more so than usual. Ever since talking to Eric on Chatline a few days ago, the nightmares were different. Instead of being haunted by a woman with no face, he now dreamt of shooting people as they dangled from tree branches. Strangely, the nightmares didn't leave him waking up in a cold sweat—not even seeing the faceless woman, but instead he was left with a sense of…calm. It worried him that he felt so refreshed after imagining himself using live bodies for target practice.

He would never admit it to Rob, but he was grateful to have gotten on the website when he did. The dreams were proof he couldn't take much more abuse. He realized this now, and the broken TV in his living room was a constant reminder. Sure Rob had always been there, and he could call his friend at any time and vent. But what would Rob say if he called him one day told him that he dreams of shooting everyone who had ever crossed him? What if Rob thought he was crazy and stopped returning his calls, or worse, he told someone else and rumors began to spread that David Somerson was planning to kill people? It seemed childish—it felt childish, but he couldn't take the risk of pushing away the one friend he had left.

David cleared his thoughts and took his usual morning shower while he planned out how he was going to spend the rest of his day. The bed sheets still needed changing, the TV needed to be thrown out, and he still hadn't gone grocery shopping. But he decided to not to do any of those things today. Now that he was unemployed and he could count the number of friends he had on one hand, he had more time on his hands than he actually needed or wanted. It would be better to space things out as much as possible or else he would quickly find himself with nothing to do.

Perhaps he could pass some of the extra time by looking for another job. The problem was he was facing potential jail time which was a hell of a thing to bring up during an interview. Even if he walked away from all this, he doubted many employers want to hire a guy accused of snapping and murdering his girlfriend. Perhaps it would be better to put off the job hunt until he knew how things would end. Perhaps he could talk to his neighbors and try to pick up a few odd jobs to keep himself busy. So far, none of the other residents had given him a hard time, but that could also mean they were scared shitless that there was a potential murderer living in their building.

Whatever he decided to do, it could wait until a later time. He decided to take care of the bed today, taking off the dirty sheets and stuffing them into the laundry bag sitting in the corner. He then put on the first set of clothes he came across without even bothering to check if it was clean or not. The edges of the jeans were frayed and some of the seams were loose, and the t-shirt had a few holes in the side just below the armpit. He didn't care since there he had no plans to leave the apartment today, and it was not as if there was anyone he needed to impress. He thought about taking the laundry downstairs to the laundry room, but decided against it. The bag could wait a few more days; and it was not as if there weren't more sheets he could use. 

After dealing with the bed, he moved to the kitchen to have breakfast. At first he planned on going all out: make scrambled eggs, some sausage, and maybe some pancakes using the last of the pancake mix in the back of the cabinet. Too bad he didn't have anything to drink besides water to go with it, but he could always head to the market and grab something. Then maybe he could also grab some of the other things he needed then…Never mind, that was too much just to get something to eat. David settled for a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He sat in silence as he scooped a spoonful of corn flakes into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and repeat. Underneath his seat, his tail swung back and forth like one of those clock pendulums. It felt good to finally be able to turn his brain off and not think about anything.

The sudden buzzing of his vibrating cell phone caught him off-guard and he nearly fell out of seat. David snatched the phone off the table, cursing himself for being so distracted that such a small thing scared him.

He looked down at his phone and his heart skipped a beat as he read the text he received:

Hey David, it's Stephanie. I need to talk to you. Meet me at that restaurant on Cornera in 30?

He couldn't confirm it since he smashed his answering machine (and still wasn't making plans to get a new one. It was not like he was getting a bunch of messages anyway), but Stephanie did call him and said she didn't want to see him anymore. Now here she was messaging him, saying she wanted to talk.

Part of him wanted to tell her where she could go if she wanted to “talk." After all, not wanting to hang out anymore was her idea. She called him and ended their friendship. It wasn't as if he had been harassing her or he was just an all-around asshole. She decided on her own that being affiliated with him couldn't work, so why should he care if she wanted to talk now? In what universe did she think it was okay to tell someone to stay out of their life then call them up a few days later saying “I want to talk?"

He stood there for a few minutes, tightly gripping the cell phone, letting his anger flow through him. Various insults and one-liners passed through his mind, and he couldn't decide which one he wanted to use. Or maybe he should go and see her and tell her off to her face. When that thought entered his mind, his rage began to ebb. He sighs and quickly texts back:

Sure I'll be there.

