Jason
We've been driving for a couple of hours when we finally reached California. It was around 9:30 p.m when we reached the Santa Monica Pier. There was a few people on the boardwalk. I walk up to this one girl with straight blonde hair that went down her shoulders with a bright green neon bikini top. "Excuse me." I said tapping her on her shoulder when she slowly turns around. She starts smiling, "Do you know where I can find, Liam Hollis?" I asked. "Depends, who's asking?" She said while taking a lollipop out of her mouth. "I am. He's an old friend, we have some unspoken business to take care of." I replied as the wind blew into my face. She grabbed a pen from the booth she was standing behind and started writing on a piece of paper. I turned my face slightly to Ralph who was nodding his head. "Here." She said handing me the paper as I unfolded it to look at the address. "This his number?" I asked, "No. It's mine." She replied why smiling. "You seem like the mysterious type, and I like that about you. We should hang out one day." She added. "I'll see you around?" She asked as I placed the paper in my pocket, I chuckled. "Maybe." I replied and slightly turned around. "Let's go." I said directing Ralph to follow me. "Do you know exactly what your gonna say to Liam?" Ralph asked. "Not sure exactly." I replied. "You have your gun with you?" I asked him as I chewed on my toothpick. "Yes." He replied trying to cover it up with his jacket. No one knew what I went through, everything happened so quickly. Growing up with Ralph and interacting with the wrong people lead me into bombing. I killed two people and then got token into questioning, after that everything was a blur. Lying was my best excuse at the time. I remember being acquitted after one of my friends took the blame for me. God, what an idiot he was. Then after that, everyone was scared of me. I was just known as 'Jason', not Jason McCann. We reached the place as I knocked on the door, I grabbed the gun from Ralph's hand and placed it into mine. A guy with dark - brownish hair and eyes that could make anyone suspicious of him opened the door slightly sticking his head out. "Can I help you guys?" He said while coughing a bit. By the smell of weed, I suspected he was smoking. "Yeah, you know Jesse Riley, right?" I asked slipping my hand through the door barging my way inside as Ralph followed me inside. "Ah, not this guy again." He said while smoking, he let out some smoke. "-He still wants that fucking money?" He asked. "Yeah, and he sent me here to take care of it." I replied. He started laughing, "What are you his little henchman or something? Real funny." He replied, "Actually, he's with my ex-girlfriend right now so he said if I take care of you, he'll leave her alone." I replied. "That face, and that scar. I know who you are-" He said, "Jason McCann." He added. "Ya know, you could come back to California, bring your girl, work for me." He said lodging back on his couch. "I don't think I could do that if you don't give Jesse his money." I replied. He sighed, "How much do you owe him?" I asked. "Ah, about eight grand." He replied while scratching his head. "How long did he give you?" Liam asked, "Two weeks." I replied. He chuckled, "Classic Jesse." He replied. "For now, you guys can stay here. I'll have the money by then." He replied. "Make yourselves at home, oh and don't try any slick moves on me or your both dead." Liam added on. I laughed, "Our just one of us." I said as I slightly pulled the gun out my pocket and handed it back to Ralph.
~*~
"I'm sorry about what I said." Jesse said. "No, it's true. I don't know what's it going to take." I replied. "Maybe this?" He asked leaning in and kissing me, unanticipatedly I kissed him back and then pulled away. "Over him, yet?" He asked. That's when I kissed him again, maybe I was or maybe I wasn't. But at this point I wasn't sure of myself, maybe none of us were. But we were still alive.
"Unbeing dead isn't being alive.
- e. e. cummings"