Latchkey Lovers

Ch. 5: Short Lived

   Once again he didn't hover, he let me go in my new room and just settle in. A few hours after I had been there I smelled the smell of spaghetti sauce filling the air; it smelt so fresh compared to the canned stuff I was used to. I wondered into the kitchen and turning a chair around I watched as he worked in the kitchen preparing spaghetti quietly. I had never had a home cooked meal, I ate everything from the can, the closest to home cooked I'd had is the restaurant food he'd brought me. I had never even watched someone cook and I didn't know how to cook myself. 

   "I figured I'd go ahead and make you something to eat before I went to work; I hope you like spaghetti." he asked over his shoulder as he stirred sauce in a pan.

   "It's alright, I've never had home cooked food before." I said locking my legs around the legs of the chair, "I don't even know how to cook; but it's gotta be better than that canned stuff." I muttered.

   "I didn't know how to cook until I actually got my first job and first place at 18." he said, "I Youtubed a lot of stuff to learn." he said shrugging, "No one ever taught me anything, I had to learn everything on my own. I was out on the streets at a very young age; maybe 5 or 6." he frowned deeply, "I reminded my dad too much of my mother and he tossed me out."

   "Where you out on the streets that entire time; 5 to 18 I mean?" I questioned him.

   "Pretty much, no one wanted a half breed like me in their homes where I came from." he said, his gaze narrowing at the memory.

   "Half breed?" I questioned confused.

    "I'm part Native American and part White." he scoffed, "You'd think it was more acceptable to be mixed these days but it really all depends where you are from." he stirred the sauce again, "I got my first job at 18 and started saving up, got clean and worked my way up the vine. I do well for myself now." he said with a shrug.

   "How old are you now?" I had never asked him his age before.

   "26, I'll be 27 this August." he answered with no hesitation, "I know you're only 16, the doctors told me how old you were again the second time I was at the hospital with you; the first time I met you was last year, you were 15." he turned and leaned his hip against the stove, "How long have you been at it Maddie? Running the streets I mean?"

   "Sense I was 12, I was 5 when my mother quit being a mother though; when she started running with all her boyfriends. She gave me a set of keys, told me to lock up if I left out the house and to not burn the house down." I answered with a shrug.

   "What about your dad?" he asked, "Do you know anything about him?"

   "Nope, not even a name." I stated flatly, my mother had never talked about my father, and with her wrap, I doubted she even knew who my father was.

   "My father never talked much about my mother either; I just know she died shortly after I was born. I often thought that it wasn't just that I reminded him of her but that he blamed me somehow for her death." he said frowning.

   "Seems we both had a shitty parent." I snorted derisively.

   We fell silent as he finished cooking the spaghetti. It wasn't so much of an awkward silence as it was just two people enjoying each others company. The food smelt delicious, better than any restaurant food I'd smelt even.

   "The plates are in that left cabinet there, glasses are above the sink, and silverware is in this drawer." he said pulling out the drawer next to the stove, "There is Tea, lemonade and milk in the fridge; if you'd like on my way back from work tonight I can pick up some soda pop if that's what you prefer."

   "That's not necessary, I'm used to drinking just water." I answered.

   "I'm not looking to help you with what you're used to, I'm looking to help you with happier days, days you no longer have just the basic necessities." he stated sounding a little frustrated; I didn't understand his need to help me at all.

   "Look, I don't understand your obsessive need to help me, but I'm not gonna turn it away, however, I do not need spoiling." I snipped slightly.

   "It's just soda Maddie, a small pleasure." he stated bowing his head.

   I still didn't understand, "I like Cherry Coke and Mountain Dew; but generic will do." I sighed out in defeat.

   "See, now was that so hard?" he questioned, "If I can help, I will get you completely away from the streets Maddie." He said softly, "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go get a shower for work."

   I watched him mix the noodles with the sauce then turn off the stove, then watched as he left the room. Down the hall I heard him rustling around in his room then heard one of the showers turn on, the smell of the food causing my stomach to rumble. Getting up I served me a plate of food, scouring the cabinets and fridge where I finally found parmesan cheese, pilling on the parmesan I dug in hungrily. The flavors exploding in my mouth, causing me to nearly drool; it was as if I'd never tasted food before. Tears welled up in my eyes and I cried over the spaghetti, it had been made with tender love and care and it made me so happy. Quickly I wiped my face off as I heard the shower shut off; I didn't want him to see me crying over something so silly. 

   "Do you need to go into town?" he asked as he entered the room, "If I take you into town you'll just have to meet up with me when I get off work so I can bring you back home." he continued.

   "Yeah, I've got stuff I need to do in town." I replied.

   "Ok, lets go then." he said, throwing on a jacket by the door.

    Within an hour we were back in the city, I would do my usual routes as he worked at his job, I would keep the drugs out of his house as he asked me to do; but I couldn't very well quit my only source of income.

   Entering into a quikie mart I took off my hood to grab me a drink with the few bucks I'd made when I was spotted by two police officers who approached me.

   "Maddie McQueen?" the one portly officer asked me.

   "Yeah, that's her, I'm sure of it John." the skinnier, ill complexioned officer said.

   "CPS has been having the jurisdiction searching for you as a runaway." the portly one said, "You're gonna have to come with us."

   My eyes flitted to the doors as my urge to run kicked in, but I had never been in trouble with the police before, but I wondered if I could get far; I was sure I could out run the fat one but the skinnier one was harder to judge. Running had never been my fairer suite, but I didn't want to go back to CPS. Turning on heel I headed for the door.

   I could hear them behind me, two other sets of feet running after me, then just the one, my lungs started to burn, my legs ached, as I turned a corner only to run smack dab into the fat one, bouncing off him I landed on my backside.

   "That was a dumb move girly." he breathed heavily as I was jerked to my feet by my coat hood.

   Pulling my arms behind me they cuffed me and lead me back to their car and returned me to CPS. Upon arriving I was given an ultimatum, either stick in foster care till I aged out or go to juvenile detention as a runaway. I had heard about juvi and it wasn't a place I wanted to go; there were kids there much tougher and meaner than me. Grudgingly I agreed to stay in the system; my good life had been one day short lived.

   I contacted Adrick at his work, explained that I'd been picked up and I had no choice and that I was sorry I wouldn't be meeting him after work and thanked him for his offer of kindness; he sounded sad when he told me he'd see me around.

   "Remember, my door is always open to you Maddie." his voice called over the line as I hung up the phone and cried.