First Impressions. - Part 2.

Steph's small moment of triumph was short lived however. The damned headache she'd had on and off for the last two weeks returned with a vengeance. Red hot spikes were being driven through her eyeballs, even her nose was hurting. She patted the pockets of her jacket. Where were those pills the doctor had given her? There they were. She pulled out the plastic bubble packet. Only two left. There were more in an unlabelled box in her pig sty. Crap. They were the size and shape of torpedoes. She didn't have a drink. Maybe she could break them in half, then swallow the pieces. Stephanie shivered as the chill air wafted across her. Looked up to see the snake rat had his arm around that well proportioned young woman. Who turned towards Steph, while the lecher whispered into her ear. The bastard! She couldn't be more than 16. Young enough to be his daughter. He was lower than a snake rat's belly.

She was beautiful though. The youngster slipped off her light sweater. At his suggestion no doubt. Her nipples would stiffen in the cold air. Oh my God she was perfect. From those legs, past her narrow waist, to her shapely firm breasts and then onwards. Lustrous raven hair falling in spiral curls to her shoulders. No wonder the sex pest was draping himself all over her. Briefly, Steph was poised between her envy of such gorgeousness and her instant hatred of the so called man. Her fingers were hurting. How long had she been trying to snap this pill? More effort was needed. The problem being as she strained her brain threatened to explode out of her eye sockets. The pill slipped from her fingers, flying off into the grass. Steph raised herself off the bench. That made her ears hurt as the spikes became white hot. Vision blurring, Steph rubbed her eyes. Where was it now? Christ, it was all the way over there. At least three steps away. She could do this. If only it weren't for the arctic weather.

"Can I give you a hand?"
The soft mellifluous voice made her jerk. Bad idea when your skull was being struck with sledgehammers. She gasped at the pain, pressed her fingers on the bridge of her nose. It was the young girl. Even better looking close up. She crouched down to retrieve Steph's medication. Even her feet were flawless in those sandals. That smile was dazzling as she placed the tablet onto Steph's palm.
"Thanks."
It was the least she could do. It was the most she could manage.
"Do you need a drink?" A bottle of water was being offered.
Stephanie eyed it suspiciously.
"Did he give it to you?"
The throbbing became a stab as she nodded towards the sex pest. The girl looked puzzled.
"Why would that matter?"
She held out the container.
"Men like him are only after one thing. You should stay away from him, trust me. His type will slip a sedative in your drink then rape you."
The youngster looked back over her shoulder.
"Umm.. Okay. It's still sealed. I took it from the multipack over there. I can get another one if you like."
Steph slumped back onto the bench.
"Thanks. Sorry. Sorry, thanks. I'm not feeling myself at the moment."
"You don't look well either." The young girl sat beside her, opened the cap, then handed the container to Stephanie.
"What gave that away? Was it the dark rings around my eyes or the fact I can barely stand?" Throwing the pills into her mouth then swigging a huge gulp.
"You're shivering as well. Would you like to borrow my sweater?"
"No, you'll only get cold. You've already done enough for me."
"It's not really that cold. Not since the sun came out. I'm fine. I'll sit with you for a while if you don't mind."
"Sure. Knock yourself out."

It took a while for the painkillers to take effect. They were quite strong, so she felt a lot better once the opiate high hit her and the pain receded. The asshole was still watching her. Not constantly of course. That might arouse suspicion. He was doing it in between flirting with the women and playing with their children. Well she almost felt human. That smile didn't fool her. It was a smirk. A self satisfied leer. God these women were even more naive than she'd been. How couldn't they see his hidden agenda?

