The Pink Haired Woman

by Seran

Miscommunication

The day had cleared up and the sun glared down on the two as they exited the clinic. John had one thought in his head as he shielded his eyes. The walkways were full of pedestrians. John felt it was weird since it had just stopped raining. He believed that the cool air after a rain was satisfying after the hot week that preceded. John couldn’t help but notice the faces the pedestrians were making as they passed.

John had better things to do than care how other people looked at him. He remembered he hadn’t finished his breakfast since they hurried to the doctor. As he thought back, he remembered seeing his bacon and eggs on the dinner table. ‘I never finished my breakfast, and Fluttershy was fasting’. With that thought, his stomach began to rumble more. John had decided what to do next.

“Wanna go eat?” John abruptly asked Fluttershy.

“Um… okay.” She answered hesitantly. Her mind was trying to grasp the sudden question.

“What do you want to eat?” John replied, trying to get his mind off the eyes staring at them. They had now begun to bother Fluttershy.

“Um, I don’t know this place very well,” she answered. “As long as it doesn’t have meat.”

John began ruling out restaurants. Most places he frequently ate at were, with his words, ‘meat-lover friendly,’ and she would not approve.

As sudden as John offered luch, a woman tapped him on the shoulder. “Sorry for intruding,” she started, “if you want some good vegetarian food, you can try Zerreli’s.”

John cleared his throat as he looked at the woman with displeasure in his eyes. She took one look at his eyes and began a slow and embarrassed retreat from him. Even though John was annoyed by the sudden intrusion, he had one thought. ‘It might be a good idea. Pasta doesn’t normally have meat’.

“I actually think pasta might be a good choice. Do you want to go there?” John asked Fluttershy.

“Oh, pasta?” she was elated. “That sounds lovely. I haven’t had that in months.” John was surprised that she knew what pasta was.

John felt he didn’t need to be surprised anymore. “Okay, let’s head over.” He took out his keys and swung them on his finger. His smile was wiped from his face as he noticed the vandalism on his car. The word ‘Murderer’ had been painted on his windshield with an arrow pointing at the driver. In his silent rage, he heard some snickering from behind.

He turned around expecting to see the troublesome teens again. All he saw were some children looking at Fluttershy. A woman with three children had just gotten out of her car on their way to the clinic. A young girl was staring at her with curiosity burning from her eyes. The mother took her by her hand and pulled her away, glaring at Fluttershy before turning away.

Fluttershy was unaware of all this since her mind was fixated on the upcoming meal. John didn’t have the heart to tell her.

Upon arriving at Zerreli’s, an Italian family restaurant, John noticed the barrage of eyes in his direction. The eyes from women, men and children looked at them in confusion, scaring John at every moment. The eyes from the older women shot through John.

John wondered why the attention was coming to them. ‘What the hell are they looking at?’ John pondered. One look at Fluttershy and he could see what could be the cause.

As they waited for the waitress John noticed a group of women glancing at them. They stared until John looked at them as they chattered between themselves. The sight irritated John as he thought of what rumors may be burning through town.

“Table for two?” called the waitress to them. John snapped out of his irritated trance. “Sir?” she politely asked.

John turned to her and smiled. “Yes, two please.”

John feigned a smile. Fluttershy saw through his farce. She noticed something was wrong.

They were lead to the back of the restaurant to the only remaining table. John tried to keep his vision ahead but couldn’t keep from noticing the eyes following them through the room. The faces were blurred but the murmuring was getting to him. However, Fluttershy was too excited to notice.

The two reached the back. What seemed like a mile was just under forty feet. As they sat down, the waitress handed them the menus. She tried to hide her curiosity behind her professional face, but every moment she looked up, she took a glance at the pink-haired woman sitting at the table. John’s patience was wearing thin.

“Ca-can get your drink order?” she stuttered, seemingly amazed by the hair.

“Can I get some apple cider?” Fluttershy said without reading the menu. “What about you, John?”

John glared at the waitress. “I’ll have a Coke.” He replied coldly.

Fluttershy took notice of his tone. She shied away from confronting the situation, hoping to just let it burn out.

The waitress left with her customer service smile, their order written on the notepad. John glared at her as she left, watching her step behind the chest-high door and stopping to chat with the other waitress. The sight angered John.

Fluttershy saw his brows drop. His expression unsettled her, as she was reminded of herself when she got upset. She puffed her chest, taking an assuring breath and prepared herself.

