Betray The Ill

Roma woke up with her favorite little man in her bed. Ruckus knew it was the weekend, which meant mama wouldn't go anywhere without him. The little dog was sleeping soundly with half of his body on top of Roma's stomach, making sure she wouldn't disappear.

She put her hand on his black head and he sleepily opened his eyes slowly. His dark flat fur shined bright with the light coming through the window of her room. With a happy wag of his tail, it was time to start the day.

The weekends were much the same every time they went through them; a late morning to some time watching something random on television while they ate breakfast together. Roma liked to split her days off between relaxing with a book and socializing with Ruckus, but since she had no book in her queue they were off to the park right after their meal.

It was a calm day with only a light breeze joining the warm sun for the weather. A few lonely clouds struggled to exist in the sky above. There were a few different parks that Roma and Ruckus enjoyed. Since the farthest one had been the least frequented, Roma decided they would go there.

Their walk took them through a couple small streets of quiet neighborhood and a little shopping district of local businesses. The shop owners didn't often see or speak to her, but they were always incredibly friendly as she passed by. Roma had wanted to try to shop there instead of the big stores near her work, but it always seemed to slip her mind.

Once through the little shopping street they came to the park. It was the biggest they spent time at and there were always many people in the large green field enjoying picnics or playing games. The edge of the park was lined with pretty trees that bloomed colorful flowers in the spring, and there were a few water fountains with dog bowls on the bottom that they could take advantage of.

Their walk along the paved path was friendly. There were people jogging by and children riding their little bikes. Roma didn't have any interest in getting to know people, but she enjoyed watching them. She liked to think about how nice their life must be. How loving and adventurous the children had it, or how warm and comforting it was for the elderly couples.

There were often many couples at the park. The women always looked so deeply attached to each other, sitting on blankets in the sun or holding hands as they walked. She always managed to reel in couples with Ruckus without fail. If Roma was interested in women, she certainly wouldn't have trouble getting a hold of one with the dog as bait.

It was an otherwise standard day at the park, but something very out of the ordinary caught her attention, as well as the attention of many others. On a swing set near the edge of the park, a man and a woman enjoyed themselves. Roma had never seen a man at the park before and was curious to know if it was a companion or not.

She always felt that it was a bit rude to be so interested in the presence of a man. She imagined it would be quite bothersome to receive so much attention simply by existing. Luckily for her, the path they walked would take them by the swings and she was able to get a good look without seeming like a busybody.

On the left side of the man's neck, as was standard practice, a small black tattoo of a barcode inside a decorative circle was present. He was a companion. The expression of the woman he was with was lovely. She looked as if she couldn't ever be any happier. The way her eyes followed him, the little smile that wouldn't fade, and the excessive laughter she couldn't help but fall victim to.

Feelings Roma knew well. It wasn't as if women couples were any different. Love is love, but finding someone special in life was no easy task and it was incredibly difficult if you wanted a man. Roma often wondered how other women dealt with the feeling. With the knowledge that your chance at love was so low. She had thought about trying to date a woman, but it just simply wasn't who she was.

The week leading up to payday was going by so slowly.