Wrapping up classes and getting ready to embrace summer.  So much to do and I'm excited to get started.  More material on the way.  Check out the latest on Silhouette and catch up on the tap above.  Let me hear your thoughts.

Yours truly,

Teej

Girl Talk

The flashing lights can be detected from behind.  She’s still, caught red handed, standing midst a heap of her defeated peers, each is moaning with complaints of how she’d destroyed them effortlessly.  Without provocation, they’ll claim; all prepared to spin a similar story.  It didn’t matter why they’d been there in the first place, it’ll be their word against hers.

“Silve?”

The scene fades and Silvia’s attention snaps back to the shop.  Rain’s peering from above, bent with curiosity.  Startled, she jumps up, embarrassed by her once sleeping state and overcompensating in an effort to give the impression she’d been busy.

“Hi Rain.”

“You fell asleep again.”

She stopped, setting down a book and looking remorseful.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t know what’s come over me.  I—“

“Oh, I don’t care about that; you already do more than enough around here.  Relax.  Just making sure you’re okay.  Things haven’t been easy.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine.”

“Well, I brought you some tea, and if you don’t mind me saying, you don’t look like it.”  She handed over a steaming mug.

“I had a bad dream.  Cheers.”

Rain took a seat next to her looking all the more enthralled.  “Bad dreams are usually a sign of stress.”

“I appreciate the diagnosis Freud,” she smiled.

“Don’t give me that, what happened to our ‘girl talk’?”

“‘Girl talk’ usually doesn’t involve existential ideas with a side of psycho analysis.”

“Says who?”  She sighed, “If we must return to your ‘chauvinistic’ ways, I heard you and Em-Aych patched thing back up.”

Silvia laughed.  “I forget you guys talked.  Did he come around here already?”

“We went to the market together over a week ago.”

“You did what?”

“Grocery shopping; we had a nice time.  We managed to catch up after a good while.  He said you were awfully upset over something, but had come around.”

“Of course he did.”

“I don’t know why you two aren’t a couple…”

She wrinkled her nose at the notion.  “It’s complicated…I…”

“He was just as vague about it too.  Refused to tell me what you were fighting about.”

“Rain!  Are you playing devil’s advocate?  I thought I was—“

“Calm down Silvia,” she reassured. “I haven’t said a word about it.  I’d never go behind your back like that, nor am I going to betray his trust.  I’m just curious.”

“About what?”

“What you two are up to.  You aren’t seeing each other, apparently.  You know you scared Steven half to death running after him like you did when those gangsters showed up.  I’ve been keeping your little spars upstairs a secret from him for obvious reason, but you’re starting to worry me now.”

“Rain, I—“

“Now Steven tells me this Mr. Boris is on trial after he was found beaten in his home and his house set ablaze.  He’s at the court house now testifying against the miserable mobster…I just can’t help but think you might’ve—“

“Yes.”

“—what?”

What had been presented as a joke in her mind was coming back to bite her.  She was in disbelief.

“It was his crazy idea to start this sort of thing.  It definitely got way out of hand at Boris’.”

Rain was still shocked.  “I’m mean, sure, the train but…How often have you two have been doing this?”

“It’s not like that— Not really.  It’s…complicated.”

She sighed again.  “That seems to be going around.”

“You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

“It’s not that it’s coming as an entire surprise.  I’m more impressed really.”

“I barely believe it myself”

“So…How’d you decide to, what, is it vigilantism?”

“He’d like to think so.”

There was a long pause as she stared while Silvia tried to avoid her gaze.  It wasn’t clear whether it was embarrassment or regret for not mentioning anything sooner.  Whichever, she felt uncomfortable with the air.

“You’re going to get yourselves hurt, or worse, luv.  What happens if something were to happen to you?”

“We’re taking precaution.  It’s sort of what our disagreement was about.”

She was silent in her contemplation; attempting to grasp ahold of the circumstances she’d been presented.

“If there’s anything we can do to ensure your safety…”

“I’d hate to get you guys involved though.  And I doubt Steve—”

Rain frowned.  “Don’t start on that now.  What did you end up disagreeing about?”

“It was just how things spun out of control while confronting Boris.  Things got too…heated; I don’t know if I was really ready at the time.”

“And things changed?”

“Like you said, Boris is being sentenced; he’s no longer out making threats.  I’d like to think we’ve actually been making a positive difference in this city.”

She sat back to think about this before agreeing, “A much needed change.”

“I guess I just didn’t believe it at first.”

“Have the police been—“

“You know Em-Aych is wanted by the police, right?”

“We talk enough, though he’s not one that visits the past often.”

“I get the feeling he’s maybe told you more.”  Silvia was surprised by just how much.

“This is a hell of a challenge to take upon yourself Silvia.  I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”  Rain then smirked.  “Then again, if given the opportunity at your age, I’d have a hard time saying no.  Of course, I never learned to fight like you do.  In a way, I’m jealous.”

The door to the shop opened and an excitable Steve stepped in looking dapper in a suit and tie.  It’s the nicest Silvia ever seen him dress.

“25 without parole!”  He beamed.  “That bastard will be older than me before he’s breathing free air.”

Rain stood up to greet him.  Lifting her from the ground with a tight squeeze, he gave her a short kiss before he released her.

“Well aren’t you in a great mood.”

“Oh you should’ve been there to see it sweetheart.  It turns out the call to the police came from Boris’ own phone and when authorities showed, the unsuspected doormen open fired.  Drugs, unregistered weapons, prostitution, the works; all found inside.  I’d love to meet the people that prick double crossed.  They found him tied up just shy of the flames,”  Steve had to catch his breath due to being overjoyed.  “What have you girls been up to?”

Silvia sipped on her tea as she exchanged glances with Rain.  Without a word being uttered, they knew what the other was thinking and did their best not to break their best not to crack.

“Just having a bit of ‘girl talk’,” Rain smiled.