“J-John?” she asked cautiously.

John carried his angry glare towards her.

Fluttershy dug her head into her chest, holding her hands close to her chest. “I- is something… wrong?”

He tried to cover his anger with a feigned smile. “I’m fine,” he lied, trying to keep a straight face. Unfortunately, his frustration soon came back when a couple passed by staring at them. “What the hell is wrong with them?” he grumbled to himself.

“John?” Fluttershy called out to him. “Y-You… seem… angry.” She stuttered, trying to keep calm from his angry expression.

John noticed the fragile state Fluttershy had entered. It was too much for him to keep lying to her. With a disappointed sigh, he calmed down to tell her.

“I’m sorry to say this, but haven’t you been noticing the people around you?” He tried to keep his voice down as to not draw attention.

Fluttershy quietly looked across the dining room. Her vision stopped at the various heads jerking towards their partners. Some panned their eyes from behind the menu or make up mirror. Fluttershy’s ignorance was now broken by a sudden realization.

She recoiled into her seat lowering her head and hid behind the menu. Seeing how frightened she had become, John leaned over towards her.

“Listen, I know how you feel.” John tried to comfort her. “When I first arrived here, I got the same looks. Those judging eyes bothered me at first, those horrible judgmental and possibly bigoted eyes...” John took a look at Fluttershy and noticed he was making things worse. “Anyway, what I mean is that they may think you’re different because of your hair or skin color, where you came from, or what you did. But they will come around.”

John sat back and gave a heavy sigh. “Eventually,” he muttered.

Fluttershy came back out from behind the table looking to see if the eyes had turned away. She was frightened by the idea of people judging her. John believed it had something to do with a bad experience with children when she was younger. As she came out further, a voice abruptly spooked her back into her hole.

“Sorry for the wait,” the waitress said. “Here are your drinks.” She smiled as she placed the drinks on the table. First it was John’s Cola, then the apple cider, which came in a brown glass bottle a paper label with the words ‘Glider Cider’.

Her hands slowed as she placed the bottle in front of the cowering woman. Her ability to hide most of her body behind the table amused the waitress enough to make her start giggling.

“Don’t you worry,” the waitress tried to calm her. “You’re safe here. Nobody is going to come hurt you, especially not some murderer.”

The word ‘murderer’ piqued John’s interest enough to get himself involved more.

Just as John was about to confront the waitress, she continued to speak. “Just remember, you have your friend John here to protect you. I heard he’s the quickest shot in town. He has the award to prove it.”

John remembered what she was talking about. “I forgot about that trophy,” he murmured to himself. John shot back into an attentive state after some reminiscing. “Excuse me,” John butted in, “but what are you talking about?”

The waitress turned to him, covering her mouth with the tray she brought the drinks on. “Sorry, it’s just…” she started to mumble. “I just think it’s such a brave thing for you to do.”

“What are you talking about?” John was confused.

The waitress took a step back. “Sorry, I didn’t think you were trying to keep it secret.” Her face turned red as she took another step back, and then another. “It was common knowledge… I didn’t think it...” She looked behind her, calling someone over. “I’ll let one of the other waitresses serve you.” She turned around and walked back into the kitchen, holding the tray on her forehead.

John looked at Fluttershy with great worry. The two locked eyes, hoping one would say what was on both their minds.

“I… I think we’re in deep.” John whispered to Fluttershy, his eyes now looking at the table. John took a slow scan of the people around him. All were looking at them with eyes of a bystander that had witnessed a car wreck. Once they noticed they were being watched, they looked back to their own tables.

“What are we going to do?” Fluttershy asked in fear of what might happen.

“I... I don’t know,” John thought furiously of what to do. He thought of all the people he had talked to since she came to town. “I’m gonna make some calls.” He stood up, reaching for his phone. “If the waitress comes, ask for something without meat.”

“I know.” Fluttershy replied while looking at the menu.

John took out his cell phone and headed outside. As he pushed open the door, he went to the first number that came to mind.

The phone rang. John grew more impatient with each ring that sounded.

“Sheriff Leiber speaking,” a hoarse voice said on the opposite side of the line.

“Sven? Is that you?” John made sure after not recognizing the voice.

“Yeah,” the hoarse voice grew worse as he took a strong sniff. “Sorry, I got ill after last night.”

“Jeez, I didn’t think the beer was that strong.”

