I held her bags, searching for her in the mall. The mall was so big, I didn’t know where to look for her. I went back to some of the stores she went to earlier that day and asked if she had returned. I also asked some of the shoppers if they had seen a girl dressed in black, about 5’6 passed by, but they all said no.

I walked tirelessly up the stairs to the second floor and took a rest at one of the benches. I rested the bags on the floor. Loud noises came from the arcade. I looked in that direction. I remembered I used to play those games. It was hit. What an addiction it was.

I got up and surveyed the arcade. I haven’t changed much. Maybe a few games were added other than that, it was all the same. I noticed a ring of people were surrounding two players. They were playing some kind of shooting game, I guess. I stepped up to them and looked between two heads.

Cathy was there. She was one of the two players. She changed into her purple outfit. No wonder no one saw her. If she wanted to hit the arcade she could’ve told me. Next to her was one of her mates. The one that kissed her. Her boyfriend, maybe? I tried looking around, to see if the backpack was still at her side, but there was nothing next to her.

She seemed to have lost to her opponent. She got up and left in a huff. Her mate took her place and played against the guy that beat her. I followed her out. She didn’t know I was behind her. She slipped into the second floor parking lot.

There was no one there. She leaned against the wall and took something out of her boot. She even changed her shoes. Wow! What there come kind of rule as to what to wear when on a date with this guy?

I noticed it was some kind white powder in a tube. She dotted some on the back of her hand and sniffed it. And she was all energized. She laughed and giggled to herself. What the fuck was that?! She did it again. She was high.

She put the last bit on the back of her hand, when she saw me approach her, her face expression frowned.

“Cathy? What are you doing?” I grabbed at her hand, before she could take another sniff.

I pulled free from my grasp. “What do you want?” she yelled.

“What were you doing?” I forced on.

“None of your fucking business.” She shot back.

She walked back in, I grabbed at her wrist this time much tighter. She turned and kicked me in the shin. It hurt, but I could take it. I didn’t let go. She kicked me again. “I’m taking you home.”

“Let me go, you bastard.” She yelled and tried pulling free. But I had a good grip and pulled her close. Her reaction made her flew to me. She stood right in front of me. Our nose almost touching.

With her free hand, she reached down to her skirt and pulled out something. With a flash of it, I saw what she was holding. She pointed the gun at my head. “This is the last time. I’m not your Cathy, now fucking let me go.” She said through gritted teeth.

I held onto her for one last moment, and just then I thought I saw that gleam of sympathy in her eyes and it was gone. I let her go. She placed it back to the black band wrapped around her thigh and dashed back into the mall as if nothing had happened.

I still stood there in shock of what had just happened. I didn’t understand why she did that, but ok. I picked her bags up from the ground and headed to her apartment.

I reached at her doorstep. I was about to just leave it there, so when she returned home she would see it there. Maybe I should leave a note too, but I didn’t have a pen. I sighed and placed it there when I heard some sound emitting from inside.

“No…no…don’t go in there.” I heard her say.

“Cathy?” I called, leaning against the door. I placed my ear to the door to listen.

“No. Stop. Don’t.” she screamed.

“Cathy? You there?” I called again.

“Ahhhhh….” She screamed again. “Stop!”

I kicked the door opened and I saw her sitting on a chair. The TV flashing in front of her. She gripped the side of the chair. When she saw me she let go. Her bag of chips fell to the ground.

“You ass! You scared the shit outta me.” She screamed coming closer. Grabbed the bags from outside and closed the door behind her.

I looked to the TV. She was just watching the re-run of The Ring 2. Geez! “Could’ve answered the door.” I muttered.

“What took you so long?” she asked with annoyance.

“Me? You were the one that left me in the restaurant waiting.” I told her. “I’ll be back.” I imitated her.

“Yeah, but I thought you’d realized after awhile that I wasn’t, so you’d come home.” She said.

“I don’t know your definition of home.” I snapped.

“What up with you?” she said, lighting a cigarette.

“What is it with you and drugs?” I asked, annoyed with her.

“Are you jealous? You want one?” she got the wrong impression of what I said and handed me the pack of cigarettes.

I slapped it out of her hands. “No, I don’t want any.” I marched to my room and slammed the door in her face.

I don’t get her. Why is she like that? When she’s around her friends, she all I don’t know you and leave me alone. When it’s only me and her, she’d be nice and generous.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” She shook me awake. I opened my eyes to see her sitting on top of me.

“What?” I asked, sleepily.

“You’re so afraid to lose me. We’ll get you a phone now.”

“Are you crazy? Your shopping mania yesterday already used a lot of money and you’re still using more?” I asked, unwilling to get up from bed.

“Fine. I’m just doing this for your own good.” She said, getting off of me. I looked at her.

“Fine.” I trailed after her.

“Come back.”

“What you want me back now?” she asked angrily.

“I always wanted you.” I chuckled. I grabbed her and hugged her. She hugged back.

“I love you.” I whispered in her ear. But didn’t say anything and we let go of each other.

“When do you plan to take me to Rome?” she finally asked after our purchase.

“Anytime you wish to leave.” I told her, fishing for her hand.

She swiftly brushed her hair. I followed her motion and brushed my sandy blond hair back.

“Why are you copying me?” She put her hand on her hips. It made her look so cute. So I did the same. She stuck her tongue out at me and I did the same. “Hmph!”

She marched off leaving me where I was standing. I ran after her. “I was just playing around. Don’t get mad.”

“Who’s mad?” she asked, as if she wasn’t.

“You were, silly.” I poked her nose. She flinched and slapped my hand away.

“I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you were.”

“No, I wasn’t”

“You were, you were, you were.” I said.

“I wasn’t!!” she shouted and stomped on the ground nonchalantly.

“Ok, ok, ok. You wasn’t.” I put my hands up as in a surrender sign.

“Let’s walk here, it’s faster.” She said, turning into an alley.

I walked behind her. Some guys were standing at the end of the alley. They didn’t look pleased with us stepping into their territory. Staring at them, thinking they were just bluffing. As we walked closer, they seemed to have noticed the backpack in her hands.

She must of have noticed the tension in the air as well. She stopped and wanted to turn back, but we were already in the middle and they were coming closer. We turned and ran. But was blocked by another group of guys.

I picked up a metal rod at the side and held it up high. The others grabbed one on their own. They came closer and whacked me. I swung it with my force and hit a few down. But they weren’t injured badly. She pushed some and tried running out to the main road, but was pushed back. One of them pulled on the backpack, but she held onto to it tightly.

“Justin, help me out here.” She cried. I took a quick glance at her and got hit on the head. I fell to the ground, a bit unconscious. As I gained back my consciousness, I got up and whacked a few that was buzzing around her.

I took her hand and pulled her away. The way was clear now, we ran as they chased us. I pushed down some of the stuff that was at the side. It took them some time to hop over them. I kicked some baskets that were lying useless on the side. It hit one of them. I pushed Cathy forward telling her to run faster.

I ran after her and we got out to the main road. They stopped chasing us at the mouth of the alley. Some fight that was.

“Oh my God, you’re bleeding.” She said. She was panting hard and stared at me. Her face was white as a sheet of paper.

I felt to the side of my head. There was some warm red liquid secreting from a wound sustained by one of their blows.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” she asked her voice very faint.

“Nah, I cool.” I told her, holding my head.

“Serious? ‘cause you’re bleeding a lot.” She said, taking hold of my hand. At that moment, I felt like I was about to reach heaven.

“Justin…Justin…” I heard her say, but I no longer felt anything….