Day in the Life

Angie and Eliza get settled in with their new friends, but something wicked is brewing behind the scenes.

Angie and Sam sat at the counter, neither speaking a word. Eliza was off talking to Merideth and Mark was helping Erik stack shelves. Sam was frantically trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence, the strange and painful period of being stuck with someone you only know through mutual aquantance.

"So," Angie finally said. "How long have y... wait, no..."

"Hm?" Sam said, trying not to sound worried that their first private exchanging of words was looking to be a string of stammers.

"Sorry! Nothing!"

"No, seriously, what were you gonna ask?"

"Um... I was going to ask how long you've known Erik, but then I remembered he already told me how you all met..."

"Oh."

Angie felt her face flush. Here I am, she thought, already making a total fool of myself in front of Erik's best friend. Well, one of them. Pick it up again, Angie! Try anything!

"Um... what made you take him in?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Er, he said you two were the ones who... I mean, after his accident, you-"

"Oh! Oh, right!" Sam said, understanding. It was taking its time, but the conversation was moving. "Well, uh... It was my idea. I thought it was the right thing to do, y'know? He was about to be homeless, so I said something. It took a bit of convincing Mark, but he agreed in the end.

"A few weeks later and we were like best friends. I helped him and Mark get jobs here when he was well again and Mark got fired from his old job... it wasn't that long after when he told us what happened to him."

"Is that what cemented the friendship?"

"At the time it seemed like it'd destroy it, but it must've been," Sam smiled. "Nothing like a good secret to bring people together, right?"

"Hee, that's how me and Liz did it," Angie giggled. "She walked in on me while I was talking to my mum through a mirror."

"... uh-"

"A MAGIC mirror."

"Ooh," Sam laughed. "That's gotta be freaky."

From the aisles, Mark stared intently at the two, holding a box up for a stacking Erik.

"Sam 'n Ange are talking," he said. Erik stopped mid- DVD placement and turned his head, frowning.

"That has got to be the least-purposeful sentence I've ever heard you say," he said, before returning to work.

"I thought you'd like to know!" Mark said, facing him and smiling. "For all you know, he's making her fall for him."

"As if Sam could get a girl," Erik said. "And I don't mean that in an offensive way, but come on."

"Have you seen ANY romantic comedies?" Mark asked.

"I've yet to ENJOY one," Erik answered. Mark continued as if he hadn't heard him.

"It's always the awkward nice-guy who gets the girl! The sour moody one gets left outside or arrested or something!"

"Those are just movies, Mark, and cliche ones at that. I'm not gonna get all posessive over Angie just because she's talking to Sam, who's about as likely to try stealing a girl from his best friends as he is to spontaneously combust into a multicolored firework."

"She's laughing," Mark said.

Erik turned his head and saw Sam smiling at Angie, who had her head thrown back in laughter. He looked back at Mark, an expectant look on his face.

"Are you still seriously expecting a response? Dude, just hold the box and don't talk for a while."

Back at the counter, Angie and Sam had somehow found their conversational swing.

"So," Angie said, changing the topic. "Having a... an 'Immortalis' for a roommate... does it get weird?"

"Well, it's weird that he never eats," Sam began, "never goes to the bathroom, barely needs to do laundry, sometimes we notice he doesn't even BREATHE-"

"Oh, I meant..." Angie looked away for a moment. "Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but... Is it ever like in those TV shows where one character's different from the others, and they all end up having crazy things happen to them because of it?"

Sam looked away, trying to conceal his smile. Angie noticed and felt herself turning red.

"Gosh, that was stupid. I'm sorry, I-"

"No no, it's cool. I thought it'd be something like that when we first found out," Sam confessed. "I thought our lives would turn into a messed-up sitcom, and we'd end up having to go on random adventures and stuff."

"Yeah," Angie said, turning back. "That's what I meant."

"Well fortunately, things haven't changed very much in that respect. The closest we ever get to an 'adventure' is when our boss calls us in for surprise shifts."

"Oh," Angie said, slightly disappointed. "Just as well, I guess. It'd probably take up all your work time."

"That, and it'd be REALLY DANGEROUS. With a character quirk like Erik's, you can bet there'd be nothing safe about the crazy stuff."

-------------------------------------

Hours later, the groups had merged together to join in a single conversation, save for Mark who had vanished somewhere in the aisles. In that time, barely any customers had entered the store. Due to an abundance of people to talk to, boredom had not yet set in, but the nature of the situation had not gone unnoticed.

"So," Eliza asked, as the conversation lulled. "This is pretty much what you guys do all day?"