Stephanie may have decided to cut ties, but for some reason she changed her mind. He knew Stephanie; she didn't play mind games, and she didn't say things she didn't mean. If she was contacting him now, it had to be serious especially after ending their friendship. It didn't take long for him to pick out a pair of jeans without worn seams and a casual button-up shirt that wasn't wrinkled or full of holes. After checking the battery on his phone, ensuring it won't need charging, he grabbed his keys and headed out of the apartment building.

The moment David stepped outside, he was almost knocked down another anthro rushing to get into the building. He barely looked at the anthro as he stepped around them; the most he noticed was that it was a spaniel. He mumbled “Excuse me" and kept his brisk pace.

“David?" a female voice asked. The voice sounded tired almost as if the person it belonged to was ready to fall asleep on the spot.

David froze. He knew that voice. Every part of his mind was screaming to keep walking and not turn around. The last time this happened, it was Oliver and the conversation was anything but pleasant. There was no reason to believe things would be any better now. He sighed and turned around. The anthro he almost ran into was the one talking to him.

Her name was Carol and she lived in the apartment below his. She was also one of the few people he did not feel betrayed him after Lori's death. They just started talking fewer times until the conversations ceased; the last one took place just before everything fell apart. Carol was nice enough, but she had a bit of a motor mouth and loved to gossip. It was her penchant for gossip that taught David to deal with her in spurts. She tended to stretch the truth a bit.

A heavy sigh escaped his muzzle before he could stop it. “Hey, Carol, sorry about almost running into you—I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Carol waved away the apology and smiled wide enough to split her head in half. The smile made her tired, sunken face look more like a Halloween mask. She put her back against the wall and began running her hand over one of her brown feathered ears as if trying to smooth out her fur. It made little difference since the rest of her white fur was messy enough to rival David's.  “Don't worry about it, David. Actually I was just looking for you," she said in a slow drawl like she had been out drinking. Her drooping eyes and her tottering where she stood did little to contradict that theory.

David's ears rose. They hadn't spoken since before Lori died; what could she possibly have to talk to him about now?  He fought the urge to glance at his watch. He really didn't want to be late meeting Stephanie, but it felt rude to just run off. “What about?"

“I moved…to a new apartment. It's a little place up north. A lot more expensive, but…wow, I cannot deny that view. I actually just came over here to tell you."

“Nice. Congratulations," David said, offering a warm smile and all the while wondering why she was telling him in the first place. Sure they spoke to each other in the halls, but he couldn't say that her moving was any of his business.

Now that he looked at her, she didn't look too well. Her white fur was tangled and there were large dark circles under her eyes. Carol always cared about her appearance. He still remembered the time one of the apartments caught fire. While everyone else was running outside in their pjs, Carol took the time to pick out an outfit and brush her fur claiming she didn't want to meet a handsome firefighter looking as if she climbed out of bed (even though that's exactly what she did). Now on top of her unkempt fur, she wore a dingy, baggy sweatshirt and a pair of jeans with scuffed knees.

Carol began checking her surroundings, making David's mind race. Oliver did the same thing just trying to bait him. He began checking the street for any sign of that grey sedan he saw before. It was nowhere to be seen, and no one the street seemed to show any interest in their conversation.

Carol began speaking again, causing David to jump a little. “Thanks. Oh, right. You said you had somewhere to go, didn't you? We can always catch up later. But before you go, is your number still the same so I can call you later?"

“Well, yeah, my cell number is still the same. Carol, are you okay? You seem really nervous."

“I do?" she squeaked. She cleared her throat and said in her normal voice: “I mean, it's just I've had a lot on my mind, lately. But you got bigger problems than me."

For reasons he couldn't explain, David's stomach dropped when she mentioned him having bigger problems. Suddenly Oliver's set up a few days back entered his mind. Carol loved a good piece of gossip. Was it possible she knew why Oliver did it in the first place? Was that why she wanted to talk later? And then there was her watching the streets as if looking for someone. Carol was never the type to play games, but David couldn't discount the possibility.

 “I'd love to keep talking someone's waiting for me—I don't want to be late," he said, backing away.

Carol's eyes lit up. “Really? Who?" she asked inquisitively.

