It's midnight and I'm still awake despite my heavy eyes, I just can't seem to sleep. It's been like this for a while now ever since I started this new job. Some things just don't go away, like the sound of bone crunching under your shoe, seeing blood splattered on walls, and the smell of burning flesh. Those are the things I can't shake, they haunt me, spreading through my dreams as they jolt me out of sleep and I wake up covered in sweat needing a shower.
I pull my hood up over my wet hair as the wind picks up, and cools me down. I sit on my balcony railing looking out into the dark city. I hear some rustling to my right. Then an attempt to open the sliding door... Great Katy is home... I hear her hit the glass, curse then finally get the door open. She walks to the railing and leans out looking over the city. I can hear gasps of air coming from her and some sniffing. She is crying...hard...as she leans her head onto her forearms rested on the railing.

I sit and listen for a minute before I decide to go inside and let her deal with whatever shit she's dealing with on her own. I slip off the side as quietly as possible but my foot catches on a chair and it drags across the stucco. Shit.

"Ethan! I didn't know you were out here, have you been here this whole time?" She asks.

"Yeah." I reply and sigh. There is a moment of silence as she stares at me, she's looking for comfort. "What's wrong Katy?" I ask reluctantly.

"I lost my contract with the Gap." She says her voice breaking. Tears are slipping down her cheeks again.

"You're like a model or something?" I ask.

She laughs through her pain.
"Yes. It was the only contract I had, I don't know what to do now. I guess I'll have to pick up waitressing until I find something else." She's clutching her housecoat looking out to the city again.

"Well, there's a good strip club down the road, you could try that. You already have all the "outfits." I reply.

She bursts out laughing.
"Oh my god Ethan! I'm not stripping! You saw me in my underwear once and have that stuck in your head?" She giggles at me.

"Well, yeah. It's not everyday I see a girl like you in their underwear.." I'm starting to fidget as this conversation makes me uncomfortable, so does her penetrating smile. She's getting through all my barriers...Damn.

"So what is a girl like me in your eyes?".

"Fuck don't ask me that, it's such a loaded question." I shake my head at her. "Look I need to get some sleep, if you could try crying into a pillow so I don't hear you that would be great!"

She laughs at me again.
"Sure thing Ethan. Sorry to bother you."

"I forgive you." I say chuckling to myself as I walk back into my house.