Blank Canvas

Chapter One (Rewrite)

I roll my eyes as I realize she has no glasses anywhere. Only cheap plastic cups sit in the cabinet. It may be tacky but I guess it works in my favor. As Britney continues her constant ranting, I pour a small amount of whiskey into two cups. I check over my shoulder for a second to make sure Britney can't see me from her thrift store couch but luckily there's a thin wall between us. I can't stop my smirk from spreading as I pull a small packet from my pants pocket. Inside the bag is a milligram of generic Rohypnol ground into a fine white powder.

I've never liked Rohypnol - I'm more a cocaine man myself - but the effects can be useful in certain situations. I flick the packet with my fingertip to make sure all the powder slides gracefully from the edges of the bag into the cup. It becomes completely undetectable within seconds. I pick up the red cup and swirl it lightly to make sure it's mixed before snatching up my untainted cup. I force a friendly smile as I walk back to her. It feels painful to stretch my face that exaggerator.

Her thin lips move at an impossible speed as I slip the cup into her hand. I still have no idea what she's even saying. It's like all I can hear is my heartbeat. It's been getting faster every second and it's almost deafening now. As soon as Britney gets her grubby hands around the cup, she downs it without question. She must think she needs some liquid courage but my heart makes it clear I'm the only one who does. The palpitations don't stop amplifying even as she goes on talking for another 15 minutes.

"Ya know, I knew you were a good one as soon as I swiped righhh..." My ears tune back in at the change of pace. I dial my eyes back to her to see her mouth hung open stupidly as she clinches her eyes shut and places a hand on her head. "Is... Is the room s-s-spinning or is it just me?" She leans heavily against my shoulder.

I cackle as I push her off of me so I can get up. Britney giggles along, not a single coherent thought in that tiny head of hers. I rush to the door and make my way to the car. Luckily, there's not a soul in sight. There's not even any homeless people loitering about as they usually would. There's no one to see me and even if there was it's too dark for them to detail me. The only light on the block is from one blinking street light. Thank God for poor people and their shitty cities.

I pop my trunk and pull out all my supplies: a suitcase, a handbag, a polaroid camera, a dress, an easel, and last but certainly not least, a landscape painting I made myself. I'm barely holding on to it all as I rush back to the open apartment door. I immediately drop it all onto the floor when I step in with a sigh of relief. But the relief is brief.

When I turn my attention to the couch, Britney's not there. Putain! Where'd that stupid bitch go? I quickly peek my head into the kitchen area but there's nothing there. I can already feel the panic settling in. My hands clench, my teeth grit, my breath quickens to a dizzying degree. I check around the entire house looking for Britney to no eval. I feel like I've been stabbed in the heart and each empty room twists it in deeper. My nails have made imprints on my gloves and sweat is gathering on the top of my turtleneck.

I start pulling at my perfectly manicured hair as I think of everything that could happen now. Britney could go to the cops. Stumbling her way into their building mumbling about how her seemingly perfect boyfriend drugged her. Tried to take advantage of her. Give them my location, my face, or even my name. God damn it! Why didn't I use a fake name? Or just do the normal thing of putting on a mask? Putain de bordel de merde! I'm done for! 

... And then I hear it.

It's like music to my ears. A quiet curse echoes its way from outside. What was I thinking? I left the front door open, of course she's going to wonder. I sprint back out to see Britney sloppily pulling at my car door handle. "Jonah! I can't get the doors open! Unlock it so we can go out!" Her hand randomly slaps around the car. I swiftly grab her by the waist before she falls over. "We need to go back inside before anyone sees us," I mumble and drag her back.