Vita - Chapter 4: Shining - Part 6

Part 6: Sorrow
The reception desk was just a few feet away from Jacob, with the girl at it answering the phone. He sighed, thinking if renting another apartment was really worth it. Jacob had the feeling that Travis would never accept him back after for what he's done. Hiding this tears by looking down, Jacob kept pondering about everything he did in such a short timespan. He had ended a friendship and most likely for good. What best friend pulls out a gun on the other? Jacob shook his head, "No..." He muttered and went back upstairs. He walked to Travis' door. He was not going to live with him again, but, he did want that the money he worked for was worth his while. He left the bag in front of the door and knocked on it. He, then, walked away. Jacob went downstairs and out of the hotel, with little money, again. He walked into the same alleyway he was living before he met Travis again and sat against a dumpster, staring at the hotel. There, he broke into tears, crying into the sleeve of his hoodie.
It was there where he spent the two hours on, staring at the hotel, hoping that Travis would exit it and forgive him. Jacob fell asleep while trying to keep awake.
...
(Vlad)
Vlad had rented a little apartment right next to the store he worked in for a cheap price. There, he planned to begin a new life soon. First, he'd go back to Old Arno, grab his stuff and bring it there in the morning. While the morning didn't come, Vlad left his apartment and headed towards that Tech Noir club he has heard so much about during his shift. He went inside, the loud music startling him for a moment before he walked in, heading towards the bar. A lynx answered him.
"Yes, sir?"
"Hey, erm..." Vlad had hopes that the loud music would muffle his accent, "What is there to drink?"
"Huh, you're russian..."
Vlad froze up, "W-What are you talking about-"
"No, no, no, it's okay. A lot of russians live here, and I have a huge respect for them. Look, I'll give you a drink on the house, what do you think?"
"On the house?"
"Yeah. Any kind. Just say it."
"W-Whiskey..."
The bartender quickly grabbed a bottle and a cup, "...Holy shit, what is that?!" He pointed behind Vlad. Vlad turned around and didn't see anything but very unskilled dancers. He looked back to the bartender, him holding his drink with a suspicious smile on his face, "You didn't see the hottie I was pointing to?"
"No...Did you spike my drink?"
"What was that?"
"Did you spike my drink, you're acting very suspicious, pal."
"Why the hell would I spike your drink?"
"Look...Ergh, I'm gonna go."
"Hold on! Your drink!" Vlad quickly left the club. The bartender punched the counter angrily, "Clever son of a bitch...oh, but you're not going to get away so easily..."
Vlad started to walk back home, feeling paranoid. When he got there, he quickly shut and locked the door. His intense paranoia forced him into grabbing a knife from the kitchen and sitting at his couch, waiting for someone to show up at the door, nervously holding it.
"..." His cellphone began to ring, scaring him and making him drop the knife, letting out quite a high pitched scream. He hyperventilated, grabbing the phone, "W-What?!"
"Vlad? Where are you? My friend wants to meet you."
"I-I-I'm in Dreber..."
"Dreber?! What are you doing there?!"
"I w-want t-to start a n-new life, okay? B-By the way, you should really come to Dreber, i-it's way better than Old Arno."
"I would, if I had the money."
"An apartment here is pretty cheap. W-Well, the one I rented is cheap...Although...." He looked around, "I-It's kinda cramped and looks like no one touched it for...years."
"Oh..."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Why are you stuttering like that?"
"B-Because m-my...my paranoia is striking me again. Look, t-talk to you later, okay?" He hung up almost immediatelly.
...
(Julia)
"..." Julia frowned and put her cellphone back in her pocket, "Well, we're not meeting Vlad tonight."
"Aw...." Valencia said.
"We can meet him tomorrow. I'm sure you'll like him."
"I'm kinda excited to meet him. I like coyotes."
"So I heard." She giggled.
...
"Valencia, I'll be back soon, okay? I just want to check on someone."
"Oh...that sad friend of yours?"
"Yeah. I'll be back real soon, don't worry."
"Stay safe!" She closed the door.
Julia took the 45 minute walk to Travis' hotel, carrying a butterfly knife in her pocket in cases of danger. She knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again, "Travis?" She asked. After a minute, Travis opened the door, his eyes were bloodshot, the fur under them absolutely soaked with tears, "O-Oh..."
"What do you want?"
"...I...I..." She simply hugged him. Travis thought about pushing her away, but, he didn't want to risk losing another friend. His weak arms slowly raised as he embraced her, sighing, "I'm sorry about...whatever happened..."
"About me and...Jacob? Don't mind it...He's not my fucking friend anymore..."
"W-What? Why?"
"...I did so much shit for him and he decides to repay me by leaving me to rot alone in my house again, simply disappear from my fucking life when I need someone like him. At least he left some fucking money he probably stole on my doorstep." He pointed inside his apartment, to a black duffel bag on the table, "Look."
