Overdue - Chapter 3

Two days later and I was still alive.

"You know I'm amazed you're not dead yet." joked Rat. She had come into the Library and was as surprisd as I was that I hadn't dissapeared without a trace.
"Your not the only one." I added. "I keep looking behind myself, waiting and expecting to see Kil holding a gun or something."
"He wont be that crass." replied Rat. "Just shooting someone, thats way below Kil. C'mon you remember what happened to Julie Stretzky?"

How could I forget. I had a crush on Julie Stretzky, all through the first year of high school. She had the cutest freckles, she also was a huge flirt. Every guy had a crush on her at one time or another. But Julie wasn't intrested in a relationship with a nobody who wanted to be a Librarian. Julie was into the prime movers the guys who either had money or were going to make money. So eventually she became Kil's girl. Julie was a user but Kil wasn't the kind of guy you use and leave behind. But she did it anyway. After she'd had her fun with Him it was onto another guy. The problem Julie had was that Kil wasn't finished. So when he turned up at her 17th birthday party with all his gang, you knew this would be a birthday paty to remember. By the end of the night Julies father had been sent to hospital (multiple stab wounds but he lived), Julies current boy toy the football captain Vince Salamiatsis had his legs broken (he's in real estate these days) and Julies mother was found two weeks later in a motel with some guy named Axel. Julie and her Dad moved interstate. Her Mum runs a health food shop in town, with Axel.

Rat came by each day making sure that I was still alive. Kate told me that it had nothing to with any feelings she harboured towards me. It was just the fact that Rat like her brother Mephisto had a curious obsession with death. After the third consecutive day of the Rat, Karl took me aside to give me a talk.

"You like this punky brewster?" It wasn't an accusation, but it sure felt like one.
"She's a friend." I protested. "We went to school together. Were in nothing like what your suggesting."
"Its just that I thought that you and Mindy were a possibility. You look good together." Karl actually tried to sound encouraging.
"What is this matchmaker time? Karl if I wanted to ask Mindy out I'd do it." I lied. Of course I wanted to ask Mindy out. I liked Mindy. Some people thought that Mindy liked me. Mindy was quiet on the the subject. well she wouldn't talk to Kate about it. So instead of finding out and possibly being wrong I settled on leaving things as they were and living with the hope that one day she'd make the move. Karl thought differently.
"She is not going to wait around for you. Make the move you idiot. If you don't you'll never know." That was the most passionate I had ever seen Karl. And his passion gave me more than hope. It gave me wings of courage, and a resolve of steel. I was going to ask Mindy out. Right NOW!

"Your right Karl, its time." I replied.
"Good for you Craig. Go get her." Karl shook my hand and at that moment Mindy poked her head through the door.

"You boys finished arguing. There's someone I want you two to meet." she said. "This is Lachlan."

After Lachlan had shok my hand into numbness and whisked Mindy away for lunch in his red V8 sedan. Rat sidled up and decided to paint the picture a bit clearer.

"So thats Mindys guy." Rat whistled for effect. "Gee you've got a lot to beat there."

I wanted to say shut up. I wanted to screm out loud. I wanted..... While in thought someone had come up to the counter.

"Hey Craig I'm looking for a book. You know about it" I knew whos voice it was and I didn't want to look up.

"Craig you remember me." His voice was polite and calm. It always was.

I looked up and I was right. "Yes Kil I remember."

Now nothing mattered, I was as good as dead.