InsaneJournal

And when you were born, they looked at you and said...
Who: Naea (And open!)
What: David's called her at work. She's just about had it with everything.
Where: Beginning at Newton's Diner, then a walk down the darkened sidewalk in the rain where perhaps someone from Pax might be driving by and see her.
When: 12/9/10 before midnight.
Warnings: Oh, some foul language. At least at first.
Notes: This was an idea floating around in me head. Linnaea's been needing to allow herself to be vulnerable for, well, herself since the day her mother died.



"Naea! Phone!"

It was at least reasonably close to closing time, which was fantastic because tonight had been slow as molasses. Folks had been Christmas shopping and the rain was coming down like all hell. A few regulars, but nothing that made her much by the way of tips and Christy, well... Christy was lamenting at the fact that Zio hadn't come in. She had her new plunge-type bra on and everything. Oh, well. She'd just try again tomorrow like she always did.

Naea had been attempting to fill the rest of the pepper shakers when her boss, Neil, called from the back. He'd been damn good to her since she'd started at 15, and in turn Naea made sure she did the best damn job she could do. He was the owner, hitting his 60s without slowing down, and probably the closest thing to an actual father Naea had since the day she walked in the door. Letting the shakers rest where they sat on the counter, Naea bounced back into the office, wondering who in the world would be calling her at this time, and especially not her cell.

Neil had a look. Linnaea hated that look. Pressing the palm of his hand against the receiver, he sighed and mumbled, "It's David." He must've seen the whiter shade of pale Naea turned, because he immediately put the phone down and took her by the shoulders. "You don't have to talk to him, hun." And he was every inch sincere about it. "Just say the word and his kneecaps will be dust in the morning." He knew what that asshole had put her through, and he had to fight to keep from hanging up on him.

"Hey, no... It's okay. I'll talk to him. Stuff needs to be said." Naea bit the inside of her cheek, as she had a tendency to do when she was thinking or working one up. She flashed something of a smile of thanks and put her hand on the receiver. "I don't think it'll take long. I didn't think he'd call here." He hadn't called in months, she'd sold his stuff and given it away. Why would she have reason to ever think he'd call? Neil let her be in his office, polite enough to close the door.

David wanted his stuff back. He wondered why she'd moved out. He'd gone to the apartment to 'break up' with her since he met his 'soul mate' somewhere in Tijuana while getting his money from somebody they called El Hombre Rojo. He threatened to sue after Naea told him just where his stuff had gone, what she really thought of him and other choice words and reflections. She hated him to the very core of her being. How could he do that to her? No word for months--he might as well have been dead. She'd almost been evicted because she was still in an apartment that he wanted and was left without a leg to stand on. If he really wanted to sue, sure. Go for it. She would give the court every last thing she knew about every damn thing she knew he was dealing in. He called her a liar, a tatted-up slut and a thieving whore.

The small crowd of Linnaea's coworkers stood outside of the office when they heard her start screaming into the phone. Naea... just didn't do that. She never lost her temper. Sure, she would get riled up about something that bothered her but... never screaming, never swearing with any vindication. "FUCK YOU, DAVID! FUCK OFF AND DIE IN A FIRE YOU COCKSUCKING ASSHOLE!"

Ahem.

Neil had to stop her when Linnaea started slamming the receiver into the cradle repeatedly as if she were trying to prove a point or put a ball peen hammer through the asshole's skull. She had gone from sweet Linnaea to an angry, sobbing mess in less than five minutes. He'd hated David since the day he'd walked into the diner and asked her out when she was 17. By then, she'd lived one hell of a life and Neil knew she could make the decision to date him on her own. She'd put up with far worse, one in particular throwing her through a plate-glass window. Even then, Naea had never spoken with as much venom and shards as she did before hanging up on David. She was always the strong one, even when she didn't need to be.

"Do you want a ride home, Naea?" Even Christy was there to rub her back slowly. The brunette shook her head quickly.

"No," she got out in a whisper. "No, I need to walk home. I need the time."

"Linnaea, it's pouring out. You'll catch your death."

She shrugged. "Been through worse, Neil." And she had. He wasn't going to argue with her.

"Call me when you get home. I'm sorry that fucker called here and for what he did to you."

And so, Naea packed up her bag and started her very wet half-hour walk home in a driving rain at midnight. Her hooded sweatshirt offered little comfort as she started walking, but at least no one would see her cry.

Again.