We Who Are Jaded

Chapter Thirty Three

Tourists bustled passed locals, buskers played to the nonchalant teenage crowds, beggars pleaded to suited businessmen and woman talked in hushed whispers in coffee shop windows. This was Edinburgh and her people. They did not know who Indigo was, nor Red. They didn't know who I was, the girl in the taxi. They didn't know what dark forces lay in wait beyond the suicidal grave. They didn't know anything and how I envied them for it. 

"That'll be thirty five quid pal," The driver said, suddenly bursting my bubble of disorientated thought. I blinked, staring more closely out of the window. Ross grumbled something about over charging but politely handed over the crumpled notes and got out of the taxi. I could feel confusion washing over me. 

 "Unless you have somewhere else to go love I suggest you get out," The taxi driver muttered, peering at the money to make sure he hadn't been short changed.

"Don't worry, we wouldn't rip you off," I retorted, much to the annoyance of the taxi driver. I reached for the door handle but the driver spoke once more.

"You'd better watch that mouth of yours lass. It'll get you in tae trouble one of the days." He sounded almost threatening, as if he was in fact the threat to my abnormal existence.  I snorted at his confidence and idiocy.

"Trust me, compared to what I've seen in my short life, you sir are about as scary as the Easter Bunny. You have no idea who you're dealing with." Brashly I opened the door and ignored the driver's parting words of wisdom. I hushed his mumble by roughly slamming the door shut and turning on my heel.

"Chris..." Ross was a picture of puzzlement. 

"No worries Ross, I've actually learned something today," I returned.

"Which is?" asked Ross.

"Taxi drivers can't count."

"Did he think I'd underpaid him?" Ross gawped at the accelerating taxi and the driver within. "Because if he did I can assure him I am an honest man and an accountant no less. The sheer cheek of it!" Ross almost flipped the cab off, a gesture which would have made my year. 

"Something like that." My lying skills were improving more by the minute. I wasn't exactly about to tell Ross that I'd just picked a fight with a taxi driver who was bigger than me. No, it was better to distract Ross from the fact his step-daughter was picking fight with a man who now knew where she slept at night by making think his morals were being questioned.

"What a cheek! If anything he was the one who ripped me off! I have a right mind to talk to his manager." Ross stomped noisily up the front stairs leaving me to hope the neighbours weren't watching him making a right spectacle of himself.

"Jeez Ross, chill," I said as I followed in Ross's shadow.

"No, I will not chill. That man was rude to us and it isn't acceptable. I want my money back!" I couldn't complain about Ross' outburst, he had forgotten completely about my drama being far too caught up in his own.

"You'll give yourself a heart attack if you're not careful," I warned him, my lips curling in a mocking smirk. Ross must have seen the humorous side of his dramatics and allowed himself a little indulgent snigger.

"I'm being an idiot, right?" We'd stopped outside of the front door, allowing Ross to calm down and me to prepare myself for what lay within.

"Well you said it." I shrugged. My stomach felt as though it were cramping. Ross seemed to take an age to retrieve his keys from his pocket, fumble to find the correct key and open the door of the lion's den. I took a deep, deep breath – it was probably going to be one of my last - and listened for the damning click of the door unlocking.