SCRAPEEE…

  Liv scrapes her fork against the white, porcelain plate– manifesting as a horrid screech. Her head remains fixated on the full, small plate, her finger tapping against the smooth wood of the table. The cold seeps into her forearms, a sigh escaping her lips as she brings the fork to her mouth. The flavors explode on her tongue; yet, they bring her no satisfaction. It’s new, that she could say, and there's no world which she would say it tasted "bad". She just didn’t feel up to eating. The idle chatter around her didn’t help, the stuffed restaurant buzzing with the happenings of the day.

  Just across from her, her own idle chatterer sits, spinning spaghetti noodles around his fork.

  “Really didn’t think you’d visit so soon!” Anthony says, driving the fork into his mouth with a smile. "I mean, I'm not complaining! I didn't really have a lot to do today after work, so hanging out with you was a welcome surprise!”

  “Mhm.” Liv mutters, scraping her fork against the plate again. The sound was grating, annoying for everyone to hear– including herself– yet, she didn't care.

  Anthony nods himself, his smile faltering as he swirls his fork around once more, another heaping forkful of spaghetti finding its way to his mouth. Liv spares him a glance before looking back down. He’s dressed for the occasion, a nice button up paired with a dusty brown pair of slacks. His hair is still the same wild mop, still covering his eyes like a greasy curtain to a window. His hands fidget with the fork, the idea of eating fleeing from his mind.

  “Sooo…” He sounds out slowly, his fork dropping to the plate with a soft thunk. “Shirt must be comfy, eh?”

  “Hm?” Liv looks up slowly, an eyebrow cocked.

  “The, uh… The shirt?” He says, gesturing to her chest. "Same one as last time."

  Liv looks down, the Hellfire Initiative’s emblem emblazoned on her shirt’s chest. Her tank top was being washed alongside her jeans, both covered in her old, crusted blood. Poor things were hanging on by a thread, abused time and time again by the march of time, hastened by the Initiative's... Less than kind system of testing. She'd have to find a way to fix them, just another thing to keep in mind for later.

  “Ain’t had anythin’ else to wear.” Liv says simply, stabbing one of the meatballs that top her plate with her fork. It penetrates quite easily, the food cooked to perfection. Still, she felt queasy just looking at it.

  “Really?” Anthony questions, his voice tainted by surprise. “People usually pack some stuff up before they leave for the Initiative. You didn’t do any of that?”

  Liv grunts, shoving the meatball in her mouth. She chews it slowly, the flavors erupting in her mouth. Her lip curls as she does, her voice coming out in slow, half chewing intervals. “Didn’t have anythin’ to bring with me.”

  “Oh.” Anthony says, his surprise turning to shock, further painted by horror. He begins to sweat further, the awkward pressure crushing him like a physical weight. "I, uh, get that i guess. Things are tough out there. Wanna keep things at home for your parents n stuff. I'm an only child, so my mom-."

  "My ma is dead, and I dunno my pa." Liv says simply, interrupting his ramblings, her fork idly picking at the pile of food before her.

  She spares a glance at Anthony, noticing the draining color from his face. He sputters, his jaw slack as he tries to come up with anything to say.

  Liv rolls her eyes, interrupting his sputtering with a quick "Yer fine.”, still poking the pile of spaghetti with her fork. She felt the gnaw of hunger biting at her stomach, yet she felt like she couldn’t eat another bite. She groans, dropping the fork with a clang, her stomach churning with nausea.

  “Thanks.” He says softly, hanging his head low.

  The two sit in complete and utter silence, the idle chatter of the other patrons sailing through the air. Anthony stares at Liv, her head resting on the table. Minutes pass, not a word exchanged between her and Anthony. Liv grunts internally, this was more frustrating that fun. Why wasn't she having fun like last time? It was stupid. The storm brewing in her head is interrupted as Anthony clears his throat, his voice warbling as it comes out. “Are you… Mad at me?”

  Liv peers up once more, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the question. He fidgets with his hands, sweat beading on his forehead like dew on fresh grass. What the hell was he talking about? She wasn’t exactly happy, and she was frustrated as all hell, but how the hell did that relate to him in any way? Such a stupid question to ask, one that made her more annoyed than anything.

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  “Ya didn’t do nothin’. Why would I be mad at ya?” She questions, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shakes her head, centering herself as much as her exhausted state would allow.

  “Well, uh,” He mutters, his thumbs pressing together as he tries to find the words. “You didn’t talk at all on the way here, you seem exhausted, you’ve been shooting down all my conversation starters, alongside the question about... I’m just not sure if you’re having fun or like-.” He stops himself, biting his lower lip, his breathing slowing a smidge as he continues rambling. “Sorry, It’s really dumb. You’re probably having a crummy day. This isn’t about me-.”

