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Chapter 2

William reached the construction site in record time. He couldn't remember the last time he had been in such a good mood. It felt slightly weird and completely foreign. Being able to finally make an important decision about his life was doing wonders for his psyche. He really should have done it earlier. Walking up to the office was a little nerve-wracking. He got along with his boss just fine so there shouldn’t be a problem, but Bob wasn't exactly the sort of person to go out of his way to help someone. William was a good worker and was always on time. Yeah, he was a little sluggish some days, but lack of sleep does that to a person. He stood in front of the door trying to gather enough courage and strength of mind to talk to Bob. Lately he had been feeling skittish, almost like he was holding something back. He couldn't really place the feeling, but what else was new.

"Are you coming in or what?" Bob yelled from inside the trailer

Startled, William quickly opened the door and walked to the back cubicle where Bob's desk was located.

"Um...Bob? Can I ask you something?"

"That's why you’re here isn't it?"

William suddenly felt the need to get extremely snarky. He always felt that way around Bob, but he pushed the feeling down and instead concentrated on playing peon.

"I was wondering if you have any connections outside of Los Angeles. I need to get out of here, but I'll need a job wherever I end up. Could you help me with that?"

"Why? You on the run from the law or something?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, William shook his head and explained the situation to him.

"No, I just don't want to live here anymore. I feel stifled and need something new."

Bob gave him a probing look, "This is about that amnesia stuff, huh?"

"Sort of"

"Well, I do have one idea."

"Really? What is it?"

"I know this guy who has set up his own business in Las Vegas. He used to work for me in Sunnydale. He’s doing pretty well. Lately, there has been a huge housing boom in Vegas, so he's always hiring new guys. I'll give him a call and tell him you’re on your way."

William resisted the urge to dance around, "That's brilliant! I don't think I can thank you enough!"

"No problem, Shaw. You've been a good worker, so I'll hate to lose you, but I understand. Now get out and start working. I'll be out later today to give you his contact information."

Giving Bob a huge smile, William quickly turned around and walked out the door. Bob better not change his mind, because this was exactly what he needed. He would go to Las Vegas and start fresh. He could make friends, get an apartment, save some money, and maybe even get a girlfriend. Things were starting to look up; maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

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William tried his hardest to hold on to that euphoric feeling, but it wore off about an hour later. Throughout the day while he was sheet-rocking the interior rooms of the building, William continued to remind himself about where he was going and what he would be doing. Despite his natural inclination to brood and frown, he found himself smiling throughout the day. It was a nice feeling. His co-workers noticed William's change of mood as well. They kept staring at him and talking to themselves. It was as weird for them as it was for William.

William was feeling so good, that at lunch he even joined the group he had been working with at thepicnic table.

"Hiya mates, mind if I join you?"

They all turned and stared at him, not quite sure what to say to the reclusive man they had worked with for the past year. Realizing how rare it was for William to be friendly and approachable, one of the men quickly spoke up, "Sure, Will! Scoot over, Jose and make some room."

William thanked them and sat down next to Jose. "I appreciate it."

They all turned back to the conversations they had been having, a few of them inviting William to join in. He politely listened in, not really commenting. He found himself extremely hungry, for once, and was glad that he had brought something for lunch. After he inhaled hispeanut buttersandwich, he sat there listening to the conversation and wishing he had brought some chips or something. It felt good to be around people. For once he didn't feel stifled or nervous; surprisingly, he was almost disappointed when the lunch hour was over.

While he was getting ready to leave for the day, Bob walked up to him and held out a piece of paper. William quickly wiped his hands on his jeans and took it.

"Here's the name of the guy, and the address of his site. He'll be expecting you in a few days. I figured you'd be ready to leave, so I waived the whole two-weeks notice thing."

"Thanks, Bob. This is just perfect. I can't remember the last time someone was this nice to me."

"Probably last year when I gave you a job."

William chuckled, "Yeah, still surprised you did that, when all I had was a passport."

"What can I say, I'm a softie. You tell anyone, I’ll hunt you down."

"Your secret's safe with me."

Bob slapped him on the back, "You’re a good kid, Shaw. Don't worry so much, it'll all come together for you."

William watched as he turned around and walked back to the trailer. As annoying as his boss could be, he’d really lucked out when he’d met Bob. It had made this last year a little more bearable. He looked down at the paper, and it suddenly hit him. The huge step that he was taking. Grinning, he tucked the address into his front pocket and finished putting his tools away. He waved goodbye to a few of the guys that were still there and walked back to his apartment.

William reached his apartment in record time and flew up the stairs. He didn't have much in the way of material possessions: Just some clothes, that leather duster, a TV, and somesecond handfurniture. He knew that he was making a rash decision, but he didn't care. William quickly wrote a note for the landlord that explained the situation, and telling him that he could keep the deposit. He felt a little bad for breaking the lease and leaving the furniture, but he didn't have time to get rid of it and honestly, he didn’t really care.

He threw his clothes, a few books, and the duster into an old duffle bag. After zipping it up and slipping on a sweatshirt, he dropped his keys and the note in an envelope and headed out the door. William put the envelope in the rent drop-box and started walking towards the bus depot. He felt like he was heading toward something big and important. It sounded melodramatic, even to his own mind, but the idea to get out of LA had saved him and given him a sort of direction and purpose to his life. It was bloody brilliant.





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