His tail curled. He fought against the natural response and flattened it against his leg. There was the Carol he knew, the one who wouldn't dare pass up a bit of juicy gossip. Even if she was a gossip, he had no reason not to trust Carol—so there was no reason to start now. But a second ago, she was trying to end the conversation.  

“Oh, my friend—Rob—asked me to meet her at that place on Cornera."

Carol brow furrowed, “Her?"

He stopped his tail from shooting between his legs but stop his ears from dropping. Trusting or not, telling her about Stephanie seemed like a bad idea. Before Carol could say another word, David turned away and headed for the restaurant. He didn't dare look back to see if Carol was watching or not. He let off a long string of curses as he sped down the street. He just put himself on the radar of the biggest gossip in the building. How could he do something so stupid?

There's only one restaurant on Cornera Avenue that was within walking distance of David's apartment: Kevin's Bar and Grill, a casual restaurant. He hadn't been there since well…ever. As far as he could remember, he had always rode past it on his way to work, but never stopped to check it out. He and Lori made plans to go their one day, but those plans were quickly canceled when other things came to light.

David forced the thoughts form his mind and walked in. The host, a young-looking human, stopped him the moment he entered the door.

“Hi, there," the human said, wearing a friendly genuine smile, “Welcome to Kevin's. What can I do for you?"

The host's friendly attitude caught David off-guard. For a moment he forgot the human was a complete stranger, and there was a good chance he didn't recognize him. It had been so long since he spoke to someone who didn't make him regret showing his face in public.

“Um, actually, I'm supposed to meet a friend here," David said, trying to sound as casual as possible, “I'm not sure if she's made a reservation or not, but her name is Stephanie Lodes."

“Okay, one second," The host tapped the screen on his tablet several times before saying, “Yes, she did make a reservation, and it says here that we have a table ready. Do you want to wait for her inside?"

David nodded and followed the host to his table. He led him to one of the side booths meant for two by the front window. He was thankful to have a table where he can see the street. He still hadn't fully shaken the thought that he's being followed. At least this way he could see if the sedan made another appearance or if anymore “friends" decided to make an appearance. So far it hadn't reappeared since Oliver's ambush several days back, but he thought it better not to take chances.

The host asked if he wanted anything and David asked for a glass of water. The host left behind the menu, offered another friendly smile, and walking away. David took a moment to take in his surroundings.

Comfortable and casual were definitely the words he would use if someone asked him to describe the restaurant. The whole place had a slight diner/ restaurant feel to it. The booths offered enough privacy from the adjacent ones and the tables sitting in the open sat far enough away that David couldn't hear what people were saying unless they were very loud. None of it made a difference since there weren't that many people inside anyway. The largest group was a group of four, two humans and two anthros, sitting in one of the corner booths on the far side of the restaurant. He couldn't hear what was being said, but now and again, they would laugh at something that was said. They didn't so much as glance in his direction. An elderly couple sat closest to him, but they were too busy wrapped in their own conversation to notice him.

Several minutes passed, and there was no sign of Stephanie. David noticed on several occasions the waiters and waitresses looking in his direction and whispering to each other before looking at the nearest clock. Most likely they were holding a pool to see how long before he realized he'd been stood up and left. He hoped that wasn't the case; the theory didn't make sense anyway. For what reason would she cut ties only to contact him a week-and-a-half later asking to meet again only to stand him up?

Looking at the other customers in the restaurant doesn't help matters. More people began appearing and not one of them came alone. So far everyone were occupied laughing at jokes or eating their meals to pay much attention to him (which he actually preferred), but he knew eventually it would become noticed he was the only one dining solo.

He looked down at his phone for what was probably the fortieth time and re-read the message she sent him. Short and simple: she wanted to meet so they could talk. Not much room for interpretation.  And according to his phone, he did send a reply saying he would meet her here. The only explanation for her tardiness was that she didn't get it. If she was running late because of something, she would have left another message, right?

 “I'm sorry I'm late, David."

David held his breath. His palms suddenly felt sweaty. He tried to look up from his phone, but his neck seemed to be rusted into its current position.

A hand covered in cinnamon colored fur touched his and his ears grew hot. He had to hold his tail stiffly behind him to keep it from wagging. He mentally cursed his body's reaction. Stephanie was a friend dammit; what did he have to be so nervous about?  He felt like he was in high school all over again and he'd never talked to a girl before. Lifting his head felt like forcing open a rusted gate as he looks upward and sees the rabbit looking back at him, her brown eyes looking worriedly into his.

