This time of year, Cheryl always thought about what she had been through to avenge her father's death. It hadn't happened at Halloween, but something about the changing leaves and the chill in the air just infiltrated the deepest recesses of her mind and reminded her of that goddamned town.
So, naturally, she could have really used a distraction. She tried smoking (her electronic cigarette ran out of battery on her, and by the time it had charged up, she no longer cared). She tried drinking (there was nothing palatable in the house, and she had no desire to spend money on anything better). She even tried sleeping (the nightmares kept waking her up every ninety minutes like clockwork).
In the end, company was the only thing that made her feel somewhat better. Unfortunately, Douglas still had to work long hours, and when he wasn't working, he was drinking himself into a stupor. Which meant he wasn't great company. So Cheryl was left with more or less one option: Victor. He was the only person she really talked to besides Douglas, and while Victor could drink himself into a stupor, too, at least he was usually good for conversation.
So, late one evening, she found herself dialing his number and biting her lip as the phone rang once, twice, three times--
"Hello?" she said as she heard the unmistakable sound of the phone being answered. "It's Cheryl. I'm really sorry to bug you, but I'm totally desperate for conversation, and you're basically my only friend aside from Douglas, who is currently passed out in bed."
"So, anyway, what are you up to?" she asked.