"..."
"What else do you want?"
"...W-Why did you fight with him?"
"Because...because..." Travis bit his lip, sighing, "He kissed me on the cheek and then got upset that...that..."
"...What?"
"Just fucking...nevermind, okay?"
"No, no, what the hell happened?"
"Julia, fucking forget it-"
"Don't tell me Jacob is..."
"..." Travis spoke too much. Now...there was now turning back, "...He is..."
"...W-Wow..."
"Are you going to hate him for it?"
"I-I...No, I...I won't but that's really unexpected..."
"..."
"And you both fought because of him being gay?"
"No...We didn't even exactly fight, we...had an argument because he decided to leave the apartment..."
"And, then, he left..."
"Because apparently I rejected him...I guess..."
"Oh...oh...I...I know how that feels...It's a goddamn horrible feeling..."
"..."
"But...but...l-look, he's going to be back, I'm sure of it."
"...I don't want him back..."
"What...?"
"He pulled a gun on me...You...you have no fucking idea on how much it hurts to have a goddamn friend pull a weapon on you."
"T-Travis, look, he was angry, okay? He's going to be sorry, I-"
"I'm not going to fucking accept them!" He yelled in her face, "And if you're not gonna help, kindly fuck off!" He slammed the door shut, startling her a bit.
"...G-God..." She walked out of the hotel, heading outside. As soon as she stepped out, she bumped into Jacob, "O-Oh..."
"...Julia?"
"Are you going b-back inside to apologise?"
"...Did he tell you...?"
"..." Julia looked away, "...He did, but look, I-" Jacob looked away and started to walk away, "Jacob, no! Jacob, I don't care, really!"
"..." He stopped. Julia walked to him, "...J-Jesus, why..."
Julia put a hand on his shoulder, "Look...it's okay..."
"It's not okay...I'm a freak..."
Julia gasped, "N-No, you're not..."
"A fucking...freak..."
"Jacob, please..." She hugged him, "Just...calm down-" Jacob pushed her away.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" He pointed his finger towards her. He panted as guilt started to form in his chest.
"..." Julia was startled, but, being able to control her panic.
"...I-I'm sorry...I-I'm just...I-I'm s-so sorry..." He put both of his paws on his face, starting to cry. Julia walked back to him and hugged him yet one more time, "D-Don't-"
"Sssshhhh....It's okay...I-It's okay...I still love you, okay? I'm not going to be mad at you just for...being different."
"..."
"Shit...I shouldn't have said that...", Julia thought, swallowing dry, "...L-Look, just...just because you have a different taste, I'm not going to hate you for it, okay?"
"...T-Thank you...for not being like Travis and...pretty much anyone else I've known to this point..."
"..." Julia blinked, "You're welcome..."
"...I'm homeless..."
"Hm...M-Maybe you could live with me and my friend Valencia."
"She w-was pretty scared when I-I met her..."
"Oh, you...already met her? W-Well...I can talk her into it, I'm sure..."
"..."
"Follow me, come on..." Julia started to walk, making a hand gesture to Jacob to follow her.
"F-Fine..." He sighed and did so, nervous.
...
(Jacob)
Jacob waited outside, Julia and Valencia inside were chatting over Jacob staying or not.
"Julia, I'm just...h-have y-you not read the articles on that guy? H-He was goddamn psychopath in that j-jail, like, e-everyone just feared him a-and-"
"Valencia, do you still read the news? Do you see anything on him? Are there any new stories of him killing or raping someone? Is there?"
"N-No, b-but...I...I don't know, I don't feel confortable with having a criminal in my house."
"Valencia, he's not a freaking criminal anymore."
"That's what she thinks..." Jacob thought, sighing.
"S-Still...who knows? H-He might attempt something..."
"After all this time since he was released? Oh please..."
That chat sounded like it would never end. Jacob, tired, sleepy and sick of everything, decided to just walk away. He headed towards The Male and entered it again. It was much less crowded, as it was almost closing time.
"Hey, you're back!" The bartender smiled at the counter, "We're just about to close, though..."
"I know..." He sighed, "..."
"Is there something wrong...?"
"No, no, nothing...I'm...just here to finish those bottles."
"Oh...Well, good thing I kept them. I'd save them to drink them later, but, I'll get them."
"Much obliged..."
She put the bottles on the table. Jacob began drinking them again. He finished the bottle in a minute before starting to empty the other one. Drunken, he burped and headed outside. Jacob passed out a few steps away from the bar.
The bartender walked out and saw the poor passed out coyote. She looked around, smiled and picked him up, putting him around her shoulders, "Boy, you're quite heavy..." She took him to her car, parked not very far away.
End of Part 6.
This is part of the Vita Series 
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