"On the days they have all-day shifts," Merideth answered, "yes."

"Which has been happening a lot, these days," Sam added. Due to the low number of employees at the store, days that would regularly be divided into three or four shifts were sometimes kept as full days worth. Even with shortened working hours this was a bit over the top, but since the number of customers per day stayed fairly low and most of the employees were friendly with each other, nobody complained about having to spend extended periods of time there. Being given many of these shifts in a row, however, lead to frustration.

"I bet Bertram and Dale've been making more excuses," Erik said, his voice more than hinting contempt.

"I thought they got fired for the Bungee thing," Sam mused.

"What?" Erik asked, startled. "Why didn't Dennis say anything? Is that why we've been getting more shifts?"

"Probably," Sam answered.

"Well why the hell not hire somebody to replace them!?"

"Don't you get paid a lot more for longer shifts, though?" Angie asked. "And all you do seems to be hang out, anyway..."

The group was silent, the three employees thinking.

"She's right," Sam finally said. "I mean if we're not hanging out he're we're hanging out in the apartment."

"But it's the PRINCIPLE of it all," Erik moaned.

"Screw your principles," Eliza said, "I'd KILL to get paid to slack off all day."

"Hey," Sam said, his face lighting up. "Why don't you apply? If Dennis DOES decide to replace Dale and Bertram, I'm sure he'd take you on!"

"Sorry honey," Eliza said, smiling in an almost patronizing way. "Tempting, but it looks like I'm gonna be seeing a lot more of all of you, and I don't think it'd be healthy to be working with you, too."

"Fair enough," Sam said, leaning on his arm. "That's what Merideth said, too."

"Can you imagine LIVING with them, too?" Merideth asked, turning to Eliza.

"Oh my god," Eliza laughed. "Overload, much?"

"Exactly! I don't know how they do it, honestly."

"Haven't we explained this already?" Erik asked, frowning.

"I'd love to be able to hang out with the people I work with," Angie said. "I spend all my time WORKING, I hardly get to know any of them. And they've all got lives outside of work, so they're not much for inviting other people they don't know out for whatever they're doing, so I don't get to know any of them outside the workplace."

"That's a shame," Merideth said. "Seeing them all the time and not being able to see them as anything but other workers."

"Where DO you work, by the way?" Sam asked.

Angie was silent for a few moments before sheepishly answering.

"... the college library."

"So your coworkers are LIBRARIANS," Erik stated. "Go figure."

"Geez," Merideth giggled. "I don't think you'd WANT to know them more!"

----------------------

"Okay", a voice called from the back of the store. Erik, Sam and Mark double-took. Dennis emerged from within the store and fiddled with some papers as he passed the counter. "You're done for the day. Rack off."

The three shared a glance. They had completely forgotten Dennis had even been in his office today.

"Why so soon?" Sam asked. "We've got another hour left, don't we?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure you're all lookin' forward to the weekend, and I'm feelin' generous."

"You just wanna go home already," Erik accused.

"Do you care?" Dennis asked, not looking up from his papers.

"Nope. We're out."

Dennis left the building as the three started packing up shop.

"Geez, another full day with you people," Eliza moaned. "Is this what I do, now? Hang out in music stores?"

"Just ours," Mark smiled. "We're special."

"She has a point," Merideth said. "You guys can't be okay with such a boring routine, are you?"

"I don't see it as a routine," Erik said, closing down the computer on the counter. "I see it as a work schedule set by my boss."

"You know what I mean."

"We do stuff other than work," Sam said. "Like tomorrow we've got the day off, so we're seeing that god-awful soccer movie."

"Benchwarmers 2?" Eliza laughed. "You can't be serious. The place is gonna be full of idiots who think cheesy high school sports movies are quality entertainment!"

"It gives us something to direct our hate at," Erik explained. "Better something that deserves it than random people who get in our way when we're in a bad mood."

Sam fished the key from his pocket and the group moved outside.

"Did you want something to happen tonight?" Mark asked.

"I've got work in the morning," Merideth said, "so if there is I won't be there."

"Me an' Ange have a thing tomorrow, too," Eliza said. Angie nodded.

"I guess we'll see you guys another time, then," Sam said, the store locked and the key back in his pocket.

"Aw," Merideth said, patting Sam patronizingly on the head. "Don't worry, Sammy, we'll see you soon."

Sam pushed her hand away but laughed. Angie turned to face Erik

"When are you next working?" Angie asked him.

"Monday," he answered. "Why?"

"Today was fun, is all. A bit uneventful, but after a lot of meetings where things keep happening, it was a refreshing change. It'd be nice to visit again, if... that's okay?"