 He wanted to tell her he didn't care that she was late, but his mouth felt like it was filled with chalk. The most he could manage was a stupefied look and a series of indiscernible grunts. What the hell was wrong with him? If he didn't say something soon, she would get the wrong idea and probably leave.

Stephanie quickly sat down across from him and started playing with the black-furred tips of her ears. “David I know you're probably mad at me—you have every right to be. But thank you for agreeing to meet me here, and I'm sorry for showing up late. I hope you weren't waiting too long."

 David swallowed and found his tongue able to move again, “No, I wasn't waiting too long," he replied and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “You know what? Let's just order something and work from there."

As if on cue, the waiter, a human teenager with bad acne and an even worse haircut, appeared, ready to take their order and wearing a forced smile. David assumed it was because he lost the pool based on the waiter's two snickering co-workers a few tables away. Stephanie ordered a veggie burger with a side of fries. David, not knowing what he wanted to eat on account of suddenly losing his appetite, ordered the same.

“You sure you don't want anything else? I'm buying," Stephanie said. “If it helps, think of it as my way of buying you back," she added with a small chuckle.

David wanted to joke back, but now that his anxiety from seeing her again was beginning to settle, he couldn't help but feel annoyed at how nonchalantly she was approaching the situation. He had to admit it was a little awkward to address the situation, but her acting the least bit uncomfortable was beginning to get on his nerves. He just sat there in silence, looking around at the other customers. A large portion of the males were stealing glances at Stephanie (and earning a nasty glare from their dates). Out of his peripheral, Stephanie was fixing her hair and smoothing out her clothes.

“So, how's things?" Stephanie said.

That did it. He didn't care if it was awkward, if Stephanie thought he was going to pretend she didn't tell him to stay away from her, she had another thing coming. The words started pouring out of him. “Why am I here?" he asked louder than he intended.  Stephanie flinched a little and some of the other customers could probably hear him, but he couldn't care less. “Look, Steph, I didn't like your decision--but I get it. If want me to stay away from you, fine, I'm gone. But then suddenly out of the blue you want to talk? I don't care that you showed up late. But pretending you never that message is pushing it. I'm not in the mood for mind games. What's going on?"

Stephanie's ears fell. “I guess I tried too hard to be casual huh?" She started twisting the tip of her ear again and stared out of the window. “I called you here 'cause I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for what I said—the message I left on your answering machine. I realized that I made a mistake and I wanted to make it up to you. I wasn't trying to pretend I didn't leave that message. It's just…I'm embarrassed to admit I did. I mean, I honestly didn't expect you to agree to meet me today."

David leaned forward in his seat. Part of him still felt like he wouldn't be here if he wasn't low on friends. But he had no intention of admitting it to her. His feelings before didn't matter. He agreed to show; he agreed to hear her out. “So, let's start over and talk like adults. First, I accept your apology."

Stephanie smiled which caused David's tail to wag slightly. “Thank you. Now, I have to explain why I left it in the first place."

“Steph, you don't need to do that."

“No, I do," she said firmly. “You need to know. You deserve that much."

David didn't even attempt to argue further.

Stephanie took a deep breath and looked David in the eye. It reminded him of the look a doctor gave a patient about to receive bad news. “Truth is, I wanted to protect you. There've been rumors about us at the job; that's why I cut ties. People have been saying we're a couple."

David shrugged. This wasn't news to him. “So?"

“They also say we conspired to kill Lori."

David's ears fell. His body suddenly felt numb. He didn't know that. These were the people he had worked with for years. How could they even suggest something like that? The waiter came back with their food. Stephanie smiled and thanked the teenager, but David still sat there, unmoving. She had to be joking. Sure, he didn't get along with all of his co-workers, and he already knew there were rumors buzzing around. But claiming he killed her on purpose to have an affair? Dragging Stephanie into their lies? What was their problem? What the hell did he do to them? He also felt guilty for thinking such awful things about Stephanie. She was willing to accept his hatred if it meant doing something, anything, to protect him even just a little. He fought the urge to sink into his seat.

“Steph, I'm really sorry—"

“No, David," she said sternly through a mouthful of sandwich. “Do not apologize for those assholes. You didn't do anything wrong. Hey, does the name Samson mean anything to you?"

