Chapter 4

I groaned as I turned over on the mattress. Galileo and I had gotten just a little too excited last night and I was sore. Mind you, it was definitely worth it.

A cool wind blew through the open window and caused me to shiver. I pulled the covers up closer to my chin and snuggled into the crook of Figgy’s neck. I hadn’t realized I’d woken him until he kissed the top of my head.

“Morning babe,” he said breathily into my hair. I rolled my eyes and huffed at him.

“I told you not to call me babe.” Galileo just smiled and ran his hand through my messy magenta locks. “I’m serious Galileo. I don’t like it. It’s demeaning.”

He sighed, “I know Scara. I was just trying to be playful.” He grinned mischievously then, running his finger down my side. He managed to place a kiss on my lips before I could respond. Annoyed, I pushed him slightly away.

“I’m not in the mood Galileo.”

“You seemed like it just a few minutes ago when you were snuggling up to me,” he snapped. I could tell that he was becoming equally annoyed. I sat up and glared at him.

“I was cold. Sue me! Besides you had your fun last night too.” I pulled aside the covers and slipped out of the bed. I immediately felt the chill in the room. The seasons were changing already and fall was coming fast. I yanked on my boots in frustration and grabbed a black canvas jacket from the dresser. I heard Galileo stir as he too rose out of bed.

“Where are you going?” he asked harshly. I didn’t like where this was going, and I certainly didn’t like his tone.

“That’s none of your business!” I yelled back at him, “And don’t use that tone with me you jackass!” His eyes narrowed at the name calling, and he took a step towards me. It looked like he was about to grab me, but thought better of it. He glanced downwards and tried to clam down.

“What? Are you to afraid to fight your own girlfriend?” I scoffed. I saw his fists clench in the effort to not yell something demeaning back. “You’re such a wimp! A spineless, gutless pig!”

“That’s it Scaramouche! I tried to calm down but once again, your temper goes way out of control! You’re so stubborn and so stuck up! And don’t you dare lecture me about feminism; I can’t stand it! You and your stupid opinions!” His fists clenched in anger and he glared at me. My cheeks burned with scorn at his comments. How dare he call my opinions stupid! Yeah, so I was a little stubborn, but that wasn’t the point!

“So what if I’m stubborn? At least I’m not a self-absorbed psycho from the loony bin who hears voices in his head!” I snarled. My eyes dared him to say more. I crossed my arms over my chest and heaved a great sigh. He was really getting on my nerves.

“Well it’s those voices that gave you your name Miss. Mouche! So don’t go criticizing me, you pampered little Gaga girl!” he growled right back.

“I’m anything but! And you were a Gaga once too, you know!” I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door in his face. I couldn’t see it but my guess was that it would show a mixture of anger and surprise. I smirked ruefully and stomped down the stairs into the lobby. I found Oz and Burton talking quietly by a small pile of miscellaneous musical items. I walked over to them and raised an eyebrow.

Oz looked up at me and shook her head. “You just had to start a fight with the Dreamer didn’t ya? You’re always starting somethin’ Scaramouche.”

I snarled at her, offended. I would have thought she’d be on my side, but apparently not, “So what if I like a little drama in my life? It keeps it interesting. Not that you’d care, what with you spending all your time schmoozing over Burton.” Oz looked at me in shock. I saw Burton grow red in embarrassment and look down at his hands. He didn’t want to get involved.

“Now listen here bitch: my business is my business. Not yours, so bug off! Go be an arrogant little whore somewhere else.” With that she waved a hand at me, as if to dismiss me. I bared my teeth in anger.

“Whore? Whore? How dare you call me a whore you son of a bitch! You’re the filthy slut! How many men have you been with since Brit died?” I saw I had hit a soft spot as the anger was wiped from Oz’s face and replaced with sadness. She jumped up and ran off crying her face in her hands.

“Why do you have to be so mean Scaramouche? Can’t you just think about someone else’s feelings for one second?” Burton spat at me. He turned away and followed after Oz down the hall.

I grimaced at Burton’s comment. That one had hit hard. Galileo had said before that I could be a little selfish, but I had always ignored him, thinking he was talking nonsense. Apparently it wasn’t just him who thought that. I immediately felt bad about what I said to Oz. That was below the belt, even for me. Oz had confided in me about the other men she had been with. She was still grieving over Brit and had made some mistakes. To be honest, I had expected it and I knew that she felt really bad about it.

I walked out of the Heartbreak and sat on a worn-looking wooden bench. The bench was placed on a small patch of grass under a large oak tree, one of the few that were left. Looking up I noticed just how beautiful the whole scene was. The clay-coloured brick of the hotel complimented the brilliant green of the tree leaves perfectly. The bench was worn, but was clearly an antique, rooted neatly into the grass. I found it odd that I hadn’t noticed this before. I guess it was a day for revelations.

I sighed as I realized what I needed to do. This wasn’t going to be easy. I had said some pretty hurtful things, but I loved them too much to not apologize. I got up from the bench and walked back into the Heartbreak.