#disconnectedflames

"I would hope so."

Peace - Scumbag

I'm a scumbagI'm a weirdo, babyI know you're not thatBut you've been trying lately

Skippy knew what his reputation was like around these parts of town. He was the good boy gone bad, just like his father. He was the one mothers told their daughters to avoid; the one that fathers told their sons to steer clear of. In spite of it all, there was still one person who either didn't care or simply didn't have enough sense to heed such common advice.

I'm not a wasterI just see things in my sleepAnd you'd be saferAround the cleaners that you keep

Jackie. He sighed, just thinking about the name. She was everyone's definition of a golden citizen, with her flowing golden locks, gentle demeanour and voice like flowing liquid silver. She was also incredibly naïve – many a time she had ignored Skippy's advice to stay clear of him on several "business trips" and as a result, both of them had nearly gotten into a lot more trouble than they did, thanks to Skippy's last-minute saves.

I'm so good for...I'm so good for you

Royal Blood - Come On Over

I'm on a train going nowhere I ran away to make you care This ain't my house, this ain't your home not when I'm feeling this alone

As much as Skippy hated to admit it to himself, he knew he was an attention seeker. It was part of his job description after all – if he wanted to rise to the top, he had to draw as many leaders to himself as he could, challenge them all, and take their thrones.

But Jacqueline was no mob boss, nor was she even a grunt in a less-cooperative gang that he had yet to win over completely to his side. She was just another girl who infuriated him, yet somehow made him want her to infuriate him. Just thinking about that irritated him. Yet here he was, sitting on the last subway train home after storming out on her; somehow hoping that he would see her at the next stop, or that he would receive a message from her apologising or ranting further – it didn't matter. He just needed attention – her attention.

Let's run away, get out of here I got no money and I don't careThis ain't my house, this ain't your home not when I'm feeling this alone

His subway card beeped the annoying, ominous two beeps it did when it was running out of cash as soon as he got to the turnstiles. The station was nearly deserted at this time of night. Nobody was in sight. There was no telltale flash of blonde hair; no impatient clacking of heels on the scratched tile floor. He shook his head, getting impatient with himself. Get a hold of yourself. You don't need this, you don't need her validation.

So come on over, yeah,I've waited since you start believin'Yeah, so come on over, yeah,Well there's no god and I don't really care

22. Fingertips

It was a given that Skippy and Jacqueline had never really gotten along. He was too hot-headed and she too strong-willed to ever really cooperate with each other. Casual conversation could turn into a bitter argument within seconds. One misinterpreted sentence could lead to an all-out war between the two, or complete ignorance of the other. Needless to say, if they didn't learn to get along soon, the road ahead for them would be rocky indeed.

But Skippy always knew that somewhere, deep down inside the both of them, they mutually respected each other. Skippy admired Jacqueline's unwavering opinions and her eloquence with words, and although she didn't show it he knew that she saw at least some good qualities in him too. He had never been any good at apologising, but he knew he would have to buck up and do it eventually if he wanted to stop all this fighting.

So, this time, when she slapped him straight in the face after an argument, he didn't react. He didn't raise his fists in anger, nor did he shout in response. I'm not good with words, so why not try apologising through deeds?