Midnight Dancer

2

The hot water splashing against my skin helped clear the fog in my head.

I do love Si, I don't love that I can guarantee I'll end up feeling like utter shite every time we meet up though!

I know he's pissed at my mum for her lack of parenting skills throughout my childhood and I also know he feels he needs to do whatever he can to make up for what she didn't do.

I think it's made me tougher, all she left me after she died was a hardened attitude towards. ... well everything I guess! You do what you got to do to survive.

And that's how Stan found me! I was doing my best at surviving, sofa surfing and doing what I could to get by, my friends mums taking pity on me but having an internal struggle with themselves at the same time.

I knew what they were thinking, they didn't really relish the idea of their daughter's spending time with a girl covered in tattoos who grew up in the care of a heroin addict, and hadn't attended school since she was 15, how could I not turn out bad!

Well for you information Mrs stuck up bitch, never has so much as a joint ever touched my lips!

A job was what I needed, although I was only just seventeen, I had awesome ID that stated otherwise and had spent the last few days being told the same thing over and over, 'we don't need any staff right now but if you leave your CV with us we'll let you know if anything comes up'

Yeah right, I don't think you will at all! Why can't anyone come up with anything original to fob the likes of me off.

Bar work was all I was interested in really, no point in looking for anything else because I wouldn't stick it out anyway! I do have somewhat of a problem with authority figures, and you wouldn't catch me sitting behind a desk answering phones all day.

I'd had enough! Being told no constantly doesn't do wonders for the soul. It was late and it was raining and I just felt like I needed to be alone, I do love my own company, just me and my thoughts.

I was walking down the road looking like a drowned rat, head down to shield the rain from my eyes, I face planted a metal pole!

Scaffolding, you can't escape the ugly stuff, but where better to go and be alone, I even had the pleasure of listening to the boom boom boom seeping out from the club across the road, I dried my hands as best I could on my jeans, hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders and began to climb.

It's really quite entertaining to watch people when they don't know they're being watched.

I chuckled to myself as some guy, nose buried in his phone, stepped into a large puddle. Another I watched trying and failing to stuff his broken umbrella in to the tiny hole of a bin. I also witnessed some drunk dick kicking up a fuss because he wasn't allowed in the club across the road after having been stood in line for ages! Doing this amused me for quite a while.

My stomach began to rumble, complaining about the lack of food in it, signalling that perhaps I should really be making my way back to the youth hostel I've been staying at for the past couple of days. I had half a pack of chocolate digestives in my locker there, and that's better than nothing at all.

As my eyes roamed the street one last time before I made my descend, I caught sight of a large man dressed in a suit stood in the mouth of the alleyway next to the club across the road.

The shoe doesn't feel so good when it's on the other foot! He was staring up at me, and didn't bother to look away when I caught him! Just how long had he been watching me!

I stood up, swung out onto a pole and spun down it, jumping a little before I hit the ground, I landed firmly on both feet and stood up straight, his eyes hadn't left mine.

We stood on opposite sides of the road, the look on his face was that of curiosity. We stood, eyes locked on each other until he beckoned me over with a wave of his hand.

Now, I'm not stupid, far from it and I know in a situation like this I should of turned my back and walked away, but, I felt no threat, and I was intrigued.

I looked both ways before crossing the road and came to a stop within a few feet of him.

"It's dangerous to go climbing about on Scaffolding" the guy said,

I just stared blankly at him.

"You look like you could use a decent meal ...and a towel he chuckled, follow me"

He turned and started walking back up the alleyway then he looked back over his shoulder and says

"You don't have to of course but I think you'd always wonder what would of happened if you did!"

I started to follow, halfway up the alleyway he stopped and opened a door, gesturing for me to enter. We stood in a dimly lit hallway the sounds from the club flooding the small space, there were three doors, we took the second door up a flight of stairs that bent round on themselves, the music fading with each step.

We went through a door at the end of a corridor. I found myself in a large room, in the centre was a table big enough for ten chairs and scattered around the edges of the room were plush comfy looking sofas, the room had a cosy feel to it, unlike the stairs and halls leading to it. there were three other people in the room, two on one of the sofas on tablets. They had ear pieces in. The other guy stood at the table eating Chinese, there must of been everything from the menu on that table. But wow! Chinese, my absolute favourite thing to eat. Ever!

The guy disappeared through a door in the far corner and returned within a few seconds with a white fluffy towel, he handed it to me so I began to pat my hair dry, 'help yourself to some food' he said.

I had yet to speak a word to this guy, too busy trying to figure out what his deal was! I thought about declining his offer and asking what the reason behind his generosity was, but right at that moment my stomach did the talking for me as it rumbled loudly, he looked at me with a frown. 'go! Eat!' He ordered again.

So I did. I stuffed myself silly while this man was talking with the other guys, it was clear he was the big boss man.

The two that were on the sofa had left the room by the time I was done eating and I was contemplating my next move when he asked 'feel better'?

"I do indeed, thank you for your kindness" Despite the fact that I find it all kinda odd, I muttered that last part under my breath, but not quiet enough it would seem as he laughed at this and replied "you remind me a lot of someone I couldn't help, a long time ago". He had a sad faraway look in his eyes for a second then added, I'm Stan by the way.