Gloria, Jimmy, and Whatsername

Chapter 2

GLORIA

There. Finished. I stood back and admired my hard work. It was pretty good, according to the fact I did it all in the rain. Thunder rumbled overhead. "Glor, let's head back to the house. It doesn't look like this storm's gonna clear up," Spike said. I reluctantly followed. If I didn't... God knows what would happen to me. Spike isn't exactly the nicest guy. He could tear you to pieces within seconds if you make him mad. That's why I'm his girlfriend. I try to stay on his good side. "Hey Glor," Spike said, scaring off my quiet thoughts with a loud voice. "Where d'you wanna eat tonight? I heard Benny's makin' ribs, and I know how those are your favorites." He said testing me. If I said no... "Uh, didn't we have ribs two nights ago?" Spike stopped in his tracks. "Are you saying no?" He questioned. "Uh... no? I'm just saying, I wasn't really in the mood tonight. We could go to his house for ribs tom-" "Tomorrow," Spike growled, "he won't be MAKING ribs! Not everything in this goddamn world revolves around you, Gloria! I want you to know that!" His loud voice rang through the empty streets of the abandoned town. "Got that. So... let's just go."

I was real close to getting pulverized by Spike, but since we're boyfriend-girlfriend and he needs someone to brag about me to, he couldn't lay a finger on me. I had to be more careful with the way I word my sentences...

Spike pulled up to our friend Benny's house and parked the car, putting on the break. Then he leaned over, putting a hand on my knee and kissed me. He always did this. It was torture. I could taste the marijuana on his breath as he pulled away and breathed a smile. I gave him a small smile back, and we got out of the car. His teeth, stained yellowish-brown, from all the times he had taken a shot of beer, seemed even more yellow. Tonight. Tonight, at the party, was the night I would call the police and tell them the truth. "Benny, hey!" I heard Spike say. I was staring down at my shredded black Chuck Taylor's as the two guys talked. They had a serious bromance going on. "This here's my princess, Gloria," Spike said. Benny smiled and stuck out a grimy hand. I grimaced. "Hey," I said, shaking it. Benny almost squeezed the blood out of my small fingers. His hair was all knotty. I was disgusted. Benny lead Spike into the kitchen, but I walked the opposite way, going over to a couch to sit on. Benny's house was pretty small but seemed pretty big, considering all the people he managed to fit in. It was shoulder-to-shoulder kind of room. As in, there was no room. I was lucky to grab a seat on the couch. A drunk woman tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, sweetie, grab that purse for me will ya?" She said, words slurred. "Sure," I said quietly, not arguing, handing a black bag over to her. She gave a lopsided smile and went rummaging around in it. There was music playing throughout the house, but the sound was drowned out by the people chatting and talking and laughing and UGH I couldn't TAKE it anymore! I was about to either scream or cry! I couldn't tell, so I raced out the door and stood on the front stoop. Lightning illuminated the dark sky. I frowned. Not a nice night to go for a walk, apparently. Never mind that. I had to call the police. I looked down at my body. Blue and purple and green have always been my favorite colors, but they had never looked this ugly on me. Large dots of black covered my arms. Proof. That was the only thing necessary. I dialed the numbers and waited. "Hello?" asked a tired-sounding dispatch. "Yes, um, I would like to report Stephen Adams for abuse," I said, my voice cracking. I looked down at my hands. They were shaking like vibration mode. "And who is calling?" "Gloria Prescott." "What is your location Gloria?" "34 Maple Lane." I knew Benny's address by heart. That just went to show you how many times we had gone. "Okay, we will send someone out there for you as soon as possible." "Thank you," I breathed, and hung up. What would Spike say? Wait, how would he know? As if to answer my thoughts, a shadow appeared out of the darkness. "Why hello Darling," I heard Benny's voice say. "What do you want Benny?" "Blackmail." 'Oh good God,' I thought with a groan. "Benny, I'll do anything, just please don't tell Spike." Benny started to cackle. "Oh please, Gloria. I think we both know that's not going to happen." I looked down. "I'll tell them about you too, and your little parties." "Well now I know who was a tattletale in grade school," Benny crooned. I grumbled and cursed under my breath. Benny's hand crept up my leg. "You and I should hang out in my room sometime," He said, his hand still crawling up further and further. "Benny..." I started to say. He put a finger to my lips and started kissing me. I pushed him off me. "Benny, stop. I've had it with your goddamn games and all this shit you and Spike put me through. I've had it!" I spat. Benny looked taken aback. 'Perfect timing,' I thought. The police were here to rat them out. Benny grabbed a baseball bat and started whacking himself. "Benny what are you doing?!" The police started their way up the driveway. Benny ran over to them. "Officers! This girl has been hitting me!" he cried. The officers looked puzzled. "No he's lying!" I shouted. "He and his friend have been hurting me!" This went on and on as Benny showed them his bruises and mine. "Y'know what? Both of you get in the back! We'll sort this out in court," the officer yelled, grabbing Benny's arm and reaching for mine, but before he could, I dodged him and backed away. "Get her!" he shouted to the other officer. The larger man standing beside the officer with Benny went after me, but I ran away before he could get me. He was a little large, and wasn't running very quickly, which gave me an advantage to run away. I just turned and ran. As fast as I could. I just kept running down blocks and streets and avenues until I came to the very edge of the city. Surely they wouldn't find me out here. I had ditched that old guy dozens of blocks ago. Knowing that I was out of sight from the authorities, I sat down by a trashcan and caught my breath. I didn't exactly know where I was for sure, but I knew I was somewhere far from the center of chaos. I was sitting in an alleyway, filled with dumpsters and trash bags and... a little dog. There was a little puppy that was curled up by the dumpster. He looked bony, not well-kept. I wasn't able to make out any collar around his neck. I felt bad for the little guy, so I stood up and carefully walked over to him, slowly, not to scare him or make him uncomfortable. He perked up and barred his teeth. I held my hands up to show I was nice. "It's okay little guy," I said, squatting a few feet away and outstretching my arm for him to sniff. The dog growled at the sound of my voice, but I couldn't blame him. I was a stranger to him, and he probably couldn't trust strangers. Or maybe he could... the little pooch cautiously got up and wobbled over to my hand. He took a deep sniff, inhaling my scent, and started licking my hand. I giggled. "That tickles!" He looked up and me and gave a small woof. I beamed. "You wanna come with me?" I asked. He twirled in a circle for yes. "Okay... Bandit," I said. That was the only good name I could think of for an alley dog like him. Bandit pulled his gums into what seemed like a smile. I laughed and scooped him up. He barked and snuggled into my chest. Two little misfits.

~

I walked for a little while longer with Bandit in my arms until I got really tired. Bandit was getting heavy, and my feet and muscles were sore. Then I heard a noise, like a muffled cough and a wheeze. It was coming from the inside of what seemed to be a run-down shack. I was looking at the back of it, so I went around to the front. There were no windows, and a broken door greeting me in the front. Who knows who could be in there? What if it was one of Spike's friends? I couldn't go back to face him... but, you never know. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and knocked on the door.