David cocked his head. “Who?"

“Samson. Guy came by right before I quit. He said he was a family friend and he was asking a lot of questions about you."

“Wait, what?"

Stephanie swallowed her food before answering. “I said that Samson guy was—"

“No, no, before that. You quit your job?"

“Oh, yeah, I did. I couldn't do it anymore, David. Even after you got fired, people were still staring and making shit up about us. Brent was the worst; that guy would not leave you alone. Honestly, it got a little creepy. If he wasn't doing his rival's wife, I'd sworn he wanted you or something."

David's tail curled. He gripped his glass so hard it shattered, spraying the table with bits of glass, ice, and water. He sat there in shock at what he had just done. The teenager from before quickly ran over with dish towel and began cleaning up the mess while apologizing profusely. He noticed was staring at him wide-eyed and the other customers were looking in their direction.

“Excuse me," David mumbled before he rushed to the bathroom.

He checked his hand for any cuts and removed any tiny glass shard he found in his fur. He then splashed cold water on his face. Brent had a lot of nerve. For weeks, he had to put with Brent's rude comments about Lori, baiting him, telling his business to everyone in the building. And all the while, that bastard was creeping around with someone else's wife!

David growled at his reflection. He was glad he got fired. There was no telling how he would react if he ever saw Brent again. One thing was certain: After all the hell Brent put him through, he wasn't getting off that easy. One way or another, he would see to it that Brent got what was coming to him.

He splashed more water on his face and dried it with a paper towel. He probably looked like a wet mop was sitting on his face, but it didn't matter. His fur was already messy. By the time he rejoined Stephanie, the waiter had cleaned up the mess and brought a fresh glass of ice water. Everyone else had gone back to their conversations and ignored the spectacle. He slid into his seat ready to eat when he remembered that he had ordered a veggie burger even though he wasn't a vegan.

Stephanie chuckled and said: “Don't worry about it David. While you were in the bathroom, I told the waiter you needed a new plate since the old one was soaked with water. I told him you ordered the chicken sandwich and the manager isn't charging us extra."

David smiled, but the guilt in the pit of his stomach worsened. Once again Stephanie had his back while all he did was hate her and cause her grief.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon eating and talking about everything under the sun, or rather, David listened to Stephanie talk about she had been doing for the last week and a half. Turned out, her new job was working at another tech company. Her job was essentially the same as it was before, but they paid her better for it and the gossip around the break room was much better. On top of her new job, she attended her aunt's second wedding, and made plans to have her kitchen remodeled.

David unfortunately didn't have much to talk about except Chatline which he refused to mention. Right now he felt it may be better not to tell her about his pseudo-therapy sessions with a random stranger online.

Even without having anything to talk about, it was a nice change of pace to do something that wasn't about him or reminding him about what he has lost over the past year. He had wanted for weeks to forget about all that had happened.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when David's cell phone vibrated. He looked down and read the screen. It said Rob was calling him. He swiped his finger across the screen, ignoring the call. “Sorry about that. Phone just started ringing out of the blue. Here, I'll turn it off."

“You don't need to do that; I didn't even notice you were getting a call," Stephanie replied. “Besides, I don't mind."

“Yeah, well, it's just my friend anyway," he replied. “He has always had the worst kind of timing that's all. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait till later."

The moment he placed the phone back in his pocket, it began vibrating. He groaned loudly earning him several strange stares from the other customers.

“I'm gonna guess it can't wait till later," Stephanie said, stifling a laugh.

David laughed too, snatched his phone out of his pocket, and headed towards the bathrooms so he wouldn't disturb anyone else. “What?" he hissed under his breath. “I swear Rob if someone isn't dead or dying…"

“Wow, D, that's actually…really creepy. You got E.S.P. or somethin'?" Rob replied, “Never mind. Well, to answer your question, someone did die. It's Oliver, D. He's dead."

David's stomach did a full flip. It felt like something had been rammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Rob had to be screwing with him. It was the only possible explanation. He just saw the man a few days ago. What were the odds something would happen to Oliver no more than a few days after he did something to someone else?

“Rob, don't joke like that."

“Hey, come on. Give me some credit; I know not all of my jokes are funny but when have I ever taken one that far?"

