A thousand bad times - Post Malone

One

"This is the seventh time this month I have had to call you down here Holi."

"No shit Hank. I can count."

"Holi. This is serious! Next time I am going to have to book him."

Holi throws her bag on the floor and sits in a huff on the chair next to her brother, Mac. She is so tired. Been up since 4 am, just part of raising two kids and living on the streets. She is raising her siblings - her younger sister Bell, 2 years old and her brother Mac, 10 Years old. She turned 18 six months ago. Her parents are unreliable town junkies who she has not seen for over a year now so raising Mac and Bell is up to her. She manages, barely, and now that Mac has turned 10 and suddenly developed sticky fingers she has found herself downtown in LA's not so glorious precinct trying to keep her brother out of fucking jail. Jail! Really!

"Holi he needs to have more oversight, a father figure of some sort."

"Fuck you, Hank. He has me and I am doing my best."

Hank shakes his head and looks at her with pity. She hates when people do that. Her life is what it is. She does not need anyone's pity. Besides pity does nothing to change her situation it does nothing but help others feel like they have some human qualities worth being proud of. They are all a bunch of self-serving dicks.

"Have you heard of the Big Brother program, celebrity edition?"

Holi sighs, yes she has. Hank has been trying to get her to put Mac on the program. It's a bunch of bullshit. Rich people trying to save themselves by displaying to the world how wonderfully humble they are by saving poor street kids like Holi and her siblings.  Again, self-serving dicks.

"Yes I have Hank and I will say it again. Fuck. You."

Mac sits up at the revaluation. This is the first time Hank has mentioned the program to Holi in front of him. The idea appeals to him, gets him excited. Of course, it does, he is a 10-year-old boy being given the opportunity to meet and spend time with a celebrity. Hank is an asshole for mentioning it in front of Mac, he knows what he is doing.

"Please Holi! I want to do that. Get me a big brother. Can I choose the celebrity? Can I get a Playstation out of him? Will he buy me brand clothing?"

Holi rolls her eyes. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid. Some celebrity prick would introduce Mac to the completely unrealistic life of money and power. When the tabloids have printed their articles on what a saint he is, he will drop Mac. Then she will have a bigger problem on her hands.

"No! It's a scam, Mac. I will get you a Big Brother down at the local rec centre."

"No! I want a celebrity one Holi. I swear I will cause more shit if you don't say yes."

"Mac, cause anymore shit and I will fucking punch you. In your throat. You are being a real dick right now."

Mac throws himself back in his chair sulking. Holi knows he won't go against her. She has raised him since he was born, hiding in cupboards and under floorboards with him at crack houses while their parents got fucked up. They are really close and very loyal to each other. They have had to be, they have only had each other to rely on.

They have also been on the run from child services their whole lives. When she turned 18 she had phoned one of those free lawyers and asked how she would go about adopting her brother and sister. But the system is so fucked up that it does not matter that she has raised both her siblings from birth, clothed them, fed them, kept them safe and got them registered at school.

No, none of that matters to the system. She does not qualify to adopt them. So she paid someone to make up fake adoption papers, she is broke so the fakes are not the best if anyone did any real digging they would be able to tell that they were fake and then she would be truly fucked. But needed to keep Mac and Bell with her. They were counting on her. She can't lose them, as crazy as it sounds they are her kids.