Vigilante by Choice

Chapter 27: Backstories

 

I had interested her in my backstory. I was doing everything right. This could have a lovely outcome. I continued. "Rory, Jeb, and Rose's father, his name was Elliott, died in a house fire trying to put it out. He was one of the coolest people ever. He was friendly, outgoing, very intellectual, and over all the coolest guy you could've known. I had known him for the longest time. He died a month after I came back for service."

She looked at me with sorrow, not pity, but empathy. "What about their mom?"

This  topic was a hard one. "Their mother, my sister, for the longest time in and out of treatment centers. But when she met Elliott, he turned her life around and they had the picture perfect life. Once Elliott died she went off the deep end. She was always out, not taking care of the kids and not paying bills so the CPS stepped in and gave the children to me. But then she had another child, which was Jeremiah, and she left him on my doorstep with a note. I haven't heard from her since." My voice was very quiet.

She put her hand on my shoulder. "That's an amazing story. And you have been taking care of them all by yourself?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, at first it was hard but after practice, and help from Rory, I got the hang of it."

"If you don't mind me asking, how can you afford it?" Her face looked a little timid.

"Well, I was the floor manager at the factory on the corner of 6th and University. It paid well enough, but I still decided to live in a cheaper apartment so we could save money for a rainy day." She didn't hear the was. Hopefully, she wouldn't ask about.

"Well, that's very smart of you." She approved of my plan.

I sighed. "I was hoping to use it for college. Mostly Rory, and maybe a little bit for me while making more money for the rest of them. But I'll probably have to use it to pay for something else."

"Why is that?" She questioned, her reporter side showing.

Crap. There it was. "Well I got laid off from work a few weeks ago and I've been looking for jobs ever since, but it's hard when you don't have a college education." This was getting depressing. "So what about you, now that I have bored you with my life story."

"You haven't bore me." Faye said, pushing her hair out of her face.

I rolled my eyes. She was being too nice. "Yes I have. Now spill." I said giving her a slight push.

"Well I have a mom and a dad. I live with my grandma." She said, plain and simple.

"Gami?" I asked impersonating her yell from this morning.

Faye let out a laugh. "Yes Gami."

"What else?" I asked, interested to hear more.

Faye gave me a weird look. "What do you mean what else?" She asked tilting her head.

"What else?" I asked again.

Faye shrugged her shoulders. "That's it."

"That can't be it." I said, not buying into her story.

"It is. Nothing else to say." She said rather smugly.

"Come on, you're hiding something from me." I said leaning closer to her.

She held her hands up in defense. "I swear I'm not."

I pointed my finger at her. "Don't lie."

"I'm not lying." She said looking off at the playground.

"Are you sure?" I said giving her side a little tickle.

"Yes. Don't tickle me." She giggled out.

"Are you ticklish?" I said moving closer to her, threatening her with my fingers, ready to tickle.

Faye tried to hide a smile. "No." She shook her head.

"I think that means yes." I said before I started tickling her. I wouldn't relent. She tried to thrashing out of the tickles. After about a minute I let her catch her breath.

"How about this? I will let you know more about me, if you take me out to dinner." Faye said catching her breath.

"Dinner?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Yes, the thing that people eat in the evening." Faye said rolling her eyes.

"Are you asking me out?" I asked, slightly shocked.

"Maybe. How about Thursday? Sound good?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Sure. That sounds awesome." I responded.

Faye stood up. "Sounds good. I will see you at 6." She walked away.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

Faye turned around to face me. "I have to run to work." She smiled as she walked away.

Rory, Jeb, Rose, and Jerry walked up to me. "So lover boy, did you get the digits?" Rory asked sitting down next to me.

"I think so." I smiled. Me and Faye are going on a date. This is amazing. I couldn't be happier. Then I remember something. "We still need to talk about this thing with Kenny." I said to Rory.