[Contest Entry 2011] It's Been a Year

Five-Thirty. He had no idea where he was, but he knew he was late. They were expecting him at five, and Milly would kill him if he didn't show up soon. Finally, he rounded the corner and spotted the building that he wanted: the old 405 West Street complex. Taking the stairs three at a time, he bounded up to the 4th floor. Hardly had he reached the door before it was thrown open and a small, long-haired girl wearing black sweat pants and a white tank-top entirely inappropriate for December weather leaped out, tangling him in her arms. Though Damion was not a large man, he had a solid six inches on the girl clinging to his chest.

"Damion! You're late! You even told me you'd be on time today!" At this she pouted and released Damion, crossing her arms.

Damion just chuckled and followed her inside. "Where's everyone else, Mils?" he asked. The girl twitched, just like she always did when he used that nickname.

"Milly," she corrected him. "And they went on ahead. I stayed behind to wait for you. We're supposed to catch up with them at the station."

Damion raised an eyebrow. "Supposed to?"

Milly flashed him one of her famous grins, the kind that lights up an entire room. "But I figured, it's New Years Eve, why don't we enjoy it?" She winked and stepped out of the room, returning with a blue winter jacket, a hat, and a set of matching pink mittens that were clearly worn regularly, as shown by the multicolored patches haphazardly sewn onto them. Pulling on her warm clothes, Milly grabbed Damion by the arm and dragged him out of the small apartment, pausing briefly to lock it on her way out.

"Here's what I'm thinking: when was the last time we did something really fun together?"

Damion had to pause for a moment. "When you and me and Al-"

Milly cut him off. "Exactly. When the three of us went to that amusement park. But what about since then?" They both paused as they remembered what had become the turning point in their lives. "She'd want us to have fun. We can't mope forever. Besides, what else are you going to do, sit at home and read hentai?"

Damion sighed. "There's nothing wrong with hentai, and I do have friends on Fakku too, but you're probably right, Mils." Twitch. "I mean, you're usually right, but still. Ali-" he corrected himself when Milly glared, "she would want us to act like we normally do, right?" A brief nod from his friend confirmed it. "So what should we do? I mean, yeah enjoy ourselves, but beyond that?"

"Well, I was thinking we could go skating or something. I dunno, what do friends normally do?" They both stared blankly at each other for a moment.

Finally Damion broke the silence. "We suck at this, don't we?" Milly laughed.

"Yes, we do. But we can learn . . . probably."

They walked on in silence (not the awkward kind, the companionable kind) until they reached the station. A brief scan of the schedule showed that the next train to the skating pond left at six. Damion checked his watch. "It's 5:45. We've got 15 minutes to kill," he said.

"Quicky in the bathroom?" Milly asked. After they stared at each other for a moment she felt the need to clarify, "I was kidding, perv."

"Oh. Well, see, that kind of thing happens a lot. At least in hentai it does. Jacob uploaded a doujinshi the other day where . . ."

Milly cut him off. "No hentai today. I get that you like it, that's fine by me, but today we're being normal." She looked at Damion for a second, then down at herself. "Well, relatively normal."

The two made their way to a bench and sat down, their backs against the cold stone wall. People walked by, couples, groups, loners, but none paid any heed to the two on the bench. After a while Milly turned to Damion and started to ask a question, but a voice from the over head cut in, "Attention: the 6 o'clock train to South station will be boarding shortly, please make your way to the platform." The two pushed off the wall and hopped onto the train.

The rest of the day passed in what could have been a normal date, if not for an air of forcedness that surrounded the pair. It was kind of like when a group of people laugh at a bad joke because they feel like they have to. Nighttime found them back in Milly's apartment, where they had started, with their shoes off and their feet kicked up, snuggled up under warm blankets and watching some news station's coverage of Times Square.

Eventually, Milly spoke. "Hard to believe she's only been gone a year."

Damion stared blankly at the screen for a moment before responding, "You know, Ali-" Milly tried to cut him off, but he continued anyways, "Alice would laugh at us. 'All I did was die and you two go all mopey?' she'd say."

