PSYCHO / KILLER

          “  okay but  ,  listen  ,  we were talking up a fucking storm but then this morning  ,  when i asked if we could go out for a nice little brunch  ,  i got back  ‘  busy. talk later.  ’  not even an emoji. what does that even mean  ?  should i text again  ?  i should text again  ,  right  ?  ”

“   Up to you. Promise, it’s not an intrusion.   ”   She returns with a bottle of Clorox and a bucket, making no comment of his faltering at the doorway, instead offering him a half-sheepish smile, worried about her own intrusion.   “   But also, if you’d rather spend the day alone and you don’t want to tell me, you can tell me.   ”   She hands him the supplies.   “   Promise. Won’t be offended.   ”

“   Some kind of fuckin’   …   mental disease that makes your ass wanna keep bothering me.   ”

     “   dry cleaning? for this old thing? i can not let your money go to waste like that. it’ll better spent on another cup. having to go about your day uncaffeinated would be an inordinate punishment.   ”

         “   bloody hell!   ”    purely reactionary, his tone settles with the apology, and a once-over of his stained shirt.     “   no worries, mate. really. should’ve looked where i was going.   ”

     “  nah man  ,  ain’t nothin’ wrong with takin’ your sweet ass time exploring the benefits of getting right fucked.  ”  moving to sit closer to him  ,  she takes the joint from his fingers.  “  however  ,  you are going to keep choking like that if you inhale like that. allow me to show you  ,  young grasshopper.  ”

“   Of course.   ”   She steps aside and opens the door before making her way into the kitchen, and searching under the sink for the bottle of bleach. From the cabinet under it, a voice disembodied by a head tucked under and rendered quieter by wood cabinet:   “   You want any help with anything? I’m free today. I don’t mind helping. Might help inspire me to do my own deep clean of things.   ”   She pops out, holding the bottle victoriously. 

“Only if I can watch.” Minnie hovers the crime scene, bearing a tinge of animosity toward the object. That’s because she’s already tried the at home method for this. Let’s just say, it didn’t work out, and she’s lucky she didn’t arrive with a plunger suctioned to her car. It did make it as far as the gas station, though. But now that’s hidden in the backseat. Possibly in several pieces.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you — well, maybe I shouldn’t.” She feigns a frown, settling against the bumper. If Alan was tip toeing around the elephant in the room, Minnie’s dancing all over it. “I guess it depends. Are you harboring any grudges for someone who may or may not have ran you over like roadkill?” 

          watch? “watch?” he echoes, slightly confused. it’s uncommon that someone would stick around to wait for him to finish work on their car, let alone look over his shoulder while he works. then again... most of the people that walk in here aren’t people he knows. more than that, he isn’t the same object that’s caused the dent. whatever shred of normalcy he’s found in his work here, it seems time to abandon it. 

One can assume he’s trying to be cute, but by the way his line has landed, Minnie doesn’t take out brain damage as a possibility. Especially since the dent in question aligns perfectly with Alan’s head. “Nope. It’s my first time.” She plays along, feigning zero recollection of him as well. “Think it’s a quick fix? I mean, it’s not that bad right? Definitely not as bad as the damage I left on the other guy.”

“   We might have some left with our cleaning supplies. I can check! You going blonde or doing a not-so-spring cleaning?   ”