"Of course," he said, his face softening. The others had said their goodbyes and were starting to move off, still looking back to make sure Mark and Angie were in fact following at some point.

"Bye, then," Angie said. Erik leant in and kissed her on the cheek, lifting his arms around her. She smiled and returned the hug.

Erik closed his eyes. He let his body feel the warmth of Angie's, breathe in the smell of her hair... Angie felt nothing but cold against Erik's skin, but tried to ignore it in favour of the knowledge she was so close to-

"Someone get a spatula or something so we can keep moving!" Mark called from nearly a full block away.

"You'll wait until we're good and ready," Erik yelled back. Angie brought her hand to her face, nearly choking on her laughter. The moment had been nice while it lasted, but had been totally smashed to smithereens.

-------------------------------------

Erik struggled to stand, but he could barely move a muscle, only weakly shuffle his limbs across the ground, feeling the red, sticky liquid beneath him. He looked into the sky and watched a shadow descend towards him, obscuring a brilliant red light shining down from above. The shadow cast darkness across the ground, enveloping Erik. He closed his eyes and begged himself to wake up, but something shot up his spine and they were jerked open again.

"Do we have a deal?" the shadow asked, its face fully visible, directly in front of Erik's.

"HUAAAAAGH," Erik screamed, rocketing forwards in his bed.

"AAAAGH," Mark and sam yelled, stepping backwards so hard they smacked the backs of their heads against Erik's bedroom walls.

"AAAAAAGH," Erik screamed again, reacting to the his roommates' screaming.

"What the F**K," Sam shouted, clutching his chest. "Holy S**T!"

"What are you two DOING in here," Erik yelled, throwing his sheets off and standing up.

"You were bein' all loud," Mark said, following Erik as he left the room. "We came in to see what the matter was!"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "You were rolling around, groaning really loudly-"

"First I thought Angie came over during the night," Mark interrupted, "but your door was open and we saw you were by yourself."

"Mark," Sam said, getting sidetracked, "you don't need to be crass about thi-"

"I saw him," Erik interrupted, supporting himself on the back of the couch.

"What?" Mark asked. Erik let his head rest on his hands, still holding onto the furniture. If he still needed to breathe, he knew he'd be panting heavily right now. The vision was still sharp in his mind, the fear and pain of the accident suddenly as fresh as the day it happened.

"Red," he answered, slowly. "For the first time, I've seen his face in my dreams."

The room was quiet for a minute or so. Sam and Mark were processing what Erik was telling them. There was an air of fear and confusion about the situation, like they knew they should be scared but they had no idea why.

"They've been getting worse, then," Mark finally said, breaking the silence.

"It means something," Erik said, standing up again. "Something's going to happen, soon. I can feel it."

"C'mon, dude, you're overreacting," Mark said, making for the kitchen. "Things've been changing in your life and you've been a little stressed. You've got a new girlfriend, we've been taking on more shifts, Merideth's been making friends with lesbians, everythings goin' all different. It's just a lot to take in. You'll be FINE. WE'LL be fine."

"Mark," Sam said, watching him pour himself cereal. "Your eye's twitching."

"Concealment of utter terror is a real strain on the body, Sam," Mark answered, scratching under his left eye. He immediately began wolfing down his cereal, anxious to occupy his mind with something other than demonic dreaming.

"Well he's not WRONG," Sam said, turning back to Erik, who had given up on leaning on the couch and had resorted to lying on it face-down. "You've had dreams about him before and nothing's happened, right?"

"Nothing this bad," Erik said into the couch, his voice muffled but still understandable.

"What's bad?" Sam asked. "You saw his face? Unless he's totally butt-ugly, I don't think that should be that worrying."

"You weren't there, Sam. I felt like I did after the crash. It hurt just like it did back then, and not just the physical pain."

Sam thought for a moment. Erik was getting irrational over a bad dream and Mark was already on his second bowl of cereal. Neither of them were being much fun today.

"Come on," he finally said, lifting Erik's limp arm, "get changed. We're seeing Bystanders 2 today."

"Wasn't that in the afternoon?" Mark asked, briefly pausing.

"Nope, now we're going in ten minutes," Sam said, pulling Erik off of the couch and attempting to drag him back to his room. "Now that we're all good and stressed, I think some instant gratification is in order."

"Thanks," Erik said into the floor, "but I'm not in the mood for a crappy comedy about lazy people. Not now, not later today, not ever."

"Aw, but think of how much you can criticize it later," Sam said, cheerfully. He gave up on dragging Erik and let his arm fall back to the floor.

