17BLACK

Chapter 54

"Louis... about last night...." I take the toast out of the toaster and then proceed to coat them in a thick layer of butter. My movements are hurried, I need to get to work.

So far the routine is coming along nicely, and I've made a few friends. Some of them are complete assholes, but there's nothing I can do.

Katrina and I have especially became close. We spend the most time together, and she's not bad at all, which is a huge improvement from my first impression of her. She's just stubborn and strong-willed.

"Last night is over and shouldn't be dwelled upon." Louis' voice is flat. He's curled up on the couch, his tiny hands cupping a juice box. It's Hawaiian Punch flavored. I know because I took the first few sips from it.

I lean against the counter and raise an eyebrow. He's trying to pass it off as unimportant when it's quite the opposite.

"It was just a freak breakdown, it happens. I'm sorry you had to witness it." His eyes don't meet mine.

I set him a plate at the table with a plate of toast and a fresh juice box. After scarfing my share of toast down, I slide my shoes on and grab my coat.

Louis' position hasn't changed a bit. I lean down to kiss his forehead, and it seems to soothe him, if only a little.

"Don't think you've avoided this. We'll talk more when I get off of work." I guiltily feel like a parent scolding a child, but this isn't something I'm going to take lightly. Louis is off of work today for New Years (my job is on a time sensitive schedule, so it's a bit more demanding), and say goodbye before leaving his slumped figure hidden under the blankets.

✖

Beck still hasn't showed up for work, his girlfriend convinced him to go on maternity leave (it earned him a lot of shit from my the guys), so his part has been cut out of the final performance. It's a shame, he was a vital part of our routine and played a big role in creating and organizing it. Katrina actually did finally agree to give him her number, but it's only for work purposes. He helps occasionally with the little pieces we have trouble with.

As I pull up to the now-familiar building, I see Katrina leaning against the side. Her arms are crossed and she's wearing yoga pants and a tank top. The color scheme in our outfits actually match a little. I'm wearing blue and white, and she's wearing a similar blue and an off white. It's more of a cream, actually. Still not far off, though. I hope people don't think we planned it.

"Practice has been delayed. Half of our people got stuck in a subway situation, apparently the area is really crowded from the holidays, and can't make it until eleven." She meets me halfway as I'm getting out of my car, and I see a few beads of sweat on her forehead. Katrina likes to run, I've learned, and does so early in the mornings. That's probably why she made it here. She normally takes the subway, but if she ran here then she would have avoided the large crowd.

"Eleven?" That's three hours from now.

Katrina shrugs. "Nothing we can do about it." My car isn't enough to fit everyone, and she doesn't own a car.

My stomach growls. The two pieces of toast at Louis' weren't enough to silence it.

I think back to a breakfast buffet I pass by when coming to work.

"We could go get breakfast at Lenny's." Katrina frowns, and I notice that her breathing is a bit uneven.

"Do you know how fattening their bacon is? And don't even get me started on the eggs and biscuits." Katrina is a health nut. She barely eats meat and is a firm believer in nutrition. I have a hunch that she's not really afraid of being unhealthy, she's afraid of becoming anything more than freakishly skinny. When we do lifts at practice, I'm reminded of how thin she is. It's like lifting a bag of feathers. Even Louis isn't that tiny.