ephemeral // matty healy

skorpor

Bo woke up in his childhood bed like he did every day of the week. His room had been slightly changed only a few times, but he always stuck with the ever-popular sky blue theme with white accents. He rubbed his face and then stretched out of his sheets.

"Do you want the last skorpor?" His mother bellowed to him from down the hall. It was too early for him to start moving, but his mother had already been up for an hour or so.

"I ate the last one yesterday," he replied.

"Oh, yes, that's right," she muttered to herself and wandered back into the kitchen, where she was boiling water for tea.

Bo slipped on a sweater and wandered out of his room. He poked his head into his little sister's room and wasn't surprised to find that her bed was vacant and the window left open. She would be back soon, he thought. He wandered further away from his bedroom to see his mother pouring hot water into the teapot.

"Mamma," taking the hot kettle from his mother. "Sit down, please." He poured the boiling water onto the teabags already in the teapot, and got out his mother's favourite mug, putting two cubes of sugar in it for her. "I'm going to get changed and then I will be off."

He placed a kiss on her temple and left the kitchen.

-

Bo didn't start work for an hour or so and he was never one to waste time. He had just picked up a collection of William Blake's poetry for an upcoming exhibit at the museum, and he wanted to do some research. He picked up a croissant from a bakery and then sat in a park about a two-minute walk from the train. He settled into the bench but was only able to turn a few pages until he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! You can't be here!"

Bo, already starting to gather his items and make a run for it, was startled to turn around and see Stella, walking a dog. "Oh, jeez, I thought you were serious," he admitted sheepishly.

"Don't be silly," she laughed like magic. "I'll sit with you, though. What are you reading?"

Stella had already taken Blake's work from his hands and flipped through to his bookmark. Bo knelt down to pet the dog, who was very excited to meet him.

"It's for next month's exhibit. After we take down the post-modernists, we're going to put up the Romantics." He fiddled with the dog's collar, glancing down at Apricot's nametag.

"Wow, that's a jump back a bit, don't you think?" She handed the book back to him.

"Only, like two hundred and fifty years, not that bad." He smiled genuinely. "But it's not my place to say. Boss says it's because it'll overlap with Blake's death date."

"That actually seems pretty cool," Stella eyed the book in his hands, glancing down at the pup now settling on the dewy grass. "Apricot seems to think so."

"Yeah, seems like it." Stella smiled at him and he felt his stomach do a flip flop. He wanted to keep her smile in a bottle so he could hold it close to him forever.

"I should get back to our walk, actually." She stood up and brushed off the front of her pants. "Would you like to join us?" Bo knew he would be late to work if he accepted her offer.

"Yes, that sounds lovely."

-

"Morning, Ruth, here is your tea." Blair left the paper cup next to a stack of files on her desk.

"Oh my, thank you, darling," She smiled when she saw how Ruth peeled off the top of the cup and took a big whiff, consequently fogging her glasses.

Blair waved to Ronan when she saw him sitting in his usual spot. She gave a short curtsey when she placed the latte on his desk. "Your drink, my liege."

"Why, thank you," he took a big sip. "Did you get to watch any more Red Dwarf last night?"

"Sadly... no." She booted up her computer and hung her head over into Ronan's territory. "I couldn't keep my eyes open after the call."

"I see," he was being smug. "Couldn't help but about him, eh?" Blair froze, stuck in a confused state.

"Ronan, this coffee isn't that good. I won't hesitate to drop it on your head." She sat down in a huff and go to work, opening her emails, only to find some from her favourite client.

Good morning,

I'll stop by your office at about 8:30, I've got a (really real) idea that I think you'll like.

mh

Who does he think he is? He cannot just drop off whenever he likes, especially when I just saw him and spoke to him about this project yesterday. She rolled her eyes into the back of her skull like a Rolodex.

Blair glanced at her watch. It was already almost nine. Was he confused? He must be.

"Oh, by the way, you have a visitor in the small meeting room today," Ronan simpered from the other side of the desk. He sounded pleased with himself. "I saw him on my way in and said you would arrive soon."