"You'll get to b***h about it to EVERYONE you hear mention it," he continued, kneeling beside him. "In the store, online, strangers in the street...?"

Erik looked up from the floor and frowned. "In the store?"

"I won't even roll my eyes at you."

Erik groaned loudly and got to his feet, shuffling into his bedroom.

"How do you always get him to do s**t?" Mark asked, starting his third bowl.

"It's easy when you appeal to the part of him that actually yields results: his love for hate."

"So his WHOLE part," Mark laughed. He looked down distastefully as his cereal, as if just realizing he didn't even want it.

---------------------------

Half an hour later, the three were sitting in the movie theatre, awaiting the film to start.

"Ooh, the previews are starting," Sam said.

"How exciting," Erik mumbled. Sam elbowed him to stop him talking.

"They say," the voice-over said, a happy couple being shown on-screen, "that love will always find a way."

"But what happens," it continued, as the scene started shooting into the sky, "... when it doesn't?"

The screen showed a slightly overweight bald man in a toga with wings. "Oh no," he said, waddling after a piece of paper flying down from the clouds the man was running on towards the view of the city below. "My map!"

Erik, Sam and Mark's faces contorted in confusion as the commercial ran its course, setting up the story of Cupid who'd let his Map of Love fall to the city below and having to find it again to put a happy couple's wedding back on track.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" A stereotypically attractive woman said to the man, Cupid, as they stood in the middle of the city as fireworks exploded above them.

"Don't worry," he said, taking her hand. "I always find a way."

The screen faded to the title of the movie. The trio stared ahead, mouths agape and eyelids sagging in incredulity.

"I want to die," they said in unison. To their right, a middle-aged woman shushed them loudly. Mark threw a piece of popcorn towards her.

"I think I just lost some IQ points," Sam said. "Who APPROVED that?"

"Oh god," Mark said as the screen turned red. "What the hell is THIS one?"

The screen showed an operating table, medical personell looking frantic while dramatic music played.

"Doctor," a doctor cried, her gloves perfectly clean despite being mid-operation. "We can't hold out much longer!"

"Do we even WANT to?" An offscreen doctor asked.

Erik froze. His eyes widened.

"Doctor," the onscreen doctor asked again, "what are you talking about?"

The camera showed the second doctor, a man with spiky hair as red as blood and eyes to match. "I'm saying, B***H," he cried, revealing a mouthful of jagged teeth, "we should just cut him up now and save the REAL surgeon the trouble!"

"Doctor! No! You've gone MAD!"

The red-haired doctor lifted a range of sharp-edged medical equipment in his fingers and grinned madly into the camera, slashing across the screen and spattering it in blood. Erik watched, wide-eyed, as the scene continued to switch between different angles of the doctor slashing and gouging the body on the operating table, the other calling out for him to stop.

"How's THIS for an Emergency Room, huh, doctor?" he cried. The screen faded to red as his laughter rang out through the theatre, eventually dissipating into silence.

On either side of Erik, Mark and Sam had frozen in place, watching the screen like nothing was wrong. Everyone in the theatre, washed in the red of the screen was the same, sitting stock still as if time itself had stopped.

Erik closed his eyes and calmed himself. A moment passed before he spoke.

"You couldn't have been a little more subtle," he asked.

"Meh," the doctor said, suddenly sitting in the seat behind Erik, no longer in his medical uniform but black, gothic get-up including a spiked choker and long, black coat. "It wouldn't be as theatrical."

Erik flinched. Apart from last night, he hadn't heard Red speak since the accident. Every syllable brought back more memories, cutting into his heart like knives.

"What do you want," he asked, managing to keep his voice steady.

"Is that really how you talk to old friends?" Red jokingly asked, his voice lighthearted yet edged with malice. Erik said nothing, waiting for his real answer.

"Did you get my messages?" Red asked.

"The dreams?"

"Gasp! He speaks!"

Erik frowned. He started to remember just how infuriating Red could be. "I saw the accident. I saw YOU."

"That's the one," Red answered, leaning back in his chair and lifting his feet onto the back of the chair beside Erik. "Now you can't b***h about me showin' up."

"And WHY did this happen," Erik asked again.

"Just to say hi," Red said, playfully. Erik fought the urge to stand up and face him.

"You wouldn't have done all this just to say 'hi'," Erik said. Tell me what you want. Is this you coming to settle my debt?"

"In a way," Red said. "Then again, we both know this was never about anything other than enjoyment."

"And how's THAT been working for you?"

"Horribly."

