Lies, Secrets and Apple pies

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Here's fifteen-hundred to help you out. No rush to pay it back. Were you able to find a lawyer?" I asked Brayden at Sunday dinner. He was making lasagna, garlic bread and had prepared a simple salad.

 "Thanks so much, Mi'a. You're the best and I did find a lawyer. I have to pay her half upfront because I wasn't approved for smaller payments. I'm trying to do everything as fast as possible and I'm working longer hours next week."

 "Glad I can help," I answered. "When is dinner going to be ready?"

 Trick burst into the room like a firecracker, "Yeah, where the food at boy?" Trick got Brayden in a headlock who reversed it. They tussle back and forth with Brayden having the upper hand. 

 I knock on Talia's door and walk in. She's in her mirror doing her hair. "Wassup Mi'a." She greets me.

 I lay my back against Talia's bed and yawn. I'm getting sleepy. "Mhm, nothing much just work, school and I have a girlfriend." 

 The last part gets me an excited squeal from Talia. She runs to me and starts to shake me by the stomach. "You have a girlfriend? Let me see a picture. Oh my gosh, this is huge."

 "It's not that big of a deal. We've only been dating for a short while. It's Lillian. You did her hair last week." I show Talia a picture of Lillian and I at the aquarium. 

 "Mi'a, you never date. This is happening. You're becoming a woman. We have to tell everybody." Talia demanded as she dragged me from her room. 

 At the dinner table, my new relationship status was the news of the day. I allowed my phone to be passed around so that everyone could see Lillian and I at the aquarium. Everyone was supportive and nice. Trick was just glad it wasn't a boy I was dating. Talia thought Lillian was too pretty for me, jerk. Dinner was served as everyone grabbed a slice of cheesey lasagna. I poured parmesan on my slice. My siblings repeated the action. I wasn't like my siblings. I didn't spend too much money, I went to school because I wanted a degree and I wasn't overly emotional and bursting with emotions like they were. 

 It was hard for me to make friends and to trust people. They all made friends with whomever they met. For all our differences though, they were the people I could count on. The people I trusted. My lasagna tasted like rough, dry cardboard. Which was weird because I loved lasagna. Lasagna and I went hand in hand and yet. It just didn't taste good tonight. My phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up and read my new message, Miss u xoxo. It was a text message from Lillian. My stomach twisted and turned. I grabbed my iced tea with a shaky hand. Why was my hand shaking? Was it just me? 

 I brought the cold beverage to my lips and drank. I didn't stop until my cup was empty and my mind ceased spinning. Guilt? No, I wasn't doing anything wrong. Mrs.Anderson was the liar. The deceiver. I, I was just a girl who saw an opportunity and I took it. I took it because no one else was going to give it to me. I had student loans to pay and no one but me was going to pay it. I looked at my salad that was drenched in ranch. White people ruled the world. I stabbed at my salad with a fork. Lettuce, tomatoes and cheese on the other end. I was just evening the playing field. 

 Miss you too. How was your day? I sent the message and my phone dinged a second later. It must have been a short day. It wasn't a text message but an email that I checked. A last minute job on my phone from Ms.Bunch. I babysit her kids before and it wasn't a bad job. It was annoying that the kids weren't in bed when I got there and stayed up till twelve or two in the morning. It was annoying that the mom paid below the recommended amount. She would sometimes up the pay though if she saw nobody was applying for the job. I would have accepted the job but my car needed to be looked at and I didn't want to drive it until I got it looked at tomorrow.

 I placed my plate in the sink and went to my room to do some homework. I threw my phone on the bed to cease any distractions. It didn't go as planned because my phone started ringing. I looked to see who was calling and swiped left. 

 "Hello,"

 "Hey Mi'a. Are you free tonight? I posted a job." Ms.Bunch said on the other side of the phone.

 "Yeah, I saw but my car is out of service. Sorry."

 "I can get you a lyft."

 "No, that's too much. Are you sure?" Mhmm, a Lyft. I wouldn't have to drive and could save money on gas and I was still getting paid."

 "It's no problem."

 I got ready to go. My hair wasn't done so I did that first. I put on a rainbow Nike shirt with some red slacks and white shoes. I made sure my face was cleaned and I was ready. The Lyft came a few minutes later. It was raining slightly and I couldn't be happier at the fact that I wasn't driving. Georgia drivers were not safe drivers and were even worse in rain like how does that add up? I arrived at the apartment five minutes early texting Ms.Bunch I was there.

 Ms.Bunch was a pretty, black lady who always had her hair in weave and eyebrows laid. She was super nice and talkative. Her two little boys even more so. They were up and bouncing around when I got there. Mind you it was ten pm when I got there. These kids should be asleep but I was getting paid seventeen an hour and they weren't too crazy. 

 "Help yourself to the fridge. You and the kids can eat whatever." Ms.Bunch said opening the fridge. It was full of food and beverages. "You know, money game." She said smiling at me. 

 I smiled back and then rolled my eyes when she turned around. Money game, I thought to myself in a mockingly way. For all she knew I could have been a starving, broke, college student and you might be thinking well aren't ya? I wasn't starving all the time and my limited spending prevented me from being broke but there was no way I could live on my own without struggling.  

 Ms. Bunch left a half an hour later. I fed the boys and I pizza and juice. We all spend our night in the living room watching Jurassic Park. The boys didn't go to sleep until two in the morning. I got off at three. I continued watching the show until I got a text at two-thirty asking if I could stay for another hour. She would tip. I agreed. I was already here. The night passed effortlessly and when Ms.Bunch got home she tipped me forty dollars. 

 "You need a Lyft home?" She asked. 

 How else was I going to leave? "Yeah, thanks." I went downstairs to meet my ride and placed my hours in for the night. I still charged her for the extra hour. A tip was for being nice enough to stay. She still had to pay for the hour. It's like tipping your waiter and thinking you didn't have to pay the bill or clean up the table a little. You still did them