Ami-chan Writes

I’m leaning on the balcony of the rented room, smoking out at the street. Music on, trying to chill, but failing miserably. The shower didn’t help either. I couldn’t even get off.

I’m spinning my next cigarette around in my hand when I recognize the need for distraction but I’m not in a good enough mood to go anywhere so I call the one person I know might at least understand some of it: Lapin.

“What’s up?” he asks, looking out at me from the miniature screen in my hand.

“Not my mood,” I reply.

“I see dat,” he counters, adjusting his position. I must be on his computer screen as opposed to his phone given the angle.

“You not worried someone see you talkin’ to da traitor?”

“People don’t come to me. I go to dem,” he points out, “And you ain’t traitor, Rem. It was...unfortunate.”

I snort, and take a drag on the cigarette I lit before calling him. I hear him tut, and pull a face at him blowing the smoke in the direction of the phone camera.

“Mutant ‘freak’ or no pretty sure doze still kill,” he retorts.

“I prob’ly get taken out by somet’in’ else before den.”

“Fatalism isn’ you, Rem,” he answers. I hear him shifting in his seat but don’t see given I’m glaring out at the hotel across the street, “’sides you got nine lives. Well, maybe you got eight left or seven…” I turn my head to look at him as he keeps reducing my life expectancy, eyebrow arched.

“You big help, you. Really cheer a girl up.”

“Didn’ know I was suppose to,” he shakes his head, “T’ought maybe we was plannin’ or somet’in.”

He has a point. If stuff is going to go South like I fear is best to plan escape strategy or twelve. Essex helped me, sure, but this...the folks he has had me finding. Something ain’t right. And now we all meeting tomorrow finish things out.

“Rem?” he asks.

“I’m still here,” I point out.

“Sure,” he says, “By da by...”

“Oui?”

“Your Cole cop friend—he been tryin’ get in touch wid you again. Callin’ da old number you had.”

“I had lots of doze, and you know dat,” I tell him.

“Well, you know. Six mont ago when you be talkin’ ‘bout beach livin’, dat one.”

I shake my head, dragging the cig down to the filter with one last breath, and then charging it and flicking it into the air where it poofs in a sad little explosion, like a bottle rocket that misfire. Maybe I can have future in trash collecting. Don’t need a dump when you got Ruse. Call me Queen of Trash.

But Cole—man, that’s a kettle…but...

“What you so quiet for?” Lapin cuts in.

“I know you tease ‘bout him but could be helpful right now.”

“My teasing?” He’s only half serious.

“No, Cole.”

“Havin’ a roll wid him would improve you mood.”

I roll my eyes, “Not in da mood for dat.”

He fakes a heart attack and flops his head down on his desk.

“Pssh,” I tell him, “Dis whole t’ing be fucked up. Dat ruin sexy time for anyone.”

“You mooned over him,” Lapin says as he sits up in his chair again, rubbing at his face. He might actually have hurt himself in his theatrics.

“I did not,” I tell him, “Dat whole t’ing was just...” I can’t voice the proper explanation and wind up just waving my hand in a circle, “...complicated,” is all I can come up with.

“Complicated?” he sounds, disbelieving and like I’m going to get some sort of lecture at the same time. There’s that tutting again, “I s’pose you right dere, but you mooned, dat be dangerous.”

“You da one who bought him up,” I point out, “You dat scared you shoulda said not’ing. You t’ink can be useful too, n’est-ce-pas?”

He blows air through his teeth, “Chancey,” is all he says and it takes him a while.

“Forward him to dis phone,” I shake it.

Lapin pulls a face, but I see him get another phone out of a drawer and put some cables into it, “Not my fault if dis go to shit,” he says.

I snort at him again, “How much worse it can get?”

“You should know better dan to say t’ings like dat,” he says, “If I was to bet--”

“You dun bet,” I tell him, “Leave dat to me.”

“Well, then, take this logistic guy advice, don’t bet da house, and keep dat poker face.”

I roll my eyes at him, “I t’ink I know how to gamble by now.”

“But what you willing to lose?” he says, before he hangs up.