“Good point. But…seriously? I just saw him a few days ago."

“Yeah, I remember. The cops found him in his place yesterday. The news is spreading like crazy. From what I hear his sister killed him."

David almost dropped the phone in surprise. “Wait, what? Pepper killed him?"

“Yeah, man. Word is, she found out he was cheatin' her out of some money and she just snapped. Honestly, I got to say, it feels like it was a long time comin'. Is that weird? Oliver wasn't exactly a saint—everyone knew that. But sellin' out your own family? That's just plain wrong."

David fought back the smile trying to creep across his muzzle. What was wrong with him? Sure he didn't like Oliver, but he shouldn't be happy to hear he was dead. But he couldn't help it. His tail began wagging on its own. He tried to hold it against his leg, but it just thumped against his leg instead.

“Hey, D, you there?"

David jumped as if snapping out of a trance. “Huh, what? I didn't catch that last part."

 “I said don't sweat it too much, D. Knowing Oliver, there was probably a line of people waitin' for their turn at him."

“Yeah…I guess…I still don't know why Lori hung out with that guy."

“You're the one who dated her; you would know better than me," Rob replied with a small chuckle. “I guess you too preoccupied by other parts of her to pay much attention to her choice in friends, huh?"

He knew Rob was joking, but the comment still felt like a slap to the face. Why did Lori put up with Oliver when all she ever did was complain about him? It occurred to him that he had no answer. He only hung out with the guy because she did and even then, it was only during special occasions when the human couldn't be avoided. He and Lori dated for years and it hit him that he had never really understood her as much as he thought he did. Even now, he could only name maybe half of her friends and didn't know anyone in her family besides her parents.

“Hey, D, you still there, right? This is startin' to get old, man; you got a bad connection or somethin'?"

David jumped again. “Y-Yeah. I'm here. What did you say?"

“I asked if that traitor gettin' what was comin' to him gonna help you relax?"

“Traitors get what they deserve." The words suddenly echoed in David's mind. It was the same thing Eric said when they were talking on Chatline. Back then he had no problem agreeing with him, but hearing Rob say it out loud and learning about Oliver's death made him wonder: Getting some payback for what Oliver did was one thing. But did he really need to die over it? Was that going too far?

“Okay, D, I can hear someone walkin' by in the background. Why do you keep blankin' out on me? I'm startin' to get tired of it. Unless…you're not with someone are you? Am I interrupting?"

David sighed and leaned against the wall. He actually was with someone, but not in the way Rob was suggesting. And he knew if his friend learned he was out with Stephanie, he would never stop grilling him for details and “nothing happened" wasn't going to cut it. “No, I'm not with anyone. I'm just taking a walk so I can get some fresh air. I'm being quiet because there's some noise on my end and I want to make sure you can hear me."

“Ohhhh, okay. Well, enjoy the rest of your 'walk'…and when I'll see you later and you can tell me what her name was," Rob finished quickly and hung up the phone.

David rolled his eyes, slipped his cell back into his pocket, and went back to Stephanie.

Stephanie was staring at her phone, rapidly flicking her finger across its screen. She didn't acknowledge David's presence until he sits down at their table. She opened her mouth to say something, but her face fell when she looked up from her phone. “Oh, you don't look so good. Is everything okay," Stephanie asked, her voice full of concern.

David took a bite of his burger to buy himself some time to think of what to say. He didn't want to tell her about the phone conversation he just had with Rob. Oliver had taken up enough of his time. He wasn't about to let him ruin what was left of this afternoon. “I'm fine," he said. “What were we talking about before?"

****

David dropped onto his bed, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Stephanie was back in his life and he just had the best afternoon hanging out with her. He finally had a chance to relax and pretend his life hadn't fallen apart, and all he could think about were the negative things. What was wrong with him? Well, in times like this there was only one thing to do: Talk to Eric.

He had no idea what time it was, but it couldn't be that late. A few minutes online wouldn't hurt. He quickly logged into Chatline, and sent a request to Eric to chat.

To his surprise, Eric responded almost immediately.

Eric: Hey, man. I was just about to log off for today.

CH27: Oh we can talk later.

Eric: Nah, it's no prob. What's up?

CH27: I just met a friend of mine. And I found out something surprising.

Eric: Really? What happened?

