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However nice it was just to lie there and stare at the ceiling, Mercy knew she’d have to put her stuff away, as she didn’t really want to live ‘out of the box’, even only for a day. Why not at least try to keep the apartment clean in the first few days? Sighing, she stood up again, giving Infinity, who’d settled on the bed, a quick scratch behind the ears. She then left the room, only to come back moments later dragging her luggage behind her. Infinity looked at her, with a look on his face that could only be described as smug and extremely comfortable. Mercy was annoyed, and she started packing her things into the wardrobe.
“It’s okay for you, you don’t have to do anything!” she told him serverly. Infinity just smiled.
After a couple of hours, Mercy looked up from her unpacking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows to one side of the room, flanked by what looked like a set of heavy cream-coloured curtains. Almost everything was unpacked, leaving only a few toiletries to put into the bathroom and she would be done. Feeling exhausted from all the going around and putting everything away, and the long drive, Mercy flopped back onto the bed, feeling her tummy rumble, not for the first time.
As there was nothing in the fridge, and Mercy couldn’t really be bothered to go shopping, something she’d regret the next morning when she had nothing to eat, she decided to go out and find a restaurant. She grabbed her bag, and after saying a quick goodbye to Infinity, left the apartment. Seconds later, she re-entered, shivering in her shirt and shorts. She slipped into a long-sleeved shirt and long jeans, plus an ivory coloured coat which widened out after the waist, almost like short dress and reached down to the top of her kneecaps. Finally ready, Mercy slipped back into her boots, and left again.
Walking down the street, Mercy took in her surroundings, all slightly familiar from earlier visits to the apartment and the taxi drive. After a few minutes’ walk she reached the Marine Parade, deciding to make her way to the brightly-lit pier which seemed to be full of people, which would both get her some food at the fast food booths and maybe find someone to talk to, as Infinity wasn’t exactly a very conversational type. Mercy wasn’t either, but just for once she wished for someone to talk to, as she felt her voice would disappear from non-use; she had barely spoken to the taxi driver, Infinity didn’t count, and the conversation with Tathal seemed weeks ago.
The pier was now near her, and she could make out the figures on it, along with the talking and the music coming from the various rides. Taking a deep breath and grinning, Mercy entered the long wooden ridge, moving quickly towards a fish and chips stand. It was a bit stereotype, as fish and chips was often applied as the classical meal for brits, as well as breakfast with eggs and bacon and a load of other things that Mercy doubted ever came on one plate at once in anyone’s house very often. In short, this kind of breakfast was pretty rare, as far as she knew.
Mercy placed herself in the queue behind a guy with slightly curly hair which reached his neck, who was tapping his phone impatiently, apparently waiting for a message that arrived seconds later, changing the look on his face from nervous and disbelieving, to sad. He sighed, and Mercy thought she saw tears glistening in his eyes as he turned away and started typing a reply, only to be interrupted by the fish and chips vendor, who wanted him to order.
He ordered a simple meal, just as Mercy had planned to, and quickly moved away to find a vacant bench. She ordered quickly and, curious about his reaction, followed the man. As she sat down, Mercy threw a glance at him, and quickly looked away at her chips, unravelling the plastic set of cutlery from the napkin .
"Hey, what’s up?" Mercy asked after a few moments munching on her chips, waiting for the fish to cool down. The man looked at her, surprised that she had chosen to start a conversation.
"Huh? Oh, nothing much, I guess" he replied, looking slightly bemused, probably about the colour of her hair, which was even more intense in the lights on the pier.
"Really? You look pretty down," she answered disbelievingly, raising her eyebrows and getting straight to the point, as usual.
"Well..."
"Yes?"
"My girlfriend just dumped me. For the fourth time or something."
"Seriously? That’s insane, why did you take her back that often?" Mercy asked incredulously.
"I don't know. I guess I just love her too much. And she says she's changed... Then she treats me like [censored]."
"It's always the guys who are the assholes, huh?"
"You got it. At least she doesn't blame me...”
There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Mercy spoke again "I'm Mercy by the way, Mercy Faye Russel. I moved here today"
"Casta, nice middle name you have there" he grinned, referring to the 'Faye' which he knew meant Fairy, which amused him, as Mercy looked nothing like a fairy, more like a dark angel of sorts. Or perhaps just a rebellious young woman.
Mercy rolled her eyes, but didn't anger, as she usually would, because this Casta looked like he could use some cheering up, and at least her name had given him something to smile about.
"Yeah well... You can't choose your name, right?" she asked, referring to his first name that could obviously be used for girls in her opinion.
"I guess not" he replied, grinning.
"So... do you live here?" asked Mercy, trying to start up a conversation.
“Yeah... Not far, actually. I like coming here, but it’s just not the same without her really. But you get used to it after some time, he said sadly.
