The People Of Guilt

Four

Austin appeared at the door, looking disheveled from a nap. "Where the hell did you go?" He grumbled as Zorana pushed through into the living room.

"An interview! I just got a job." Feeling proud of herself, Zorana grinned back at him and put her hand on her hips in a confident pose. Austin didn't seem phased as he walked over and took a seat on the couch.

"Oh yeah? Why would you go and do that?" Not the reaction she was expecting. She raced home excited to tell someone about the new job, only to be met with a barely awoke and slightly pissed Austin.

"I get bored just sitting here all day; I figured I'd do something. Why not make it a job?" Austin didn't say anything else. He kept his eyes focused away from her and his arms crossed over his chest. Zorana walked over slowly, trying to read his mind. What was his problem? She wasn't expecting him to be jumping wall to wall for her, but she at least thought he would have told her good job. "We could use the money too, I guess."

"Wouldn't know why," Austin finally said, leaning up and looking over to her, "My mom and I wanted to talk to you about something, whenever she got home." Feeling disappointed in the way Austin reacted to the news, Zorana nodded and walked down the hall to the bedroom to sit on the pump up and watch youtube videos.

She lost track of time between random videos of professionally trained competitive eaters stuffing their faces full of calories and makeup tutorial videos. When she glanced over to the clock, it was already three in the afternoon. She redirected her eyes to the bedroom door when it slowly creaked open. Austin and his mom walked through, looking stern and sullen. An amused and confused eyebrow shot up at the look of them standing in the doorway like two awkward teenagers about to ask their mom if they could go to a party. She could hear them in the other room talking whenever she was in the process of changing videos and waiting for them to load. She didn't feel the need to go in and talk to them, figuring if she did, she'd most definitely be included, and all she wanted was to be rendered unimportant to the topic of discussion. Bills. But when they came in looking as if they had a load to carry on their backs, Zorana knew there was no escaping.

"Hey, babe," Austin started, crossing legs and pushing his weight into the doorframe. "Things have been getting pretty tight for me. Well, not just me, my mom too." Zorana choked down a snort, just waiting to burst out. If things were so tight, why'd she just buy a whole new bathroom set and redecorated the bathroom? Zorana could feel something wasn't right but slowly nodded and waited for anything else to be said. "My phone bill is due today, and I just don't have it on me."

"Oh okay, umm, how much was it?" Zorana asked, looking over to Mrs.Thoman, shifting slightly beside Austin. Zorana was sure she tried to play the motion off as just a shift in stance, but she could tell from the atmosphere she was nervous, maybe even a little tense.

"105." Just what she thought. Zorana sucked in a deep breath.

"He really needs the help right now," Ms. Thoman started, " I covered the rent this month, but I need him to pay his own phone bill." He wouldn't be the one paying it though, it would be Zorana.

Zorana lowered her head, trying to come up with another excuse. This was starting to get out of hand. This wasn't the first time Austin and his mother had an "intervention" with Zorana. This also wasn't the first time Austin miraculously didn't have enough money to cover his own bills. Between taking care of his studio sessions and now even his bills, it was just too much on Zorana. Austin didn't even bring up the gig he was trying to get at the club anymore. She was starting to believe it was all just a lie he came up with to get her to send him the money. Zorana didn't mind helping; she really didn't, especially when she was told she didn't have to give them any rent. But as she watched her funds slowly disappear from her checking account, she couldn't help but feel like she was being used.