"Yeah I'm still here." Marco slid into the seat opposite him. "I'm waiting, Jack. You can't run away. I warned you!"
Jack sipped his coffee, smiling with a nervous snigger. "You still don't blame me for.......?"
"I saw you with her."
"What?"
Marco clenched his teeth. His fist became a weapon. "Don't deny it. You were seen."
Jacks hands shook, spilling coffee into the saucer. "Look....it's not what you think."
D'you think I'm blind?"
"All right, " conceded Jack. "All right. It just happened. I didn't mean it to."
"You stole my girl," said Marco. He leaned towards Jack. "Now it' payback time. You pushed me Jack."
Jack sat deeper into his seat. Hot sweat crawling over his body. he wiped his brow with his sleeve. I'm sorry."
"Now it is payback time," repeated Marco.
Jack gripped the chair arm. "What d'you mean?"
"You know what I mean -"
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to" Jack's voice was thin, high.
"You pushed me." Marco said. "You stole my girl." He moved closer to Jack. "Now you will pay!"
Jack lurched to his feet, throwing the tray across the room. "No - " He screamed. "I didn't mean to - "
A woman stepped to see if Jack was all right. Marco was gone. He'd just vanished. Jack looked all over the room for him, but he'd disappeared.
"It was an accident," said Jack to the woman. "I didn't mean it. We used to be best friends."
"So what d'you think you are doing here? came a familiar voice in the queue behind him.
Turning around Jack immediately recognised who it was. "You!." He shouted.
"Yeah me." replied Marco.
Jack stood staring, open-mouthed. "But - how ?"
Marco stood laughing, the way he always used to laugh. "What's wrong? The truth hurts does it?"
Jack shifted, ignoring him. He moved up in the queue.
Marco followed. "Running away wont help you know."
Jack stopped. He turned round to Marco, shivering. "Look - I don't know what you are on about." He turned to the waitress, ordered a baked potato and a coffee.
Marco leaped out in front of him, preventing him from moving any furher. "There's no use pretending nothing's happened!." He screamed.
"Leave me alone!" Jack was openly panicking; his whole body trembled. "I don't know what you are on about." Breathing heavily, he pushed Marco out of the way. slid the tray up to the counter and paid for his lunch with the spare change from his pocket. He homed into the nearest table and sat down. And looked around him.
The woman comforted Jack. There had never been anyone there she assured him.
"The train came earlier than usual. I just meant to scare him. It was an accident. I didn't mean to push him him." Jack stopped to catch his breath, coughing. "It was the train.....it was early - " He buried his face in his trembling hands. He shivered. and a sharp, cold pain ran down the back of his spine.
Looking over at the doorway he saw Marco calling out to him.
"I forgive you, Jack," said Marco. "I forgive you." And smiled.
