fallin' out of love (stemxstud)

11

Valentine

"Excuse me? Excuse me?" I looked through the crowds of people, a bunch of kids and stupid college folks shooting up. I was too far back in the crowd to see what it was headed for. I only knew that I could see a very tall dude above mostly everyone else's heads with a mean expression.

Glancing around, it made me shiver to think Dom used to hang around here. But if I wanna find her then this is the only way. A shaking Asian kid bumped into me, seeing a momentary flash of anger cross my eyes, he flinched, scurrying off. On a moment's whim, I followed after him, something about his naiveness reminding me of Dom when I first offered to protect him. After she had just tried to kill me.

She'd probably have something to do with him, right?

"Hey, wait up!"

He stopped running, tenderly shoving some money into his pocket. I studied him, "What's your name?"

"Mark," he answered lowly.

"Mark. Do you...by any chance know where Dominique Thomas might be?"

His eyes widened. "A lady! A lady just asked about her," he pointed out to the street, devoid of any source of brightness. It was pitch black, the cigarette buds of old sparks the only stars for the road's sky.

"What did she look like?"

"Um, um. Tall. Mean," he said quickly.

"What did she look like?" I repeated, stepping closer.

"She had on sunglasses so I couldn't- couldn't really see. She said she's coming back tomorrow though. She was asking about Dom too. Apparently she's dead."

Everything froze in my body.

"Dead? Dom's dead?" I grabbed him up by the collar, he was at least a good four inches shorter than me, maybe a little bit more. "How did she die? Who did this?"

"I don't know. But the lady wants to know too. I can show you to her tomorrow," he offered quickly. "You both seem like friends of her."

"Okay. Be right here tomorrow at ten o'clock sharp," I stated.

"The doors don't open until eleven," the boy said, holding his neck once I let him go. Angry scratch marks lined his forehead, trailing into his scalp.

"Ten. Sharp," I repeated.

Once I got back home, I went underneath our bed where Teece was sleeping, pulling out two of my old guns. I don't care if that Mark kid said that this lady seemed like a friend or not- I needed to be prepared.

Now with Dom's death looming in my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if it was connected to Anaela and her old friend group. I cleaned my weapons, and placed them back into their respective cases. I showered and brushed my teeth, staring at myself the entire time.

Who would I be now without Anaela?

Or rather...

Who would I be now without Teece?