"You're looking a lot better now."
"Better than what? Trodden in dogshit? Cos that's what I feel like." Steph tugged at her coat.
"My name's Tamsin. My friends call me Taz. I assume you're Stephanie Cook."
Steph huffed, took another drink.
"So the jungle telegraph has reached you already then... Sorry.... I didn't mean to be offensive."
"Why would I be offended?" Taz asked with bemusement.
"Well.. You know." The teenager shook her head. "You're... I mean... you're black."
"Strictly speaking I'm three quarters white. But don't worry, I'm not one of the uppity ones."
Steph dropped her face into her palms.
"Aw shit. Sorry again. My white guilt has made my efforts not to be racist become racism."
Tamsin chuckled.
"I'm just playing with you. I've had far worse thrown at me. Like you said, you're not yourself."
"Thanks. I'm just doing ironic white supremacist impressions. I've got panda pretty well nailed already."
The girls forehead crinkled then she chortled.
"Oh. You mean your eyes. They aren't as bad as you think. You just look tired. You should get some sleep. Are you okay now?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. You don't have to carry me back to my new home. I'm feeling spaced out, but it's all good."
"I'll see you tomorrow then most likely. I've gotta dash. My turn to cook. Catch you later Stephanie."
The unexpected hug took Steph by surprise. Human contact for the first time in months. It felt good. Taz set off across the grass.
"Remember what I said. That guy has only got one thing on his mind."
Tamsin spun round.
"Oh I know. The only thing he's got on his mind for me, is going to school. I live with him. John is kind of my dad. Don't tell him that though." She winked and set off again.

Oh shit. Steph had just done her best to alienate the first person to show her any kindness in an age. Kind of her dad? She could get creative with that, but it did seem this John was trying to bed Taz. That still didn't mean he was trustworthy or above suspicion. Even snake rat's had some morals it seemed. His motives were suspect, until all evidence to the contrary arrived.

How long had she been in that enclosed garden? It was getting dark outside. The gloom in her cramped residence told her this. Thank the lord the removals men had gone by the time she mounted those stairs. No need for a gratuity. Now all she had to do was find her way through all these boxes. Eating could wait for now. She needed the cathartic release of writing something in her personal journal. The one she'd been religiously keeping since that asshole boyfriend dumped her. The earliest entries full of vitriol and self pity. The newer ones were merely spiteful. If only she didn't know that. Then maybe she could pull herself together. Now where had she left her laptop? She ran back over her actions that morning. She'd been looking out of a window. Onto the extensions below. The ground floor one having the largest. Then the next floor had a smaller one while hers, which was basically a small attic, had the shell of an extension. The only thing it did was block the view into the gardens of the houses that backed onto here. No bad thing.

Thanks to all that weight she'd lost it wasn't that hard to make her way through the little passages between the boxes. Entering the bedroom put paid to that tiny plus. There was only room for the double bed and two sets of drawers. Neither of which could be fully opened. Steph had to climb across the bed to get her laptop. There was bedding somewhere. Probably in the kitchen. Time for that later. She needed to get the anger and hate out as soon as possible.

Steph sat back against the headboard. Booted up her refuge from the shit pile her reality had become. Hold on. There was no wifi connection. The lease stated there was. She didn't know where the router was. Well according to the letting agent the landlord was on the floor beneath her. Should she bother him? It would be good to meet whoever it was face to face. Introduce herself. Besides she needed to unload her awful day. Get it in writing along with all the other abysmal days. Meeting Taz had been kind of cool, until she'd blown up that bridge. Although she hadn't taken umbrage, even after her diatribe against the girl's kind of dad. She'd have to be quick though. She could feel the headache returning, along with the tiredness.

Holding onto the railing she took the stairs carefully. The world was moving around her. Each step reverberating in her head. Steph knocked at the door. The first knock missing. At some point it opened before her. She blinked to clear the fog from her vision. Said something? Or did he say something? Internet access was on her mind. Her nose started to run. Warm salty fluid dripping down over her chin. Steph scrubbed at it with her sleeve. It didn't do a lot of good. The snot kept flowing. Her eyesight cleared though. Enough for her to recognize the man standing before her. He looked shocked and concerned.

"Oh fuck, it's you." Droplets flew from her mouth onto John, the kind of dad.
They were red. He tried to grab her. She stepped back shaking her head.
"Taz! Call an ambulance. NOW!"
Typical man. Throwing orders about. The snake rat was her landlord? That fact was making the floor slippery and wobbly. The snot was flowing down her face as she continued to back away from her assailant. Steph swiped at it again. Her sleeve was red. Her top was getting redder. The floor suddenly decided to try hitting her in the face. Finally, a bit of luck. She was going to die. The darkness swallowed her. Peace at last.