Ride On

Chapter XXX: (Wo)Man With Money

"What are you gonna do with all that money?"

"Honestly..." I twirled the phone cord in my finger, a habit I never learned to break. I had been asked to dog sit for a week at the start of June and was getting paid big bucks for it. Unfortunately that meant caring for three toddlers and one rowdy puppy all at the same time. 

I wanted to buy myself something nice. 

"Buy a plane ticket to London or something," my friend suggested. "Go on a vacation and get out of that house where you can at least attempt to clean up your sanity."

"I've told you all of my latest adventures with the boys and that's not enough?"

"This job is killing you, Hannah. You were meant to live a different life than that of your parents and I'm not sure any of you quite understand that." I sighed into the phone. "Don't huff at me, you know I'm right."

Saying all this was easy. Actually doing something about it was the hard part. 

I couldn't drive so I couldn't just take off whenever I wanted to. I felt sick a lot and it took extra effort just to get out of bed in the mornings. Anything could happen to me while I was away from home. I managed to survive three trips around the Australian coast but I had medicinal assistance. I didn't want to become dependent on those to live a normal life. 

It wasn't fair. 

"Ugh, infomercials," my friend muttered over the phone. "Where's all the good cartoons?"

"Isn't Pink Panther on?"

"I think the Panther's having a smoke break," she replied probably changing channels at the speed of light and finally giving up. "WAIT!" she practically yelled into the phone. "Wait a minute, hold the fucking phone."

I put a hand over my heart as if that would calm it down. "I am."

She was quiet for a minute and I was about to ask her what the problem was when she told me to turn on the television.

"I can't, Charlotte's using it."

"Isn't she like, a one year old?"

"Two," I corrected. 

"Never mind, I'll tell you. AC/DC's on the telly!" I didn't respond knowing good and well that the band was on the telly regularly. 

"Okay...?"

"You know they're on tour, right?" Sure. A while ago they had gone on to Europe for a tour to promote the new album and they would be a million miles out of my comfort zone for half the year. "They're about to go to America! You could buy a ticket there and catch them on tour!"

I about choked on my own spit. "You're out of your mind! They're working, they don't want any stray tag-alongs!"

"You're in good with them, maybe they'd make an exception! You could get out of working for a bit and have fun!"

I bit my lip and hung my head. Even if I had the money to buy one plane ticket, I didn't have enough money on me to pay for all my expenses. The hotels I'd stay at, the food I'd eat, the transportation I'd take. Not to mention I had no clue what their itinerary was. I could end up in Chicago with the boys down in Little Rock. Then what?

And what the hell would my parents think of that??

"I still think that's a bad idea..." My stomach was already in knots again. I needed to sit down. 

"Hannah...." I braced myself. "I'm worried about you. You're not at all happy where you are. You're stressed out to the point of getting sick and I don't see things changing any time soon." I felt a lump rise in my throat. It was difficult to swallow. "At least get a plane ticket somewhere, travel, but you have to get out of that house!"

I cried again that night.

At least this time I knew the reason why.