Artificial Heart

26

Dinner wasn't as uncomfortable as she expected. Freddy was talkative. Innocent and exuberant at fourteen-years-old. Troy and Emily were also very welcoming, giving the sisters their couch as they sat on the floor to eat. Scott squeezed in beside Prisha. There was no dining table. He kept apologising as they knocked elbows. Sauce dripped onto Prisha's shirt. The T.V. was blaring.

The other two remained on the second couch—did they ever leave it?—aloof, though their eyes kept swivelling towards Renee. Leanne maintained her snooty air. Prisha felt great pleasure in their little lie. She felt more secure in herself, more safe, like there was a big strong wall between her and everyone else. As for Renee, the smug look on her face told Prisha she was enjoying herself even more than she was.

When they were done, Scott got up to get her a serviette.

'Thank you,' Prisha said, wiping her hands. 'So ... what's going to happen with you? What are you going to do about your job?'

'I'm taking a few days off—mental health reasons.'

'Ah. Will they accept that?'

Scott snorted. 'No. I'll be in trouble.' He shrugged. 'What are they going to do? Fire me? There's not enough cops to go around.'

Prisha frowned at him.

'Don't worry. It's my problem.'

The room was very quiet. She looked around to find the others listening in closely.

'How did you find her, Scott?' Sangha asked. 'What exactly happened?'

Prisha watched safely from her little spot as the couple leaned over their laps, ignoring Prisha completely as they focused on Scott and Renee.

Renee smirked as she spoke her lies.

Later that evening, Prisha sat on the balcony with her feet up on the rail, reading a magazine. She deliberately avoided her phone, leaving it in her bedroom. She'd already told her clients she'd be on vacation for the week, but she'd brought her laptop anyway. She was grateful to have a job she could take with her.

Unlike Scott—and Renee.

Prisha chewed her lip guiltily. She picked up her glass of wine and took another drink. The others had mostly left her alone. Renee was the centre of attention, and it was a relief. Prisha could hear them now, trying to get some answers out of her.

'Yeah, he's got a tentacle for a penis,' Renee said.

Leanne murmured something.

'Of course I'm lying! There's no way I'm telling you what he looks like! Use your own perverted imagination. Jeez.'

Prisha laughed.

It was getting late by the time Emily and Sangha finally left, looking disgruntled. Prisha watched from the balcony as they got in their car and drove away. The rain had stopped hours ago and Scott had been kind enough to bring up her suitcase—and Alf's box. She hadn't yet unpacked anything. She doubted she would, doubting she would be here for long.

Prisha leaned back in her seat with a sigh. Yummy smells were coming from the kitchen. She stared up at the sky, thinking. There were so many more visible stars here. Alf's face drifted across her mind, as it always did.

'You've been out here a while.'

She sat up. The magazine slipped from her chest. 'Uh ... hi, Scott.'

He stood beside her, arms folded as he, too, looked up at the stars. His blue eyes twinkled along with them.

'Amazing,' he said. 'Incredible. I still can't believe it. I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to my old life, knowing what I know now.'

'I know what you mean. It all seems so incredibly mundane now, doesn't it? Almost pointless.'