"Don't forget her stern face," Milly added. They both chuckled as they attempted to imitate it, a cross of scolding and friendliness that neither could quite pull off. "It's weird," she continued. "Just last year the three of us were sitting on this couch watching this program, with no idea that she'd be gone the next day." (Three Dead in New Years Accident, the headlines had read). "Life is fragile isn't it." This last part was said quietly, almost fearfully, and certainly not as a question. Damion let his arm fall around Milly's narrow shoulders, a silent motion of assurance. Milly continued, "When we were little we talked about how we'd be together forever, and Alice and I would both marry you and we'd live happily ever after in a castle on the moon. Then, in one day, it was gone. What if it happened to you too? What would I do?"

Damion gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry, Mils." Twitch. "I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

She looked up from the T.V. and their eyes met. "Not ever?"

He nodded. "Not ever." A herald of fanfare drew their attention to the screen. The ball, a giant conglomerate of glimmering, sparkling, and shining lights and crystal, had begun it's inexorable descent towards the earth, marking the last seconds before the new year. Neither Damion nor Milly was sure who had started it, but when the ball stuck zero they were kissing, slowly at first and then more passionately as they each reacted to the other's touch.

Eventually, Milly pushed away and said, "We're not betraying her, are we?"

Damion thought about it then shook his head. "She always wanted whatever made you happy. If this is what you want, then she would want it too."

"You're not just saying that so I'll sleep with you?"

He chuckled. "I'm not just saying that so you'll sleep with me, promise."

Milly stared at him for a moment, then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Happy new year, Damion."

"Happy new year, Mils."

"Though Damion was not a large man,"

-Toxic Influence, circa 2011

[i]"Quicky in the bathroom?" Milly asked. After they stared at each other for a moment she felt the need to clarify, "I was kidding, perv."

Toxic Influence: It’s Been a Year

Five-Thirty.: He had no idea where he was, but he knew he was late. They were expecting him at 5:00, and Milly would kill him if he didn't show up soon. Finally, he rounded the corner and spotted the building that he wanted: tThe old 405 West Street complex. Taking the stairs three at a time, he bounded up to the 4th floor. Hardly had he reached the door before it was thrown open and a small, long-haired girl wearing black sweat pants and a white tank-top entirely inappropriate for December weather leaped out, tangling him in her arms. Though Damion was not a large man, he had a solid six inches on the girl clinging to his chest.

"Damion! You're late! You even told me you'd be on time today!" At this she pouted and released Damion, crossing her arms.

Damion just chuckled and followed her inside. "Where's everyone else, Mils?" he asked. The girl twitched, just like she always did when he used that nickname.

"Milly," she corrected him. "And they went on ahead. I stayed behind to wait for you. We're supposed to catch up with them at the station."

Damion raised an eyebrow. "Supposed to?"

Milly flashed him one of her famous grins, the kind that lights up an entire room. "But I figured, it's New Years Eve, why don't we enjoy it?" She winked and stepped out of the room, returning with a blue winter jacket, a hat, and a set of matching pink mittens that were clearly worn regularly, as shown by the multicolored patches haphazardly sewn onto them. Pulling on her warm clothes, Milly grabbed Damion by the arm and dragged him out of the small apartment, pausing briefly to lock it on her way out.

"Here's what I'm thinking: wWhen was the last time we did something really fun together?"

Damion had to pause for a moment. "When you and me and Al-"

Milly cut him off. "Exactly. When the three of us went to that amusement park. But what about since then?" They both paused as they remembered what had become the turning point in their lives. "She'd want us to have fun. We can't mope forever. Besides, what else are you going to do, sit at home and read hentai?"

Damion sighed. "There's nothing wrong with hentai, and I do have friends on Fakku too, but you're probably right, Mils." Milly Ttwitched (This change is subjective, I prefer complete sentences for proper writing but it's not an error if the intention is creative or artistic). "I mean, you're usually right, but still. Ali-" he corrected himself when Milly glared, "she would want us to act like we normally do, right?" A brief nod from his friend confirmed it. "So what should we do? I mean, yeah enjoy ourselves, but beyond that?"

