Day Twenty-Three - Afternoon and Evening

     Casper waits and watches from a side alley until Smith leaves the post office and returns to his own establishment. He’d’ve taken off sooner, except Myr’s taken to waiting in front of the bank for Smith to show himself. Smith greets him with a warm greeting of “’Zekiel!” and claps him on the back just as fondly when he gets near. They could be old drinking buddies or could be starting a knitting circle for all Casper cares, he just wants them gone and out of sight so he can go already.

     Smith invites Myr in for a drink. Myr naturally agrees, leads the way into the building in fact, welcoming himself like it’s his own home. Smith doesn’t seem to bothered by it either. The familiarity suggests they’ve been doing this a long time.

     Casper sighs and files away that particular footnote for later. He may have to get into the habit of asking Balor for Myr’s schedule on any given day. He’s not fond of Myr getting the drop on him once, much less making it a regular occurrence.

     But, hey, here’s a silver lining: if his new hitchhiking plan pans out, he’ll never have to see Myr’s ugly mug ever again. He’ll never have to set eyes on Glenholm ever again.

     He’ll never see Balor either.

     He has plenty of time to stew over the issue while waiting for the proprietor (and his daughter) at the pub’s door. The people filling the main street say mass has wrapped up by now, but they’ve yet to show. They’re certainly in no rush, though Casper certainly is. He has to leave for the hill early unless he wants to finish his chores in the dark. The daylight hours may be getting longer, but the sun’s not about to go shining at midnight just because he asks nicely. Those nice, bright, golden flames Balor likes to conjure up, they would do the trick. All Casper has to do is drop a hint and turn a blind eye to the magics involved.

     Will Balor still want to help him when he tells him that he’s found his own way out of town? That he’s effectively throwing in his face everything that he’s done for him so far? The plants that are just coming into fruition, the arrangement with Smith, all of it?

     Will Casper tell him at all?

     Technically, he doesn’t have to tell Balor anything. Maybe it would be easier if Casper just disappeared. No nasty confrontation, no teary goodbyes. No word, no warning, there one day and gone the next.

     That’s what Casper does best, doesn’t he? He comes. He takes. Then he leaves without a trace. Only an absence of what used to be marks his passing.

     Just a petty thief.

     Casper tries to shake himself out of his funk. Think of better, more useful things. Think of what he should bring with him tomorrow, should he leave. Key word being ‘tries’. It isn’t good for him to be alone with his thoughts for too long. They tend to lead him in unpleasant directions. They don’t listen to him either.

     He’s worked himself into a right state by the time Pa and Alicia finally arrive. About time really. Casper’s stony and cheerless as a gargoyle, about as welcoming too as he slumps clear of the door so they can finally set up shop. Alicia tries to break the ice by asking very carefully, very politely how his day went, all while hiding half a step in behind her Pa. Casper gives her a look and her very careful, very polite customer service smile shudders and cracks.

     “Fine,” Casper grunts, obviously anything but.

     Alicia nods automatically and is more than happy to never bring it up again. She gives him as wide a berth as possible as she passes by. Pa too, who raises a brow at Casper and malaise dripping off him, but chooses not to push him for the time being. Casper slinks after them, a shadow biting at their heels. He drops onto his usual spot by the counter, smack dab in front of the bar and impossible to ignore.

     Alicia and Pa exchange apprehensive looks when they think Casper doesn’t see them. There’s some particularly choice gesturing on Alicia’s part, which sums as what the hell am I supposed to do now? Pa gives her an elaborate shrug in return. Subtext: how should I know? You’re the one who insists he come in.

     Casper speaks up before they start conspiring behind his back to throw him out. “Can I get somethin’ to eat here or what? ‘M in a hurry.” They shouldn’t be ignoring him like that anyways. He’s a paying customer after all. It’s rude.

     Alicia and Pa exchange one last glance before Alicia creeps off to the kitchen for something, anything to throw at Casper so he can eat and leave them alone already.

     Casper watches her go and goes back to slouching onto the bar top. Whatever happened to the days where she’d give customer service with a smile? Did she get bored of him so easily now that he’s no longer some wayward waif dependent on her pity? He’s not blind. He’s seen the rift growing. No idea where to go from here though, how to stop it, or how to fix it.

