Troubled

FIFTY

KYLE GARCIA

Being an alone child, I never had to step up for someone. Filling in a role for someone simply because they were not available, either physically, or emotionally. Even with my friends, it was easy to just step back and let everybody else fill in my own role, so yeah, I can honestly tell you I didn't know what to do.

I was scared out of my mind when I saw the blood. Everything happened so fast, I had no idea when it started or ended. It was a blur, and then blood.

When I look at Cora, her eyes were wide in fright. Her ever expressionless face showed pure fear. Not shock. She was not surprised which spoke volumes. She was only scared of herself. Then she backed out of the store, running away.

I stand still, rooted into my spot. Frozen with fear.

"I am going to call the cops." Margaret screamed.

My head snapped to look at her, i grimaced, it was hard to look at her face. It was a mix of open flesh, and blood. She had touched it several times so that it smeared all over her cheeks.

Her hand typing furiously on her phone screen brought my mind back to the case at hand.

I snap back into reality.

"No, please don't. I believe we can settle this amongst ourselves."

She scoffed.

"You must have gone crazy. Your partner in crime almost took my f*****g eye out. You think I'll what? Let it slide?"

I was thinking hard and fast. My eyes stray to a bunch of papers strewn on one side of the table, It was a reminder to pay her rent.

"We can settle this amicably, both of us will walk away with something here." I tell her.

Her eyes flicker to the direction I was looking at. Then back at me. She chewed on her lower lip. It was obvious she was thinking about it.

My heart was hammering away in my chest, threatening to burst out of it. I hoped she accepts my request, else Cora and I would get in big trouble.

"It's a lot, two years worth."

I almost sigh in relief.

"They let you stay here for two years without paying?"

She eyed me.

"Are you trying to be smart with me?"

I shake my head vigorously.

"Not at all. Where do you keep your cleaning supplies? So we can tend to the gash."

"Stings like a b***h, your girlfriend is crazy."

She walks away into another room.

"She's not crazy. She was protecting herself, you picked up the scissors first."

"I was pointing in her direction, I wasn't going to strike her face like she did mine, she is crazy and if you can't see it, you are just as crazy."

I don't answer her. I know for a fact that Cora wasn't crazy. She was different sure, but not crazy. Something was up with her, I don't know what is in particular, but something was seriously up. And I needed to know. As fast as possible.

"I'll clean it myself, just transfer the money to me."

"Your account?"

She points at a notice board where she dropped all of the details to her accounts.

"What are you going to say when people asks?"

"None of your business."

"It is actually, I'm paying you to keep it between us."

With that said, I scan the room for any form of CCTV cameras, or something like that. But there was nothing. Of course, she couldn't even pay her rent.

"I fell and smacked my face at the edge of that table." She pointed at the edge of a metal table.

"Nice doing business with you." I show her the receipts of transfer.

I was almost out of the saloon when she stops me.

"Be careful with her, if she can do this to me, she can do it you and anybody else. How many people can you keep silent?"

I don't let her words get to me. Instead I flash a smile.

"Didn't she help pay your bills, I don't hear a thank you."

I don't hear her response either as I leave. The only thing on my mind was finding Cora. My thoughts were that she was by the car, but when has she ever done something predictable? Never.

"Shit." I curse when I realize both our phones were inside the car.

I started to drive back the opposite direction from where we were coming from, hoping to find her.

"Where are you Cora?" I question as my eyes scan the streets.

My drive was slow and steady, praying she had not gone too far.

When I don't find her after an hour of searching the streets, I decide to call for help. Messages poured in when I turn off airplane mode. A bunch of messages were from mom worrying, Ray sent one about a warning, Dawson sent a million messages about wanting to be a free bird like me. A rest of the billion messages were threats and questions from Xander. Just the guy I wanted to see.

"Oh finally you call me back?!" He screamed once he picked.

"Xander, hey. It's about Cora."

"What is it? What happened to her?" His voice grew serious instantly.

I skip the part about her slicing someone's face, and just tell him she ran off and I'm with her phone, I circled the area and couldn't find her.

"You can go to her house, check there." He says pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. I don't know why I never thought of that, thanks."

"Now, where the hell did you guys go without me?? Do you know how lonely it was?" He fired the questions.

"Talk later Xander, thanks again." I hang up immediately.

The drive to her house was shorter, maybe because I was over speeding, maybe because it was actually close to her house. I don't think I'll ever know.

I prayed, hoped that she was safe. Something could have happened to her out there alone, and there was no way she could call for help. She was okay. She was at home, nothing happened to her. I repeatedly tell myself I wanted her to be okay. She had to be.