Pickup ˚ ✞ . Andy Biersack

1

     She placed the cigarette between her lips, bringing the lighter up to the end. The fire creating a glow around her pale face in the dark as I trapped my cigarette between my teeth. The small amount of light showed her defined features and  It was my inability to keep my eyes off her that made her glance at me.

   "What do you want freak?" She asked as she flicked off the lighter. The cigarette still between her lips. I was stunned at the way she talked to me right off the back as she ajusted it and took a breath in. She spoke again as the smoke left her mouth. "Do you want one or something?"

   I cleared my throat, "uh, i have my own but, your face is on a paper in the gas station," I said, it was that feels like something that should be reported rather than talked about with the potentially missing person.

   "Hm, thats a first normally its in magazines," she said, a thoughtful look on her face. She laughed softly to her self before rolling her eyes, "Or on T.V.."

   "No it really is, like someone's looking for you," I told her, "your name's Kristian?"

   She laughed, "uh no, thats a false name. My ex boyfriend thinks I'm a missing person, i just had enough of him and disappeared," she said, a look of concern crosses my face causing her features to lighten and almost manically babble some random things, "he used to grab my titts to much, like he was suprised I had them or something, i got sick of that after a year. But uh, you, I'm Krys as far as you know, K-R-Y-S," she went on, spelling her name out. "Now's where you tell me your name?"

   "Oh, my name's Andy," I told her, trading names with a stranger behind a gas station wasn't what I was supposed to be doing. More like buying chips for a long trip.

   "Hm, original," she responded sarcastically. I doubted her's was even close to her real name. She seemed like an unhinged drug addict.

   "Are you on something?" I asked as I took a drag from my cigarette and stared at Krys.

   She came up close to me for some reason, I could only hope she wasn't a wacko on bath salts that would rip my face off as she stood in front of me. I kinda held my breath as she leaned into me, not that she smelled bad but because I was nervous. She actually didn't smell like a drug addict, more like fruity body wash and shampoo.

   "I'm sober," she stated using her finger to stretch her eye wide and show me her pupil, it want dilated, just normal.

   "I believe you," I mumbled taking another drag as she stepped away.

   Krys laughed shaking her head, she quickly burnt through her Marlboro Red, and lit another one using the ember as I did the same. It looked like we were both fucking chainsmokers

   "Since you're a missing person, what are you going to do?" I questioned her, a bit concerned. I was gaining an emotional attachment already like she was a stray cat or something.

   "Straight to California," Krys shrugged as she looked over at me, "You're going to get cancer."

   "You're smoking too," I pointed out furrowing my eyebrows and pursing my lips.

   "Well I'm a hypocrite," she responded, she may be sober now but it seems suspiciously like she has the brain damage of someone who abused for too long.

   "California's Expensive," I said, changing the subject "what do you plan on doing?"

   "I have friends, maybe work as an exotic dancer," she shrugged.

   "Like a stripper?" I asked, She shrugged, mumbling maybe.

   "I'm not afraid to be homeless or poor I've been in worse situations," she stated like I was passing off judgement, I wasn't really I just was wondering if she was okay. It's not like I didn't live in my car when I left ohio. "What are you doing after finishing your cigarette?" She started to interrogate me back her eyes burning into me as I looked back down at her.

   "Driving home to L.A., to my girlfriend, and band," I said, an idea popped into my head. Sure she was nutso, but I'd feel guilty if I left her back here. "how are you going to get to California?"

   "There's a bus," she shrugged, shit alot of things could go wrong traveling that far on a bus.

   "I may regret this later, but I'm traveling alone, care to join?" I offered against what would be better judgement but she looked shaky like she could use a break.

   "That would be great, I'll pay for your gas," Krys said to me, offering up her help.

   "I won't argue against that," I said taking a last drag from my cigarette. I dropped it on the floor and stepped on it putting it out with my beat up pair of converse. I left them at my parents house when I moved but I took them back.

   "That's terrible for the environment," she said, pressing the butt of the cigarette against the garbage can, then disposing it.

   "So is smoking it to begin with," I shrugged, smiling at her as much as I could manage. She pressed her lips together smiling slightly back at me giving her a hard time too. "Come on if you want that ride," I said walking around the side. She followed me and I unlocked my car. I noticed she had a duffle bag on her arm that was siting next to her earlier.

   Krys opened shotgun door as I unlocked it and put her bag in the back seat. "Thanks by the way," she said as I came in through the drivers side. She'd sat back, her head pressing against the seat as a look of relief washed over her.

   "No problem," I nodded, starting up my car. I glanced over at her as her eyes invaded my privacy watching me with intent. "Its not too late for me to be a creep," I reminded her as the car turned on and the engine hummed.

   "No, not you," she said confidently, locking eyes with me grabbing at my chin making me instinctively pull away, but she still got closer. "I can see evil it's not in you."

   "Are you sure about that?" I muttered, if you really could see things in peoples eyes hers would be like seeing yourself in a shattered mirror.

   "No you can't be 100% about anything," she mumbled, looking at me in a way that I've never seen before, "I better get out while I can then," she said sarcastically.

   "I haven't locked it," I told her, seeing that she'd actually do. I was right I could be a huge creep, she knew that too. But, I could tell part of her didn't care what happened to her from the way she smirked.

   "Drive, I'll take my chances."

_____

Summer 2018 👇

Aight aye, yall ogs aka -chickenwang may remeber a story with this name. Well SUPRISE IM REMAKING IT. The plots gonna change alot tho tbh, she's no longer named Courtney and Ashleys cousin with some crazy ass back story. She still has her drinking problem and what ever... why am i rambling about this only one person read that story shmr...

December 5th 2020 👇

After 2 years she deserves a re write.