  SNORT.

  Anthony stops mid sentence, his eyes widening as Liv’s hand shoots up to her mouth. Small fits of chuckles hit Liv one after another, gradually evolving into a full blown belly laugh. Liv’s face splits into a massive smile, her eyes watering as she smacks the table. The idle chatter of the restaurant momentarily silenced as all look at Liv: confusion, curiosity, and annoyance buzz through their hushed conversations like lightning, their eyes locked on the pair.

  “Did I say something funny…?” Anthony questions nervously, an anxious smile still plastered onto his face as his eyes dart to the other guests.

  Liv’s speaks between cackles, her hand coming up to wipe at her eye. "Ahhh... Ugh, do I do that? Sputterin' all nervous like that?"

  “Oh.” Anthony says, his awkward smile growing just a bit. "I mean... I don't know? I mean, you usually seem confident to me."

  "Really?" Liv questions, the last of her laughter peeling away.

  "I mean... Yeah." Anthony murmurs. "I guess I haven't known you all that long, and this is a bit weird to say, but I just assumed you had it all figured out by now. Maybe a bit out of place, and clueless for sure," he chuckles at his own assessment, "but I always felt like you knew what you wanted."

  "I reckon I just thought I was gonna do all well n’ dandy when I got here,” she says, gesturing around to the city skyline, the sun hidden behind the concrete spires that jut high into the sky, its orange glow painting the metropolis in hues of red and pink. It was darker down here, the city more dependent on its lights for vision than the sun. “But I’ve been gettin’ laid out by every little thing. Speakin’, fightin’, writin’, allat. Ain’t a day that's gone by where I feel like I'm on top of every little thing.”

  Anthony lets out a low whistle, resting his chin on his interlocked hands. “The Initiative’ll do that. It’s kinda a ‘build you up to break you down’ workplace. Rankings, tests, and all the stuff you have to do. If you don't have the influence, you really have to want to be in there to succeed."

  “I dunno what I want.” Liv mutters. "I reckon I wanna be safe. I sure as hell wanna relax, and I wanna have a warm place to rest my head." She turns her head to him once more. "Ya think that's enough?"

  Anthony nods his head slowly, clearly thinking of some profound response, some way to help her with her troubles. He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it, the breath catching in his throat. In the end, he looks sideways toward the window, the sun slowly descending behind the horizon, flickering neon lights flashing to life as the nightlife returns with a flare.

  “Getting late.” Anthony idly comments, his voice low and dreamy.

  “Mhm.” Liv agrees, turning her head back to the fading sun. That pit in her stomach, filled with simmering resentment and apathy had been replaced by pure, simple bliss.

  Anthony nods in response, a simple sigh escaping his lips. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he stands, sliding a hundred dollar bill on the table as he pats his face off with a napkin. “I better get going. I got a bit of work to do tomorrow. If you wanna join me, though, I'll be hitting the arcade before I go home.”

  Liv considers the proposal, her calm mind weighing the options. In the end, she shakes her head, a yawn escaping her own lips. The exhaustion was hitting her like a bus, her eyes already beginning to droop as she stands up, stretching her arms above her head, a resounding cacophony of pops ringing through the restaurant. “Reckon I gotta go too. ‘Bout to pass out.”

  Anthony nods, rubbing the back of his neck as the two walk out, the door jingling pleasantly behind them as they walk into the crisp nights air. Anthony spares her a glance before waving, walking off into the night, Liv walking his opposite direction.

  She hadn’t expected to be this worn out, for sleeps spectre to finally wrap its arm around her very soul; yet, it had somehow found her in the worst place imaginable. Still, she can’t help but smile, her mind a haze of fast floating thoughts, topics swirling around her melting pot of a brain. She had a lot to think about as she walks back to the Initiative, and a nights rest to catch. She looks over to Anthony, both just standing idly on the side of the road, watching the cars drive by.

  "Thanks." She says, her hands falling drowsily to her pockets.

  Anthony turns his gaze to her, confusion clouding his features. Still, a smile manages to grace his face as he scratches his cheek, turning his head away. "I mean, I didn't even do anything. But... No problem, I guess?"

  Liv stands for a brief moment still, an air of peace sparking between the two before Anthony eventually waves, walking across the street as Liv, too, walks away, a slight limp in her step. She wipes at her face, trying to stay up long enough to get back to her room, a yawn peeling from her lips.