“Oh... um...”
“Hm?”
“Nothing...”
“Awkward talking to someone you barely know and listening to him telling you their problems, right?” Casta asked, grinning slightly, finishing his drink.
“Yep. Tell you what, want to go on a ride over there? It could take your mind off things or something...” replied Mercy, standing up and throwing away her paper plate and napkin.
“Or get sick” Casta grinned, also standing up and looking just that much more cheerful “But sure, my treat.”
Mercy grinned “Nah, don’t worry, I can pay my own.”
Casta shrugged “Whatever you say.”
They walked down the pier together, eventually stopping at a ride they liked, a kind of up and down merry-go-round one, which wasn’t for the weak of stomach - which they soon found out when Casta felt sick halfway through the ride and splattered some people standing down below with vomit.
”Oh my word” he gasped “I’m so sorry!” before he retched again, this time onto himself and Mercy, who quickly handed him a plastic bag she’d found in her handbag.
“Ugh...” he gasped as the ride came slowly to a stop, and he quickly clambered out of his seat, accompanied by Mercy, who lead him away from the lights to the edge of the pier.
Casta retched again, but, having already emptied his stomach of his fish and chips meal, it stayed at that.
“Come on, let’s sit down here” Mercy said, handing him her napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Thanks” he replied, cleaning his mouth and attempting to clean off some of his clothes, looking back at Mercy, who had started trying to do the same. Her coat would need to go to the dry-cleaners now, something she wasn’t really fond of, but she decided that for once she wouldn’t be angry at him, at least not openly, because he had enough on his mind. She did have some sympathy in her, after all.
“I’m really, really sorry” Casta told her after a few moments, staring out onto the dark waves crashing against the shore.
“I’s okay, don’t worry. Though I won’t be going on another ride like that with you again” Mercy grinned. Her coat was beginning to smell and the liquid seep through, so she took it off, shivering slightly in the cold night, and hung it over her arm.
“Here. Have mine” Casta told her, handing her his coat, which he had miraculously not dirtied, as he had had it hung over his shoulders instead of wearing it properly.
“Um, thanks.” Mercy replied, taking it and putting her arms into the sleeves which were a good bit too long for her, and swiping the hair out of her face, uselessly, as the wind immediately pushed it back again.
“I guess I’d better go...” Casta said, looking down at himself “I need a shower...”
She nodded “Okay... what about your coat?”
“Keep it. You can give it back another time, I’ll give you my number. When you next come out here, call me. I promise I won't be sick on you again.”
“Sure. Actually... do you know any good cafés around here?” she grinned.
“Yep. There’s a few around. Browns is my favourite, great for just hanging around and that. Want to meet there tomorrow? At ten?” he asked, giving her the directions.
“I’ll meet you there” replied Mercy, smiling.
She stood up and left, leaving Casta on his bench, who was still slightly shocked and feeling sick. Mercy had appeared so abruptly in his life, and to be comforted by a young woman with wild red hair who clearly had an attitude plus a load of sympathy, wasn’t something that happened every day. Casta let his head fall back and started at the sky, whose stars were covered, as so often in Britain, with clouds. Had he been too needy? Had it been too much to offer her his number? He wasn’t interested in her in that kind of way, he just felt she could become a good friend. Eventually, Casta got up and walked home, feeling the sadness of losing his girlfriend reach out for him again.
Mercy reached her apartment again, bringing the bad smell of vomit with her, but happy about how the night had gone. Casta was a nice guy. Too nice, maybe. Who took their girlfriend back four times? If it had been Mercy, she’d have told her to stick it long ago. He obviously loved her a lot and was extremely forgiving, but still. Four times was just stupid. Insanity.
She dumped her jacket onto a kitchen chair, the dry-cleaners would have to wait until the next day, and yawned. It had been a long day, and after those nights of partying with her friends and getting only five hours sleep per night even Mercy needed a good long sleep. Thankfully, work only started on Monday, leaving Mercy free to look around Brighton and meet Casta, not to mention go shopping for food. Before going into the bathroom, Mercy grabbed a glass for the shelf and poured herself some vodka. Downing it in one go, she felt better.
After a quick shower, Mercy slipped into her nightshirt, and went to the glass-front of her bedroom, looking out onto the brightly-lit streets outside, and the distant lights of the rides on the pier. She closed the curtains, and turned around. Infinity was still dozing on the bed, seeming content with just lying there, until Mercy got under the covers and accidently pushed him off. He slunk away into the shadows, and, probably as a revenge manoeuvre, demanded to be let out of the window. She reluctantly stood up again and let him out, closing the window behind him.
“And don’t you dare come mewling back in half an hour!” she told him severely.
Climbing into bed, Mercy let that days happenings pass before her inner eye. It had been a good day. Who knew what would happen tomorrow?