“No, no,” Sven corrected. “I was already getting ill. It’s been coming for a week now.”

“Sorry to hear that.” John tried to get his mind on track. “Anyway, do you remember about what happened last night?”

“Last night?” Sven thought aloud while continuing to cough away from the phone. “Last night we met your girl, Miss Shy. What about it?”

“Well I believe someone had blabbed about her.”

There was a pause. “What do you mean?”

“Apparently the whole town’s talking about her,” John explained. “I’ve been getting some weird looks today, some talk about me protecting her nonetheless.”

The line was at a pause again.

“Hello?” John asked, thinking he lost the call. “Sven, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Sven finally answered. “Listen, when I got home last night I heard my wife talking about something involving you. I can’t remember what though. I’ll call you back once she gets back from the pharmacy.”

“Alright, I’ll catch you later.” John hung up, letting out a big sigh.

He leaned against the restaurant wall, softly banging his head against the brick. He thought of a new problem. ‘If Lidia heard about her before I told Sven, who could it have been?’ His head was thumping as he thought heavily on who else had contact with her. ‘Only two people I know have seen her with me other than Sven, the rookie, and the Evans’. Joshua and…”

“John?” called out a familiar voice.

John turned to see Martha walking to the restaurant door with a friend.

“You seem upset. Did something happen?” she asked.

John thought to himself how to carefully word his frustration. “There is word going around about me and Fl…” he paused, as he remembered he didn’t say ‘Fluttershy’ in front of her. “That girl you met yesterday.”

“Oh, you mean Mary.” Martha felt confused by sudden pause in the conversation. “What have they been saying?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“So far I have heard the waitress tell her she is safe with me and not to worry about some murderers.” John explained.

Martha gave an awkward smile. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Was I not supposed to tell anyone about her… situation?”

“What situation?” John was more confused now than ever.

Martha told her friend to wait in the restaurant. “Her… safety situation.”

“Mmh?” John grunted in his ever growing confusion.

“The protection she has been placed under for witnessing a… certain event.”

John’s mind sparked at the idea she was getting at. “You mean witness protection?” John was now more confused than ever, ‘why would she think she was under witness protection?’ He thought to himself.

“I think it’s brave of you that you would do something so sweet for a friend in need.” She smiled at him. “I guess I was wrong about you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” John retorted.

“Well, I just thought you were a friendless narcissist that only did things that benefited you alone.” Martha slapped her hand back and forth, giggling at her discarded thought.

John was embarrassed of the image he gave off.

“Helping someone who had to get rid of all money, clothes, friends, and forms of communication makes you seem more of an honorable person.” She smiled.

“Well, she did have nowhere else to turn.” John gave an awkward smile.

“So what was the problem with me telling people she was in witness protection?”

“Because she…” John stopped and thought about it for a moment.

‘If I tell her she isn’t under witness protection, people would think I was housing a woman under false pretenses and they would either think we were getting married, which will make conversation awkward about her, or I was housing a stranger, which in such a conservative town would look bad and the church people would have a field day.’ He had to make a tough decision.

“Well?” Martha tried to force an answer out of him.

“Because even if she did specifically tell you she was in Witness Protection, you are not allowed to tell anyone for danger of her being found by the criminal. It is a serious crime to tell someone’s protection status. If it gets out that you blabbed about it, you may face serious charges.” John ad libbed the rule as much as he could. He had only studied Witness Protection law for a day and hadn’t felt need for it in training.

“Oh my god, seriously?” Martha’s eyes darted to the street as she realized the mistake she had made. “I feel like a bitch telling talking about someone like an old gossip. I’m sorry for that. I’ll try to make this right.”

“Please do,” John said with a straight face. “We don’t want any more damage.”

Martha stumbled into the restaurant, dizzy from the guilt she was pounded by.

John felt relieved about the way things turned out this day, not just because he laid to rest a worry, but because he now had a new excuse to hold up when introducing Fluttershy to people. ‘Hopefully nothing worse happens.’ John triumphantly thought to himself as he returned to the restaurant.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the hiatus. I had run out of pre-written chapters and some things got complicated leaving me with little time to write the chapters out. I also spent time revisiting the earlier chapters to make it more attractive.

As we see things also got complicated for John as well. Hopefully this doesn't bite him in the rump.

Comments

[Mistershield]

Anyone feel like you are reading Tarzan?

John want food. John felt relief. John said. Etc...