Is This True Love? (DNF)

Chapter 10: Midnight Walk

George POV.

The bed felt uncomfortable. It was the same bed I had been sleeping for months, even years, yet as I was laying beside Fundy I just felt dirty and uncomfortable. The redhead didn’t seem to have the same issues though, as he was sleeping contently with his back to me, and so I sat up with a sigh.

It was past midnight, and my head was hurting. So I decided to climb out of the bed and go downstairs, perhaps I would see if we have any panadol in the bathroom. After us having sex at Fundy’s insistence I had pulled on some boxers, yet I was still shirtless and in the cold of the night it was making me shiver.

I pulled on something which I believe belonged to him, but it was difficult to tell in the dark. With stumbling, painful steps I made my way into the bathroom, shutting the door before I turned on the light so that I wouldn’t wake up my boyfriend.

The bright lights hurt my head more, however being able to see more helped a lot so that I could look for panadol. Annoyingly though there was nothing. There wasn’t panadol, or ibuprofen, or anything that would be able to help with my developing migraine. Fundy must used the last pills and forgot to buy more.

I turned off the lights and walked out of the room, passing the bed before heading downstairs so that I would be able to sit alone and think. Sitting on the coffee table was my phone and so I grabbed it, deciding to check on our map app to look for an open drug store or pharmacy.

There was one a few streets away, it would only take about ten minutes to walk there and it was thankfully open 24 hours. Fundy wouldn’t wake up when I’m gone for just twenty minutes, I know that he’s a heavy sleeper like I am. So I grabbed my phone, keys, and wallet before unlocking the door and slipping outside.

The sky was pitch black, not even a star was flickering in the sky and it was too cloudy for the moon. The only thing that stopped the streets from following this strange trend of darkness was the bright street lights, one every thirty metres, creating pools of light on the concrete paths and streets.

This town was safe. It had won yearly awards and was reported about in the news all the time, about how this place was a million times safer than every other country and so nobody should ever want to go anywhere else. Yet that didn’t stop me from trying to hurry from one bright, moth attracting, light to the next.

My eyes kept wavering from the path in front of me, looking down towards the map in my hands to make sure I was heading the right way, and checking how long it would take me to get there. There was seven minutes, then six minutes.

When I rounded the corner I spotted a row of shops. I had been here a couple of times, but had never really paid attention to the fact that there was a drug store here. In the row of shops was a laundromat, a convenience store, a DVD rental, a diner, and a hairdresser, with the drug store being nestled between the DVD rental and the diner.

The row of parks in front of the stores were empty, so instead of following the path around I just cut over the empty spots to the front of the store. Light from the big windows spilled out onto the street, with the only other source of light coming from the laundromat, which was a 24 hour service as well.

A tanned woman who looked to be in her late twenties was the only one inside, watching some strange video on her phone while chewing on some gum. She lifted her eyes and quickly paused the video when she saw me. “Evening.” She let out in a gritty voice, spitting out the gum into her hand and dumping it into something at her feet. “What can I do for ‘ya?”

“Panadol.” I simply said, before adding on a ‘please’. She nodded, turning around and opening a cabinet which was behind her.
“Just one box?” She asked and when I gave her a yes she turned around. She looked over the box for a moment before a grin grew on her face.

“I always liked this. Elytra-style Panadol. The most fast acting Panadol on the market, it can cure migraines, stomach pain, and cramps.” The accent that she had seemed to possess disappeared momentarily as she talked about the Panadol before letting out a cough and continuing. “That’ll be $16.99.”

With me now feeling confused (however it may be my migraine that caused the confusion), I thanked the woman and walked out after paying. I stuffed the small box into my pocket before rushing home, the same fears about the darkness repeating in my mind and motivating me to run faster.

As I was running though I slowed down, seeing a window on our street which had the curtains drawn back and sending light pouring out. It was at Niki’s house, but it wasn’t her bedroom, meaning that it must be the room that her cousin Clay was staying in. I paused, my curiosity getting the best of me and much to my surprise I saw him walking around in the bedroom.

After a moment he looked out the window as well and spotted me. I couldn’t see his expressions but he looked at me for a while before disappearing. I was about to continue walking home but much to my surprise the door opened. “What are you doing out here, stalker?” Niki’s blond cousin asked, however he was grinning, showing that he wasn’t serious.

“I am not here because of you.” I told him, pulling out the box of Panadol to prove this to him. “I needed some of this and was on my way home.”
He let out a hum. “Walking on your own in the middle of the night… seems safe.”
I merely shrugged. “Well… this is the safest town in the world.”

Now that I was in the presence of another person, the darkness around me didn’t feel as dangerous. “If this is the safest town,” Clay began, “then surely you’ll feel safe enough to come in for a midnight drink.” His brows furrowed as he looked at the box in my hand again. “I can get you a glass of water for your… Elytra-style Panadol, if you wish.”

I had to take a few moments to think about it, averting my gaze by looking down the street towards my house. “If your boyfriend is waiting for you though, I won’t stop you from leaving.”
Much to his surprise I accepted his offer.
“That would be nice. Fundy will probably sleep for half a day.”

He smiled, standing to the side and allowing me into the house. “Is this okay?” I asked him. “Would Niki be okay with me coming in?”
“Yeah, she’ll be fine with it.” The blond reassured. That was enough for me, after all as her cousin he would know if she was okay with it. I thanked him again as he let me inside.
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1237 words