     Alicia comes in with a plate piled high with bread rolls, still steaming from the oven. “We don’t have supper ready yet on account of it being early, so…” She shrugs and places the rolls next to him on the bar top, “hopefully this’ll tie you over for the time being.” She turns and starts walking away before Casper can say a word.

     “When’ll it be ready?” Casper calls after her.

     She barely takes the time to stop and look at him. “’Bout an hour I’d say.”

     That’s too long. “Can you make it any faster?”

     Alicia gives him a thin smile, “Don’t push it, kid.” And there she goes on her merry way.

     Yup. There’s a rift alright. The bridge between them is shaky as is and Casper’s standing right on it.

     He eyes up the unguarded plate of rolls. Alicia’s in the kitchen, getting out the dining ware they’ll be needing for the day. Pa’s not in the immediate vicinity, having gone off who knows where.

     Well then. Alicia said to help himself, didn’t she? Casper plans on doing exactly that.

     So what if he can’t stick around for supper? He’ll stuff himself silly on bread rolls instead. He shoves a few more into his pockets for later. He’ll need something to take with him on the road tomorrow and he has no intention to repeat the day long fast when the toff brought him here. Between stuffing his face and his pockets, he has his hands full.

     Then Alicia comes back and catches him red handed.

     “What are you doing!” She demands aghast. “Those were supposed to be last for the entire day!” She rushes over and snatches the plate away from Casper while he’s mute, still swallowing around that last mouthful. Although, it does explain why there were so many buns on that plate.

     “You were the one who said I could help myself,” Casper argues.

     “No, I didn’t! You’re supposed to share! Everyone knows that!”

     It takes a monumental effort for Casper not to roll his eyes at her. “Well then you shoulda told me not to take so many,” he says as he takes another bite. Seems pretty cut and dry to him.

     “Excuse me, but this is not my fault,” she lectures, “I am not to blame here.”

     Nag, nag, nag. Casper really does roll his eyes at that one. “If it pisses you off that much, then take it outta my tab.” It’s not like he’s short changing them. He takes another bite still, finishing off the roll he was holding, and stealthily reaches for that pile.

     Maybe he isn’t as sneaky as he thinks: Alicia places herself between him and the plate. “Oh no you don’t! You can’t just throw money at people and expect your problems to magically solve themselves.”

     Why not? That’s how toffs get by. Hell, that’s how Casper wound up here to begin with. Alicia clearly doesn’t know how the world works. “Might not solve my problems, but sure does the trick to keep you and Pa up an’ runnin’ don’t it.” Casper stares Alicia down. She may have his food, but he has the advantage. He’s a paying customer after all.

     Alicia stiffens at that. Something in her hardens with her resolve. “Get out.” Her voice is glacial, she’s turned to ice. Casper practically hears the last frayed rope on that bridge snap under the strain.

     The flash freeze leaves him reeling. He can’t have heard that right. He can’t.

     But there’s no mistake. “I said, get out.” She’s looking at him and she’s pointing to the door. Casper might know next to nothing when it comes to maths, but even he can see how this is adding up. Pa materializes from where ever the hell he’s been in the interim before Casper can kick up a fuss.

     He’s outnumbered and outmaneuvered. This isn’t a fight he can win. So, yeah. He leaves.

     Alicia slams the door behind him.

     At least they let him keep what’s already in his pockets.

     It wasn’t worth it.  

     The trip up the hill gives Casper the time he needs to cool down and stop fuming about what happened. It’s fine. Really, it’s fine. He can fix this. He’ll go back tomorrow and do some choice groveling and foot licking and Alicia will be all over him like old times and it’ll be fine. He’ll take care of it. Bridges can be mended and he can fix this. It’ll be fine.

     He’s fine.

     And if thing’s don’t work out, well… There’s another reason for him leave.

     He doesn’t tell Balor his plans that evening. He’ll do it eventually, just not now. It doesn’t seem like today could get any worse than it has already, but he’d rather not push his luck. He’ll tell Balor in the morning.

     …Probably.

END OF DAY TWENTY-THREE.

<==Day Twenty-Three - Morning & Midday   ==> Table of Contents <== 
     Day Twenty-Four - Morning ==>