Phoenix Simpson [PUBLISHED]

6

Phoenix Simpson

Chapter 6

I never wore anything fancy to run. There was no Lycra, or form-fitting clothes of any kind. That kind of shit on a man was just weird and attention seeking. I usually ran in jogging bottoms, a t-shirt and a zip up hoodie. Very rarely, I would wear shorts.

Today it was the norm. The sun was behind heavy clouds. They weren't dark enough to signal oncoming rain, but it made the weather cool enough to wear a hoodie and not feel like I was boiling from the inside. I'd told Walter and Landon that I was going out. It was out of habit. When we were younger and had just been abandoned at the house by our parents, I'd always told the boys whenever I was leaving the house so that they didn't worry if they couldn't find me. I used to have my phone on me at all times, in case they needed me in an emergency. Nowadays they were old enough to sort things out for themselves, but I would still mention that I was leaving.

Walking down the pavement along the street, I had just started a light jog when I spotted one of the neighbours trying to catch my attention. She was standing on her driveway, waving her arm at me like a maniac. I tried not to look at her, to just ignore her and hope she'd get the message.

I'd almost crossed her house when she walked down onto the path to intercept me. I stopped abruptly, my trainers scuffing along the pavement as I narrowly avoided careering into her. I partly wished I had. She would have deserved it.

I forced myself to breathe deeply and slowly, calming the annoyance that was building up inside.

I sort of recognised her. Mrs Leighton or something, but she'd wanted me to call her Lucy, was it? A housewife. Mid-thirties. A full-time mum to a baby who I'd forgotten was a girl or a boy.

"Hi, Phoenix, hi," she beamed at me, giving me a little wave as if she wasn't already standing in my face. "It's me again, Lola."

"What do you want?"

She didn't seem fazed by my frosty attitude. Her blonde hair was puffed up as if she'd just taken them out of rollers. The only reason I knew that was because I remembered my own mother sometimes used to put rollers in her hair. I remembered the way her hair had kept the waves when she took them out. Lola's hair was shorter though, shoulder length.

"I was hoping you could help me with something?" she asked, her green eyes bright. "It's just the bathroom light's gone and I don't know how to replace the bulb. It's one of those weird ones."

"No," I replied. "I'm on a run."

I went to move past her, but she sidestepped to block me, an apologetic smile on her face.

"It won't take long, I promise. I already have the replacement bulbs, it's just the actual fitting that is tricky for me," she insisted.

I heaved another sigh. She wasn't going to stop. She had all the time in the world, clearly, and I didn't. So to make this as short as possible, I'd have to agree to her stupid request and get her off my back.

"Okay," I agreed lowly.

"Great!" she bounced on her toes. "Thank you so much."

She headed back towards her house and I followed her slowly, repeating in my head about how much I hated having neighbours. First, my house became a youth hostel, and now I was the local handyman?

"The baby is asleep," she said in a hushed voice once we crossed the domain of her front door.

I wasn't planning on talking so I didn't know why she felt the need to warn me of making noise.