The Uncanny Valley - Corey Taylor FF (Slipknot/Stone Sour)

3

It's been nearly three weeks since Lia and I moved to L.A. now. Mid-July was one of the warmer and dryer months over here, though, if I think about it, L.A. always is warm and dry. Well okay, mostly. I was happy about every breeze from the ocean, weakening the burning sun upon our heads. At least I gained some tan over those weeks and lost the seemingly everlasting paleness I had always had. Over the past months I also gained a bit weight, the bags under my eyes disappeared when I moved and I think it was safe to say that by now I looked like a proper human being again. Even some of my nightmares disappeared and nearly everything felt right, though I still had the feeling that I missed something. But I assume this would never stop. I stood in the small garden of ours, a cup of coffee in my hands, smoking a cigarette. It was only eleven but it was already hot... not that it would ever cool down around here. Standing there in my PJ's I thought about what to wear for today, but soon my thoughts drifted away to the little café we were about to open on Saturday. The past 2 weeks, Lia and I had constantly worked in the building. From morning until late night we would redesign the whole thing, filling flaws in the walls, ripping off the remaining pieces of wallpaper and filling more flaws before we had started to paint. During the time we had been waiting for the walls to dry we had fixed the floorings, got new window frames, built up a counter and set the kitchen with white piles and wooden walls. We ripped out the wooden planks that once latched over the windows and threw out the remaining boxes of the previous owner. Mason would help us after he finished his shifts around five in the afternoon and we were more than grateful because he was able to help us with carrying around the heavy things and attaching the new lamps and stuff. Soon the place was filled with our personalities and the only thing that still reminded of the abandonment before was the dust on the floor and the trash in the backyard. The hollow feeling once heavily laying in the air vanished and was replaced by bright, yellow walls and picture frames were showing warm midsummer nights, glistening lakes that invited you to jump into the cold blue and a warming atmosphere.
Still standing in the house's backyard, closed eyes and soaking in the sun I heard Lia joining me outside. I opened my eyes and was greeted by her hair standing in every direction, her eyes still heavy from sleep and a steaming black coffee in her hands as if it was her anchor to life.
"Had a late night?" I asked and chuckled at her appearance. She shot me dead eyes and sipped on her coffee before she deigned to speak to me.
"Ya," was all she mumbled. Everybody who ever met her knew that Lia would not have many bad days, but if she had one you would be better off by leaving her on her own, maybe giving her some chocolate and checking up on her every now and then so she would not kill the neighbors or something. If she was up to it, she would come to you and talk about whatever was bothering her. Hence, I let myself down on the wooden back porch, closing my eyes and enjoying the sun again. Good thing we finished the last bits and pieces yesterday and could chill out for some days before we would have to work every day again. The other day there was a girl coming into the soon to be café while we were still throwing out old rubbish and she asked if we were searching for someone to employ. It was a weird feeling since she brought her whole CV and stuff, giving her best to make a good impression in front of us and giving us loads of reasons to consider her as a waitress. Actually, the weirdest thing about it was that we had to decide about it. We were self-employed now, so, of course, we could employ people, but none of us were used to it and at first we were just staring at the black-haired, pierced girl. She was pretty sure of herself, not in a bad way, though, and listed all the years of experience she had already collected as a waitress, so, in the end, she left her number and we called her a few days later, telling her she had the job on trial. Her name was Jasey and she would help us at the great opening to see how things were going. We also employed staff for the kitchen. They were not many people but enough to run the place.
"So, Chase called me yesterday. Asked how I was and stuff..." I heard Lia mumble in the background and turned my attention to her.
"Was that everything he said?" I asked and she shook her head, the pain of holding back her tears was clear in her eyes.
"No, he... I don't know. He begged me to come back and... apologized and he...he talked for about an hour and I just... I didn't know what to say so I just hung up, turned off my phone, watched 'Finding Neverland' and hugged my pillow for the rest of the night," she grinned weakly and I smiled back at her before I turned serious again.
"Did you consider it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Going back. No offense, but I know how much you loved him," I explained quietly and watched Lia bursting out into a fit of desperate giggles.
"He fucking cheated on me, K. He cheated on me behind my back while he proposed to me. Do you really think I wouldn't have enough dignity left to say no to this moron?" she asked back sassily and I just had to laugh.
"I never doubted your dignity, just your sanity," I stuck out my tongue and she showed me the finger.
"Besides, it's not just about my dignity or pride. I am about to open a café with a really weird friend of mine and have all these responsibilities now, I couldn't just get up and leave," she grinned and I agreed.
"Not for the biggest idiot known to human kind," I laughed and she joined in, toasting to that. After the little talk we sat outside in the garden for some more time, chatting about this and that before she finally dropped the bomb.
"So. You and Mason?"
The coffee once in my mouth was now spilled all over my most favorite PJ.
"What?" I croaked, coughing to get rid of the feeling of something stuck in the back of my throat.
"Oh come on Kae," she managed to say in between her giggles. "I saw you two. I can see how you two look at each other and how he randomly touches you or pulls you in for a hug. It was obvious before, but after the weeks we spent with him now... even a blind man can see it," she explained in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Shut up," I replied lazily, too distracted by the fact that half of my white fluff pants were brown now.
"Oh come on, you have to tell me what's going on there. Kaaaaeeeee," Lia bugged me and I rolled my eyes, throwing a napkin at her.
"Nothing."
"Kae."
"What."
"Teeell meeee!"
"No!"
"Kaelyn Blake Walker!"
"Fuck off."
"No?!"
"Damn, Lia, maybe he... maybe... I don't know, there is nothing, okay?" I shushed her and rolled my eyes again.
"Maybe? MAYBE?! Kae, do you even listen to yourself? You've known him for five years now and he is like... perfect for you. And he so fell for you like years ago but you STILL can't see that? Even now?" she asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Mate. There is nothing. He is nice and I really like him, and yeah, maybe there could be more but I don't think so. You're wrong for once." Lia just stared at me, still not believing one word I said.
"You don't want it," she blurted our after a few minutes of silence, detecting the obvious.
"You know what's going on but you are ignoring it. Why?" she asked in a stern voice and I knew there was no way to escape her interrogation now.
"Does there have to be a reason for everything?" I tried but she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Yes. If it's you, then yes." She sipped on her by now cold coffee again, her eyes still trying to look into my head over the rim of the cup, following every single move I made.
"Okay, this is getting too creepy. I'm going to get ready and go into town," I said, lifting myself up and going for the door.
"Oh. I see."
"Pardon me?"
"It's him. Still," she suddenly said, calm and barely audible. I froze on the spot, thinking about what to reply but my mind went blank. She was wrong. After all these years she still did not know that much about what really happened five years ago. She does know there was someone I fell for and that something changed inside of me and I broke down after he... well. What was it? Did he break up in the most painful way or did he just stop caring? I did not know. But she was wrong. It was not because of him. No chance. I just did not need a relationship, that's all. It was only a second I stopped in my tracks and thought about what to reply but I decided against it. I just went inside, leaving her with her cold coffee and thoughts.

___________
Look who's still not dead. Me!
Since the picture of my Tattoo somehow didn't work on the last part I just included it on top (or side if you are on your computer).
Besides, I'm thinking about entering the Wattys2016 with 'Remember what you're staring at is me' but I am not sure about it... what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments...
And Comment and vote if you wish ~
Cheers and see you soon ~

Peace out. ☝