Death As We Know It

Sept; Le Meurtrier

Eventually, autumn rolled around again, bringing burnished gold foliage and pumpkin spice flavoured everything. Bagels, coffee, candles, everything.

I personally, quite enjoy autumn. It's like playing weather roulette. Somedays, you have warm sun shining, making everything look like a Wes Anderson film. Other days, you get bitter cold, harsh winds and torrential rain. Living in northern America, I experienced an overwhelming amount of the latter.

I was sitting on a bench in the nearby park where Ahmet and I had first spoken to each other, letting the waves of nostalgia wash over me when I heard a distinct giggling coming from my right. Liam strolled into view, with a girl walking in front of him, turned with her back to me. She was laughing, Looking at Liam with adoration in her eyes. She cracked a joke in a light accent, and the two of them laughed again. She was quite pretty, tanned and thin, of average height. Her long hair was blown behind her with the wind, tangling itself in dark clumps. Her blue eyes shone with such life that I couldn't help but admire her. Her brown trench coat wrapped around her ankles as she skipped, and her knee-length socks were positioned at different lengths.

Liam spotted me looking, and gave a short wave. The girl turned, giving me more details about her. Pointed face, short fringe, freckles around her nose. Not as intense as Journ's, which stood out like beacons on his pale skin, but just noticeable enough to look pleasant.

Liam spotted me out of the corner of his eye, and switched courses towards me.

Shit.

"Dustin! Hi!" He said breathlessly

I smiled and nodded, the wind stealing my breath away.

He gestured to the girl, who had come to a stop beside him. Her cheeks were flushed.

"This is Leana, my girlfriend,"

I hadn't known that Liam had a girlfriend. I raised to stand and shake her hand.

"Pleasure," I said, and she laughed again.

"I like this one," She said to Liam.

Leana stooped down so that her knees brushed the ground, and picked up a toddler that I hadn't even noticed was there. She gently took the child's arm, and made her do a mock wave at me.

"Sag Hallo, Zoë. Hallo!"

The toddler babbled something incoherent, which I pretended to understand, to some degree anyway. (I considered calling Ben, maybe he could understand this new foreign language)

"Hallo, Zoë! Ich bin Dustin," I said, ever so thankful for the mandatory German classes I had for a few months in seventh form.

Eventually, Leana took the child, Zoë, claiming it was time to go to bed and left, leaving me standing with Liam in the fading light.

"I'm just a little bit confused," I said, turning to face Liam as we strolled back towards the dorms. "Who's Zoë?"

"My daughter." He said, as if it were completely obvious. I only now realise that it was. They had the same sandy hair, same thoughtless grin. Although Zoë had her mother, Leana's, eyes.

"You have a daughter?" I asked, astounded.

"Favourite worst mistake," He joked. "She's one of the best things that ever happened to me, you know?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but he kept going.

"I mean, when she was born, I was in a really bad spot. But she gave me a reason to live, I guess. And, Leana, I love her, of course, but she had no idea how to care for a child. Some days I'll find her left alone in the bath, or around bottles of bleach, playing with the lids. It's been like that for months now. It's terrifying. I think I have to file for full custody. She's going to kill me."