Comfortable Chaos

Chapter 19

Andre

I just got a job today.

As it turns out, my ticket is going to last for about three weeks. Right now, that's almost like winning the lottery. I need this money. Now we can rent a room. Finally, no more sleeping in a parked car in the woods and we definitely aren't going to any shelters. They drop us off back at the building. Brandi is already there to pick me up. I can't wait to tell her the good news.

"Hey, I have good news," I said, after I dropped in the car and kissed her.

She lights up. "Me, too."

"My job lasts three weeks," I said.

"That's awesome. I got a job today, too."

"Really? Who hired you?"

"A restaurant down the street. Misters. They're starting me off part-time hours to see how I work out first."

"They'll probably keep you part-time."

She frowns. "Why?"

"Because you're not even sixteen yet."

"I'll be sixteen in a couple of days."

"They can't give you too many hours."

"Anyway, I'll prove myself." She pauses. "Also, my Daddy called."

"You answered the phone? What did he say?"

"I didn't answer the phone. The phone was off and he left me a message."

"What did he say?"

"He said he wanted me to call him."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Did you call him?"

"No−"

"Good. Don't call him."

She bit her lip. "So...you think that I should never talk to my parents again?"

"Brandi, if you call them now, they will find out where you are. They can come get you and charge me with kidnapping or something. I'm nineteen. If they really wanted to get at me, they could come at me for statutory rape. Do you want them to do that?"

Brandi blinks really fast and sits forward. She all of a sudden becomes stiff like a board. "No."

"I've seen it happen before. I'm hungry. Why don't we go find something to eat?"

Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to keep Brandi from her parents forever. I just don't want to end up in jail over some misunderstanding. For now, I think we should look for a spot to crash.

***

Brandi and I searched our phones for a room. The first thing that popped up were rooms listed in Craigslist. She was a little concerned. She didn't want us to end up victims of homicides. I'm not worried about that. I dare somebody to try and take me out. A decision had to be made because we were under a time crunch. I didn't want to go another night sleeping in the car and I'm certain that she didn't want to either.

We barely settled on a place. It has one bedroom, a small living room and a kitchen with a small table in it. That was good enough for me. We moved our few bags in and that was that. I fell on the bed. Brandi fell next to me.

"I'm so glad that's over," she said.

"Me, too," I said.

"Andre? You think it'll always be like this?"

"Like what?"

"We'll always be trying to get by?"

"Everybody's trying to get by."

"I mean do you think we'll always be struggling."

I hope not. To be honest, I wouldn't be struggling now if Greg had helped me get a job at his company. But given the way he did me the other day, I get the feeling he never even tried. Thinking about it makes me angry all over again. How could he do me that way? I've always been able to depend on him and it's aggravating to think that he's not there for me the way he's always been.

Brandi puts her hand on my chest. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"You know what we haven't done in a while?"

"What?"

She moves her hand down and unzips my pants. Brandi sticks her hand in. Suddenly, all my aggravation flies away.