New Girl on the Block

Chapter Seventeen: Helena

I shut the apartment door behind me and lock it. I turn the dim living room light and go to my bedroom. I set my backpack down on my bed, grab a random nightgown, and go to the bathroom to shower. After I shower, I go to the kitchen and start dinner.

Dad and I made this "deal" that if I cook dinner... and breakfast...and lunch, and if I wash the dishes and do the laundry...and keep the house clean, Dad will uhm...pay rent and give me a weekly allowance of two hundred dollars. The only problem with that is most of that money goes toward groceries and my school stuff.

Dad has been coming home a decent hour, so by the time I have dinner done, he should be home. I make a simple tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner. I'm exhausted, and all I want is to go to bed. After I'm done making my plate, I sit down at the kitchen table with a book and read as I eat.

Dad still isn't home when I'm done eating. I hope he's okay. I set his food in the old, white fridge and write a note on the small magnetic whiteboard, telling him his food is in there. I go into the bathroom, and while I'm brushing my teeth my phone buzzes on the kitchen counter.

It's Lyra, and she's sent me a picture. I finish brushing my teeth and then check the messages. The picture is Lyra with a second-place metal around her neck. I smile at Lyra's accomplishment.

Lyra

Lyra:

Look who got second place!!!

You:

Congrats! Knew you could do it!

Lyra:

Thanks! Wyd?

You:

Getting ready for bed. Wbu?

Lyra:

Bout to get on a flight back home. Wanted to text you before.

You:

Ah, okay. See you tomorrow?

Lyra:
Yeah. Hey, wanna call?

You:

Sure.

I hit the call button, and Lyra quickly answers. "Hey! I've got about five minutes till my plane boards. How was your day?" She asks kindly, but I can hear the tiredness in her voice.

I don't want to exhaust her more with my crazy life, so I just tell her, "Uhm, it was good." I feel like I should tell her about Ben, though. "There's kind of something I should tell you," I say, and I can tell she's instantly intrigued.

I go into my room and sit on the bed, only turning on the lamp on my bedside table. "What is it, H?" Lyra asks as I pull my blanket over my lap. I peer over and into the hallway as if someone was there. "Uhm, so," I take a deep breath and ramble out, "Ben and I have been going out, and we've kissed more than once, and he let me sit with him and his friends at lunch today, and now I have three new super nice girlfriends I can't wait to introduce you to!"

"Woah! Hold on there tiger!" Lyra scolds me, and I can't help but smile. "You're telling me...I was RIGHT!" Lyra shouts and laughs mechanically. "Calm down, jeez! It's not that big of a deal," I tell her, but then I hear the front door shut loudly. "Oh ho ho, but it is, and I'm definitely going to-"

"Hey, I gotta go. My dad's home," I tell her, and she says, "Okay, bye." I turn off my phone and plug it into its charger. I walk semi-cautiously into the kitchen to find Dad tiredly pulling out his dinner and putting it into the microwave. "Hey, Dad," I say, my arms behind my back. He only glances in my direction, saying, "Hey. You should probably go to bed. You've got school tomorrow."