get up. Get up. GET UP. The whispers started their fateful return. They crept in quietly, at first. A buzzing few words here and then a few more there. But the longer she lingered, the louder they threatened to become. "Not now, goddamn it." He muttered under his breath, a grimy open palm reeling into a tight fist, if only for a second. He blinked his bright blue eyes in rapid succession, focusing his gaze on the pretty, dark-haired girl who was either real or not at all, sitting across from him. The same sensation persisted since she revealed herself - calm. Whoever she was, she made him feel safe. Clearly, it didn't take much. A simper of a smile crossed his chapped lips when she quipped back with a clever retort. That's something only a dreamed up girl would say. He winced again, momentarily, his hand balling again and then relenting. "So what do I call you, made-up girl?" He asked out loud, his gaze drifting to the near empty contents of his coffee. "I'm Ben," Ben said, and tossed back the mug one more time, finishing off the now lukewarm beverage. He grabbed feverishly for his worn gloves next, quickly moving to hide his sensitive mutts, before allowing the fingers of one of hand root around in his pocket for some notes. He slapped the crumpled cash onto the table. The finicky waitress wouldn't appreciate the pound, but wasn't it carrying higher than the dollar these days, anyway? It was all he had, so it was what she'd get, whether her thoughts revealed her displeasure or not. His gaze followed the girl's then, watching with interest as she investigated his clippings. The whispers were getting louder, and his head jerked to the window as he he tried to tune them out. The streets weren't so dark anymore. More bodies were mingling about. Soon, the morning rush would be upon them. The waitress - and the man in the kitchen - hoped he'd be gone by then. Ben snapped his head back when the girl offered to help. He recoiled his now gloved hands from the table, hiding them in his damp lap. But an eyebrow raised at her offer. "I'm chuffed to bits." He said with a jolly grin. Ben Collins | Fairy | Vinyl |