Dance Moms - Chlobird

Chapter 11 : Tenant

She was heading home, ready to catch up with some afternoon reading. But her subconscious disagreed, and she found herself driving in the same district she visited last night.

Compared to nighttime, the place looked even worse by day, as if she was traveling in the result of war. Most buildings were empty, their paint worn by decades of sun and storm, baring the eroding bricks underneath. Only a few windows were intact, survived from nature and vandalism. Warning signs could be found everywhere, some by the city, others by developers, all shouting in bold letters to keep people away.

Finding Brooke's apartment was challenging, consider every building looked breaking down the same way, and she couldn't have located it if it weren't for the burned vehicle she drove past last night.

Out of old habits, Chloe inspected the entrances, fire exits and windows, paths to get out of a situation. She searched for signs of occupants, looking for recent trash, hanging clothes, and water meters. Once she completed her assessment she told herself:

I'm just going to take a look. Nothing more!

She pushed through the gate behind the trashcans, took the stairs to the basement, there were no windows, and the walkway was as dark as night.

Behind a corner she could already hear Brooke shouting at the top of her lungs. Chloe stopped before the turn, peeked over the wall and looked. The girl was standing on tip-toe, screaming at the face of a much bigger man.

"Damn it Clay! I HAVE the money! Right here!" Brooke waved the banknotes in her hand.

"That only covers the month before, who knows when I will get the previous month?" the bald man spoke with a cigar puffing out of his mouth.

"But at least let me get my things! You can't hold them damn it! Those are MY THINGS!!"

"You'll get your things when you pay in full!"

The man was a head taller, with a big shaven head and full beard, his bulky arms squeezed out from the sides of his vest, and Chloe noticed the odd embroidery at the back – a skull and crossbones drawing, except the bones were replaced by axes, like some kind of insignia. She also spotted a black pistol tucked in the small of his back, the handle was pointing to the right, making him right-handed.

She shuffled her feet, struggling whether to walk away, until she finally gave in to her conscience.

"What's going on?" she stepped out of the corner to make her presence known.

"Who the hell are you?" the landlord turned around, puffing out thick smoke as he spoke.

"We work together." Chloe stepped forward. "She wasn't answering her phone today."

"I would if this asshole let me get my charger!" Brooke glared at the man.

"Please just let her get her things. She'll lose her job if we can't reach her." Chloe explained.

"What are you? Her boss?" the man studied her from head to toe.

"No. Just colleague."

"Are you going to pay her rent?"

"No. I don't have money." Chloe shook her head.

"Then you should mind your own business!"

"Then I will call the police."

"What?" both Brooke and the landlord blinked.

Chloe continued moving forward, drawing the distance closer. The big man turned to meet her halfway, his boots thumping beneath his weight, his broad arms almost taking up the width of the corridor, but none of this intimate Chloe, she held her ground and spoke in a steady tone.