Red dropped one foot to the ground and swung the other over it. "You're BORING, Erik. The most interesting thing that happens around you is a surprise shift at your s****y store."

"How unfortunate for you," Erik said, smirking. Red frowned.

"Until now, yes."

Erik's expression faded back into worry. "What do you mean?"

Red smiled. "Let's say I've got some... 'new responsibilities', now. Devastatingly, this means I simply won't have the time to watch this world and all you humans go about your boring little lives."

"Wow, you got promoted," Erik said sarcastically. "Hooray for you. Why should I care if you can't play with your little terrarium as much as you wanted to."

"You're not one for asking your questions as questions, are you."

"Neither are you."

"Touche."

Erik couldn't help but smirk at their conversation. It was times like these when he wondered if Red's 'gift' had affected him in more ways than expected.

"What I'm here to say," Red continued, "is that regardless of my... 'promotion', I have NOT given up my original duties. So now I've got THOSE to do as well as this NEW thing, which is quite stressful."

"What IS your new job?"

"I'm sure you don't REALLY care."

"Not really."

"As I was saying... with the stress of TWO jobs, I can't help it if I forget something, or miss something!"

Erik tensed up. This wasn't going in a good direction.

"Mistakes are bound to happen, Erik," Red continued. "One couldn't POSSIBLY blame ME, after all."

"Where are you going with this," Erik asked, hiding the worry in his voice a little less than he wanted to.

"I'm just asking you to help me out a little," he answered. "Keep an eye out, y'know? If something slips out, you'll take care of it in my stead. That sound okay?"

"Why are you doing this," Erik asked.

"I'm BORED, Erik," Red said, sighing. "Bored as hell."

"... pun-"

"Barely intended."

Erik shifted in his seat. "Is that it?"

"Just about," Red answered, standing. "One more thing, though. I'll advise you to keep your girlfriend close by, too."

Erik abandoned his restraint. He turned around in his seat and glared at Red, his eyes alive with rage.

"Don't you DARE touch her," he said. Red's eyes widened in excitement.

"I wouldn't DREAM of it," Red replied. "I'm just saying, if you and your friends aren't prepared for-"

"Just stop," Erik said, turning back to face the screen. "I get it. Now f**k off."

"Don't talk back to me, Erik," Red told him, sternly. "Until I say your debt is repaid, you answer to ME. Angela may not be in any danger now, but trust me. You don't want an Angel working against you."

"You're not an Angel," Erik said.

Red's upper lip curled into a smirk. "Nothing gets past you, does it."

The screen faded from red to black. The theatre patrons began to move again, eating popcorn or whispering to each other.

"Oh my GOD," Mark said, gesturing angrily towards the screen. "Who keeps MAKING this garbage! Who's letting them DO this?"

"I know," Sam complained. "It's like there's no other reason than to piss us off!"

"Tell me about it," Erik mumbled. He leant back in his seat and stared at the screen. As the commercials ended and the movie began, he sat in perfect silence, his brain working overtime. There was no way any movie, no matter how much potential it had as complaint-fodder, could help Erik's mood, now.

---------------------------

"Erik," Mark said. "You've barely made any snide comments! You okay?"

They were standing in the foyer of the movie theatre. Patrons were streaming from the doors behind them, all rushing to leave the building. Erik had his hands in his pockets, not feeling very talkative.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "You've been weird since the movie started."

"I'm... it's nothing," Erik said, starting off for the exit. Mark and Sam followed.

"You sure?" Mark asked. "If something's up, you should tell us. You 'hungry'?"

"No, it's NOTHING," Erik repeated.

Sam heard the genuine anger in his voice. "Okay, then" he said, looking at Mark, who shrugged.

Erik let the other two walk ahead, taking out his phone.

On the other side of town, Eliza and Angie were sitting at a table with their friends, Eliza in the middle of telling a story from their other, newer social group.

"And then they opened the door," she said, barely able to contain her laughter, "and he was TOTALLY GOING AT IT with a CUSTOMER!"

"Oh my GOD," one of their friends choked, everyone at the table laughing.

"I KNOW!"

Angie felt her pocket vibrate. She took out her phone and saw she had recieved a message from Erik. She smiled and opened it, but her expression faded as she read through it.

Keep your eyes out, the message said. Something might be happening soon. Will explain later. Be careful.

Angie stared at those last two words. 'Be careful'. What was going on? Was Erik in some sort of trouble? Why would SHE have to keep her eyes out?

On either sides of town, Erik and Angie put down their phones, pushing the situation to the back of their minds. Whatever was going to happen, it could wait until later.

Hopefully.