After I had gotten back to the crumby motel we were staying in I packed my things and headed out to find some where I could go. But I realized that my options were extremely limited and when I say limited I mean so limited that the only place I could actually afford to be in was Micky D's.
I mean hey it was open 24 hours and nobody really even questioned why you were just sitting down looking at people walk up and down the street through the windows that seemed to be kept very pristine for a fast food restaurant.
I ordered myself a Big Mac and some fries with some money I took from proofs gambling habits. I mean I didn't count it as stealing because he really shouldn't be gambling anyway and besides most likely this money was just going to end up in the hands of some snobby professional so i considered to be doing him a favor. Maybe now he would sit his ass down and start actually helping Marshall.
Marshall.
This would be a name that I know I probably won't be forgetting any time soon but I really didn't have a choice because I seriously don't plan on seeing him ever again.
I sipped on some water and nibbled on a few fries until a person randomly decided to sit themselves in front of me.
"Hi." A lady said placing her jewel studded purse on the table and setting her large cup of coffee on the side.
"Hey..." I said unsure to why out of all the seats she decided to sit herself across from me.
"Sorry to intrude but it looked like you could use a friend right about now." The lady said taking a sip of coffee before placing her full attention on me.
"Really i looked that depressed?" I spoke astonished that my mood was really showing.
"Yeah, oh my name is Courtney by the way." She said stretching out her hand for me to shake.
I awkwardly stretched my hand out and shook it and to my surprise her hand was really cold and some what clammy.
I figured it must've been the temperature from outside.
"I'm Maybelline and yeah I guess I am pretty sad." I admitted not really knowing why I was telling a stranger my problems.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well it's kind of a long story but I guess if i could just give you one word you'd probably be able to figure it out."
"Try me." She said.
"Detroit." I replied.
Her mouth formed an "O" as she nodded. "You're from Detroit aren't you? Yeah I heard things are pretty terrible down there.." She said turning her head to the Tv in the corner that just so happened to be talking about 100 killings taking place within the last few days.
"Yeah it's a nightmare..one of my friends got killed in front of me." My voice trailed off remembering the last few words she had said to me.
"His room number is 520 and the asylum is on Michigan avenue k?"
No. I am not going to that asylum i can't..
"Oh God, i'm so sorry." She said a look of surprise washed over he face.
"No it's fine she's in a better place now..but I feel like i'm letting her down." I said taking another bite out of my big mac.
"How come?" Courtney said ignoring a call that was coming from her purse.
"Well my friend wanted me to go see her ex boyfriend and ask him about something but the things that I've gotta ask deals with one of my friends who I don't think I can trust anymore.."
A man next to us loudly opened up a news paper and began reading.
"I just don't think I can do it anymore." I continued.
"Well this friend of yours, did he mean to betray you or hurt you or whatever he did?" She asked taking another sip of coffee.
"Well no..he has MPD and sometimes he's not himself." I said.
"Well how can you blame him for whatever he did if he wasn't aware that he did it?" She countered.
I didn't know how to respond to that so I faced down suddenly feeling really bad.
"Well what he did is really bad and could possibly land him in prison." I said trying to defend my judgement the best I could.
The lady seemed to be more intrigued and looked like she was confused as to just what i was implying.
"Well what exactly did he do?" She asked.
"I rather not say but I know it's not his fault and that he didn't mean too.." I said.
"Then what's the problem?" The man reading suddenly said.
"Excuse me?" I said surprised that this man had been eavesdropping.
"Well I figured I won't be able to concentrate on my paper until you two are done yapping so, What's the problem?" The man spoke with his crude aura circling around me.
"Well I guess I just feel..I feel like this is all my fault." I sighed.
"How come?" The man urged me to continue.
"Well I figured that none of this ever would've happened if I would've just stayed at home with my parents and sister like I should have. Now maybe Detroit wouldn't be a disaster and my friend wouldn't be dead and my parents wouldn't have spent all that time worrying about me. I remember I use to always tell myself that sometimes you're going to have to swim through the fire before you eventually put it out and feel like yourself again. But so far I feel like the only thing I have accomplished is running wild on 8 mile trying to fix everything before it's too late ya know?" I said looking back at the man.
"Yeah sometimes life can throw you for a loop every one and a while but it's up to you rather you get up or stay down. But remember this either one you choose life will continue to go on it'll just be you who's stuck in the past." The man said pushing his glasses up on his face.
"Wow that's pretty wise, how old are you?" Courtney said giving the guy a genuine smile.
"27, but people say I have a 80 year olds mind. But maybe that's because i'm a journalist trying to make something out of myself." He smiled.
"Well that explains the newspaper." Courtney said, "No one really reads it anymore people are so in tuned too facebook and twitter." She huffed.
"True, my names Max by the way." He said finally introducing himself to us.
"Nice to meet you Max i'm Maybelline and this is Courtney." I said.
"Hey." Courtney replied.
"Hey, sorry about being rude earlier it's just i'm trying to figure out what to write about in my next article the datelines coming up soon and it seems like all the topics about Detroit has been taken." He frowned.
"Well I for one hope that all this drama dies down soon my patients keep coming in stressed and worried that somethings going to happen here." Courtney replied drinking some more of her coffee which from the face she made had probably gone cold.
"Patients?" I asked.
"Oh yeah sorry I forgot to tell you, Yeah i'm a therapist I deal with people and their problems on a day to day basis. I saw you here all sad and stuff so I decided that since i'm here I might as well help you." She smiled.
"Oh wow your a therapist? Wait..your not gonna charge me for your expertise right?" I laughed.
"No not this time." She laughed back.
A thought suddenly formed in my head that if Courtney was a therapist maybe she could help Marshall with his psychological problems!
"Courtney! Do you think you can help my friend I was telling you about?" I asked hopeful that she would be kind enough to agree.
"Well sure..but my sessions are quite expensive and I don't usually do ones for free.." She replied.
"Oh pleassee I swear to you that this is an emergency." I continued.
"How so?" Her eyebrow raised hinting at her curiosity.
"Well remember how I said earlier that my problems have to do with the riots in Detroit?"
She nodded.
"Well...let's just say that my friend just might be the cause of it and if he doesn't get some help real soon i'm afraid that all of Michigan is screwed."
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Hey sorry again for the wait but I really hope that this chapter made up for it!! We got some new characters yay!! :)