The Bad Ones

by Stylo Fantome

She was still in her work uniform, black tights, black skirt, and a white button down shirt. Her hair was in a tight braid that wrapped around the base of her head, and she looked so much like the girl from high school, it made him wonder if any time had actually passed.

She wore a long sleeve shirt on top, and she'd gotten rid of the braid. Her hair was longer, as well, and it fell in waves over one shoulder. She looked every inch the good ol' country girl she really was. That she's really, really, not.

“I don't need a pick up line, Dulcie. I've already got you.”

“I came here because I like to fight.” “Have you ever even been in a fight?” “No, but I'm about to.” Without another word, she picked up her half drunken beer and slammed the bottle against the side of his head.

Con was bleeding from a cut on his lip, he realized, and he spit blood and saliva onto the floor. But he didn't say anything, just stared down at Dulcie, into her large amber eyes, and finally he smiled. “I missed you,” he blurted out, and she smiled back. “Good.”

“So that's what you do on Saturday nights? Start bar fights?”

“No, not usually,” she finally answered. “Then what the fuck was that about?”

“I wanted to see you bleed,” she finally answered, then yanked on the wheel, narrowly making it onto an exit ramp. “You could've just asked. I have a pocket knife,” he informed her. She snorted and continued taking turns, navigating down a long and winding road. “Oh, yes. And I'm sure you would've whipped it out and sliced open your palm at the first mention of blood,” she chuckled. “Yes, I would've.” “Why?” “Because it would've been you asking me to.”

“I had to finish what I'd started, I had to … work shit out. I couldn't come back until then. I told you, it's only us, kid. Only us. I didn't give it a time frame,” he reminded her. She rolled her eyes and shoved at his chest.

“Awfully convenient for you. So what's the plan, Con? Gonna fuck me and then leave for another three years? How about five? I'm not going anywhere. Works out awfully well for you,” she pointed out, hopping off the bar and pushing past him.

“Ah. You are adorable,” he teased, and was rewarded with an eye roll. “And what do you think of him?” “I don't.” “Any other prince charmings come along while I was gone?” he kept questioning.

“Jesus, Con, just ask what you want to ask. Have I dated anyone? No. Have I fucked anyone? Yes,” she snapped.

“You used to be so meek and quiet. What happened to t...

“It's still my property they're fucking.” “Oh, get fucked, Constantine. I don't belong to you anymore than any of the other guys I've slept with,” she hissed.

“After everything we did, after everything we said, and you just did it again! Not a fucking word ...” she was still shouting, still hitting him, but did nothing when he unbuttoned the front of her shorts and began yanking the material down her legs. “... god, I hope someone kills you. I hope someone kills you, and I hope I'm there. I'll bury your fucking body under a cardboard box by the train station, and I won't even fucking care.”

Last time we barely got to taste each other. This time, I'm going to swallow her whole.

“As long as you promise it's you who does it, I'm fine with that,” he growled.

“Such a sick fuck, Con. You're such a sick and twisted fuck,” she swore, smacking him upside the head. He gritted his teeth and managed to undo his own pants with one hand, shoving them down in a hurry.

“Only for you...

“Good.” “I used to walk down on the tracks, and I'd think about you. Wished you were there with me,” she kept going. “We'll go together.”

“One more question,” he was panting, as well. “Anything,” she replied, still staring at the ceiling. “Did you kill anybody else while I was gone?” he whispered. She shook her head. “No, Constantine. I was waiting to do that with you.” “Good girl, Dulcie.”

“Why did you want to do this here? In the restaurant?” “Because I hate it here, but next time I'm walking across this floor, all I'll see is you fucking me on this table, and it won't seem so bad anymore.” “Well, then. You're welcome.”

“And what do we want?” she pressed. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. “I want you,” he stated bluntly. She simply nodded. “I want to do whatever the fuck we want. I've got a lot of money, Dulcie. A lot. We can go wherever we want, do whatever we want. We can … we can be as strange as we want. As awful. As fucking horrible as we goddamn want.”

