Loitering: Cat C & Reece E
The record store was basically one block over from where Reece was staying. It was Cat's old apartment, the gray one. Because he didn't know if he was supposed to go back to the train station or not. But, then, she never came back from Jersey and he would sit downstairs in the store—well, in the space Cat had bought. I won't bother saying he didn't spend some time self-pitying. He definitely did. He even self-pitied while drunk off his ass, which was a fun, new low to stoop to. (Still, he was like, I'm so glad They made me able to get drunk. They being his "creators" or whatever. And, I mean, it wasn't his LOWEST low. Where he'd like ripped out his eye. It was just a new one. So that was good?) He'd actually wandered outside a little in the heat, that's how bored he got, how sad, how whatever, and, uh, while he hadn't liked it—he sweated a LOT—he had found some cool trails in the forest, which at least gave him something to do. So, yeah, that's what he'd been doing for like, the summer. He didn't really—he, like, felt lonely, but it was something he could cope with in a twisted way. He'd always been lonely. And six months isolated in a completely dark room kind of made everything beside it, when it came to being alone, seem manageable. Yay.
It definitely stung to know Cat had been in town, like, this single block away, just setting up a store, making him send postcards to the Capital while s...he was here, talking to the weird, reclusive owner, idk, maybe messaging Jack and Eddie and Leena. But, Reece was moderately successful at not letting it get to him. I mean, it's not like there was a law against it and he knew he hadn't made anything easy and he hadn't made her feel good. So it was what it was. He had reread his letters, you know? The ones he'd sent to the Capital. He'd taken the pictures on his phone, like he said he would. And he hadn't liked what he found. So, okay, trying again, right? Right.
He realized as the door to the vinyl store neared that he probably should've dressed up. He had gone so long without seeing anyone, he'd kind of, uh, forgot. You know. What it was like. Self-consciously, he smoothed down the front of his shirt, smushing Leia's face to his chest. He brushed down his beard with a palm, then slicked fingers through thick, black hair. He then took a deep, deep breath, and went in. He looked around, trying to find the gangly, pale boy Cat had been in Jersey. But, even with his height advantage, he wasn't going to find anyone. Okay. She'd come to him. I mean, that was like, her thing, right? It's what she'd done with Bruce? Or something. If she didn't come in five minutes, he'd find her. For the immediate moment, Reece walked up to the opening night open mic, and he watched the local musicians play.