CH27: First, my ex-boss is still being a total dick. I never got along with him, but even after I got fired, he refuses to leave me alone.

Eric: Wow. How'd you get fired? You got caught doing his sister or something?

CH27: I wish. But no. You don't want to hear the truth. It's boring.

Eric: Maybe I like boring stories. C'mon, I'm curious now.

CH27: Okay. Just remember you asked. My boss was always a hard-ass, but I never let it bother me. I was one of the few people who called him on his shit. But because I was so good at my job, he couldn't do anything about it. After my girlfriend passed, he became more of an asshole than usual. He started saying things about her, loudly, so I could hear him. I figured he was trying to get under my skin, so I ignored him. But one day he crossed the line, and I snapped. I beat him over the head with a stapler.  

As David typed, that familiar feeling of weightlessness began to wash over him. He didn't even get upset as he thought about the things Brent had said. He liked the feeling. It made him want to keep typing. He wanted to tell Eric everything, so he could continue to feel weightless.

 It took a while before Eric answered.

Eric: Sorry I took so long to answer. I was too busy laughing at the thought of you cracking a guy in the skull with a stapler. But seriously, it is a little strange he provoked you like that. It's like he wanted an excuse to fire you.

CH27: I guess. But it took several weeks before he finally let me go.

Eric: What?

David froze. Even though it was words on a computer screen, he could almost feel the anger in Eric's message. He shook off the feeling as just nerves. It was just a word on a screen. It couldn't convey emotion. There was no way he could tell what Eric was feeling right now.

Eric's next message definitely drove the fear home.

Eric: That bastard! I can't believe I didn't see that!

CH27: Okay, you're scaring me a bit. Why are you so upset?

Eric: Don't you see? He set you up! He provoked you on purpose, and I don't think it was just to fire you. I don't know what he's waiting for, but he plans to use that against you somehow.

CH27: How? If he wanted to press charges, it's a little late for that.

Eric: I don't know, but I don't like it. I think he needs to learn why fucking with you is a bad idea.

David's tail ducked under his seat. He wanted to brush it off as just an angry rant, but there was no mistaking it this time; Eric made sure the implications were clear. He wanted David to do something about Brent Caldwell. The problem was he had no idea what exactly what Eric's implying. Did he mean Brent needed to be taught a quick lesson or a permanent one? Thoughts of Oliver's death began to creep into his mind. Sure he wasn't a fan of what Brent did, but he wasn't sure his former boss needed to die for it.

CH27: You know what, this is making me uncomfortable. Let's talk about something else.I did learn something else.

Eric: Like what?

David recalls the events at the restaurant, the apology, the fun afternoon talking about nothing, and the phone call from Rob. Of course, he made sure to leave out names and any identifiers. He also avoided mentioning the rumors being spread around work. He didn't want to do anything to upset Eric further.

It didn't take long before Eric responded.

Eric: See what I tell you? Traitors always get what's coming to them and it sounds like you had some fun today too.

CH27: Yeah. But I'm still having mixed feelings about the other thing.

Eric: That's life. You either take control or it controls you. Speaking of control, how do you feel about taking things a step further?

David heart rate increased when he read Eric's message. No matter how he looked at it, the message seemed ominous. What could he possibly mean by “take things a step further?" Oliver was dead. How much “further" could things go?

As if Eric read his mind or maybe he realized how dark his message sounded, another message appeared on screen.

Eric: Let me explain: rather than wait around for divine intervention, you should take back your life. Show those bastards you're not one to be fucked with.

CH27: And how am I supposed to that?

Eric: They're all liars, right? Expose them. Find the proof they're lying and everything else will come down with it.

CH27: If I had the proof, I would've used it by now.

Eric's response appeared on the screen so quickly, David wondered if Eric was already typing it beforehand.

Eric: Don't make excuses. Do you want your life back or not?

Of course, he wanted his life back. Getting out from under the dark cloud over him was always the number one goal from the start. The problem was someone was dead. No matter how many times he told himself he had nothing to do with it, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he somehow played a role.

But Eric didn't say anything about harming anyone and it was not as if he needed to worry about anyone's well-being. One thing he couldn't deny, knowing Oliver Peers will never bother him again felt good, really good. His tail began to thump against the edge of the chair. He made no attempt to stop it.

Maybe it was time everyone else got a chance to see what it was like to live his nightmare.