“Are we crazy?” she pressed. “Yes.” “I thought crazy people didn't know they were crazy.” “We're evolved,”

“If this is evolution, I fear for the world,”

How about, what are the chances that two people like us were born in the same town, around the same time, and went to the same school? Maybe it was something in the water. Maybe our mothers did the same kinds of drugs. Maybe we're just blessed. Maybe we're cursed,”

“Maybe we're sick,” her voice fell back into a whisper. He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close so she was pressed against his chest. “If this is a sickness, then I don't want a cure,” he whispered back. “You're very clever for a sociopath.” “Well, cleverness is a trademark of being one. Now shut up and go to sleep before I give your mouth something better to do.”

Falling for Con, well. It was all downhill, really. Just a descent into darkness.

“You can't honestly be mad at me,” he said simply, brushing his shoulder off as he moved to stand next to her.

“You didn't think that was possible? I spent three years being mad at you. I'm really good at it,” she informed him.

“Dulcie, you couldn't be mad at me if you tried. You're scared. What are you so scared of, little girl?” I'll show him scared.

She let out a yell as she stabbed the knife down in front of him. The blade lodged in the wood right between his index and middle fingers, and had gone so deep, it stood upright on its own. Con didn't even flinch.

“Not her,” Dulcie hissed. “You can do whatever you want, but don't ever play your little pret...

Almost stabbing him was fine, but telling him what do do? That wa...

So you know what? Fuck you, Constantine. I'll talk to you any way I fucking want.”

“You are the most amazing thing I've ever seen,”

“We're going to kill each other, aren't we?” she whispered. “Baby ...” he sighed, his eyes fluttering shut as he moved to rest his forehead against her. “What a beautiful thing to say.”

“Very sad. And what does that say about you?” “Hey, you were a sophomore back then, you walked down the halls staring at your feet. I had to wait for you to figure shit out. I had to take care of my basic needs,” he defended himself. She laughed and chucked a hot pad at his head.

“Dulcie, I have been waiting for you for longer than you can imagine.”

Con stared at her, his eyes wide and his pupils huge. She was pretty sure if she'd been able to see her reflection, her eyes would look the same. They'd been having fun since Con had come home, getting to know each other. Learning to like each other in the bright light of day. But that wasn't what drew them together, and they both knew it.

It's been so long since I walked in the darkness. Let's see if I still know the terrain.

“I used to play ball, remember?” “I remember you being good at football.” “Baby, I was good at everything. Let's go.”

“Are you joking? We're trashing your ex-boyfriend and arch-enemy-from-high-school's house. Me taking a leak in their pool is possibly the most mature thing we've done all night. Certainly the least destructive.”

“What happens if the neighbors call the cops? What happens if we get caught?” Dulcie wondered out loud. He turned to face her. “Then we'd better make going to jail really worth it.”

face. “I'm worried you'll go away. I'm worried that I'll never feel this way, ever again. That there's no one else out there who would do all this with me.” He leaned down so his lips were against her ear and he whispered, “What do I have to do to earn your trust?” “Never leave me,” she replied instantly, and could feel his smile. That evil grin. “Deal,” he hissed. A fire alarm in the living room started going off and he pulled back to face her.

They were a match and jar of gasoline. Who wanted to waste time with dating when there were explosions to be had?

“Do you really think it's that easy? That you can just walk away, little girl? Oh no. We're in too deep, now. You can't leave me anymore than I can leave you. So I hope you're ready to buckle up, cause it's gonna be a bumpy fucking ride.”

“You're being childish,” he informed her, sitting down. She snorted. “I'm twenty-one. I'm allowed to be childish.” “That's debatable.”

And it was like … without even talking to you, I knew you knew me. It sounds fucking stupid, but that's how it felt. So before I even registered to you in your little Dulcie-world, I was having conversations with you in my head.

You were just so shy back then, I was so worried I'd scare you. That I'd scare you and ruin us, and we'd never have a chance to be … to be …” he was at a loss for words.