"Well, I was thinking we could go skating or something. I dunno, what do friends normally do?" They both stared blankly at each other for a moment.

Finally Damion broke the silence. "We suck at this, don't we?" Milly laughed.

"Yes, we do. But we can learn . . . (Why put spaces between each period?)probably."

They walked on in companionable silence (not the awkward kind, the companionable kind) until they reached the station. A brief scan of the schedule showed that the next train to the skating pond left at six. Damion checked his watch. "It's 5:45. We've got 15 minutes to kill," he said.

"Quickiey(I beleive it might end in 'ie,' but not positive. Felt I should mark it just in case.) in the bathroom?" Milly asked. After they stared at each other for a moment she felt the need to clarify, "I was kidding, perv."

"Oh. Well, see, that kind of thing happens a lot. At least, in hentai it does. Jacob uploaded a doujinshi the other day where . . .(more spaces between each period)"

Milly cut him off. "No hentai today. I get that you like it, that's fine by me, but today we're being normal." She looked at Damion for a second, then down at herself. "Well, relatively normal."

The two of them (Not necessary to change, but I felt a declaration of subject was needed in a new paragraph) made their way to a bench and sat down, their backs against the cold stone wall. People walked by, couples, groups, loners, but none paid any heed to the two on the bench. After a while, Milly turned to Damion and started to ask a question, but a voice from the over head cut in, "Attention: tThe 6 o'clock train to South station will be boarding shortly, please make your way to the platform." The two pushed off the wall and hopped onto the train.

The rest of the day passed in what could have been a normal date, if not for an air of forcedness(not a word, you might mean 'forcefulness') that surrounded the pair. It was kind of like when a group of people laugh at a bad joke because they feel like they have to. Night (space) time found them back in Milly's apartment, where they had started, with their shoes off and their feet kicked up, snuggled up under warm blankets and watching some news station's coverage of Times Square.

Eventually, Milly spoke. "Hard to believe she's only been gone a year."

Damion stared blankly at the screen for a moment before responding, "You know, Ali-" Milly tried to cut him off, but he continued anyways, "Alice would laugh at us. 'All I did was die and you two go all mopey?' she'd say."

"Don't forget her stern face," Milly added. They both chuckled as they attempted to imitate it, a cross of scolding and friendliness that neither could quite pull off. "It's weird," she continued. "Just last year, the three of us were sitting on this couch watching this program, with no idea that she'd be gone the next day." (Three Dead in New Years Accident, the headlines had read). "Life is fragile, isn't it." This last part was said quietly, almost fearfully, and certainly not as a question. Damion let his arm fall around Milly's narrow shoulders, a silent motion of assurance. Milly continued, "When we were little, we talked about how we'd be together forever, and Alice and I would both marry you and we'd live happily ever after in a castle on the moon. Then, in one day, it was gone. What if it happened to you too? What would I do?"

Damion gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry, Mils." Milly Ttwitched (Same as above). "I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

She looked up from the T.V. and their eyes met. "Not ever?"

He nodded. "Not ever." A herald of fanfare drew their attention to the screen. The ball, a giant conglomerate of glimmering, sparkling, and shining lights and crystal had begun it's inexorable descent towards the earth, marking the last seconds before the nNew yYear. Neither Damion, nor Milly, was sure who had started it, but when the ball struck zero, they were kissing., sSlowly at first, and then more passionately as they each reacted to the other's touch.

Eventually, Milly pushed away and said, "We're not betraying her, are we?"

Damion thought about it then shook his head. "She always wanted whatever made you happy. If this is what you want, then she would want it too."

"You're not just saying that so I'll sleep with you?"

He chuckled. "I'm not just saying that so you'll sleep with me., pPromise."

Milly stared at him for a moment, then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Happy nNew yYear, Damion."

"Happy nNew yYear, Mils."