The Punk and the Non-Profit Prostitute

C11: A Present For Your Presence

He leant his back against the tree trunk. He brought the butt of the cigarette to his tender and swollen lips. His bruised mouth cushioned the poisonous cigarette and he inhaled the toxins which attacked his inflamed lungs. As he breathed a sigh of relief the smoke escaped his mouth and fogged the crisp air in front of him.

In the middle of the night, in the middle of the forest, in the middle of his life all he could do was laugh. It was over. It was finally over. He had won and they had perished. He laughed until morning and slipped to the green mossy floor. He dampened the back of his pants against the dewy grass and hit his head against the bark.

She was gone.
He was safe, forever.
Despite the love he lost.

I licked my lips and smiled at my finished masterpiece. I pressed enter to conclude my novel and immediately saved it. My publisher would be so pleased at such news.

"Boo!"

I was startled by two cold hands suddenly gripping onto my shoulders. I recognised his voice though and smiled when he leaned forward over my shoulder to peer at my work.

"I finished" I gulped as Noel investigated the scene.

He released his hold on me and walked around to my side.

"Ah, so 'Graceless' is finally completed. Maybe now you'll let me read it" He smirked and jumped up and sat on the desk, letting his legs dangle in the air.

"Once it's been published you can buy one yourself. For now you can wait" I cheekily instructed.

"At least read me one paragraph. Your favourite paragraph, the one you're most proud of. Please" He begged.

I grumbled but began scrolling through the pages on the word document. Millions of words flashed before my eyes until I landed on page two hundred and four and I halted my search. I scanned over the lines to ensure they were actually my favourite and I cleared my throat.

"The electricity from her eyes disappeared the second we touched. It travelled from her sockets into her veins and to the tips of her fingers. It shocked me. It burnt my hand to a crisp but I endured the pain as long as it meant I could hold her hand for a little longer. She was destructive and vile and I knew the longer I held on to her the more it would kill me. But I was in love. It was the battle I wanted to face" I read aloud my literature and watched him for a response.

I prized myself in my story writing, I wrote fictions upon fictions to release the tension and emotion from my bones. I hoped he would enjoy it too.

"That's beautiful, Julian" He breathed after a while and a sense of pride washed over me.

"It's quite a sad story really. She's actually a murderer and when he finds out he tries to stop her. She cares more about her bloodlust than him though and ends up hunting him down. I would tell you the ending but you want to read it, don't you?"

"Go ahead. I'm intrigued now, you cheeky bitch"

"When she finally catches him and attempts to kill him, he kills her. He hates it. With her last breath he looks into her eyes and regret engulfs his body. He doesn't regret killing her though, he's finally safe and he can laugh off all that worry and angst he's been carrying around since he knew she was after. What he regrets is that he never kissed her" I explained.

"Julian, you're a genius! A poetic, passionate genius! I can't wait to read it. Blood, death, chasing, yearning, it sounds like my cup of tea" Noel's tone was filled with excitement and awe.

"And love. Don't forget love"

"Right"

Before I could say anything else Rich bounced through the doorway. His parka was slipping off his shoulders as he tightly held onto plastic grocery bags that made his fingers red.

"Noel, figured you would be here. Do you want some ice-cream?" He hurriedly asked, he couldn't stand around chatting when the bags were close to breaking his hands and spilling everywhere.

"I would love some, Rich. I just need to talk to Julian for a second first. Go fetch me a bowl, my man" Noel answered the panicking Rich who nodded and fled the scene.

I looked to him with anticipation and placed a finger on my mouth in thought.

"I have a present for you" He smiled and reached into the pocket of his leopard skin jacket.

He pulled out a small navy ring box and presented it to me.

"Noel, wow. This is such a big gesture... I know it's legal now but I really can't marry you. Rich would never let me hear the end of it" I joked and he punched my shoulder as he got on his feet.

"Fuck off, just open it"

I took the velvet box from his palm and opened the lid to reveal its contents. I bit my lip when I found an engrossing sparkling silver ring with an emerald encrusted at the centre. It reminded me of a miniature crown, four tiny diamonds enclosing the four corners of the emerald imprisoning it and embedding it against the swirly patterns of silver.

I removed it from the box and under closer inspection I realised there was something engraved on the inside of the ring. I squinted and frowned at the words when I realised they weren't in English.

"It says para siempre. It's Spanish. You might ask why it's in Spanish but I was on the phone to my brother earlier this week when I discovered that is where I am off too when my time here is up. He's already sent me the plane ticket. Heathrow airport here I come" Noel exclaimed and his eyes glimmered with eagerness.

"Which isn't very long... You're only here for a couple of days now"

"Which is why I'm staying over for the next three days so I don't miss a second of you"

The mood had dropped despite his attempts to lift my spirits. It was clear my unhappiness wouldn't rise from my chest nor would worry or pain. I was scared out of my brains that when he left me for the second time he would forget about me and our friendship and never return to me. I was in pain at even the thought of him leaving, even if he was to return my heart would never settle until I could hear his breaths everyday.

"It means forever" Noel sighed after a while and ran a hand through his silky hair. "I know you think I'm going to abandon you but you're my closest friend in the world. Forever, that is my promise to you"

I slipped on the ring and swallowed hard, fighting back my tears. I was unsure whether or not to believe his words.

Rich raced in with two bowls of ice-cream and asked if he could borrow Noel for a while. I nodded and let the boys have their fun. Before Noel left the room he took a final glance back at me. He looked concerned as if he cared that when he left he would break my heart.

Soon, I would find, he would.