Living With Delinquents (AKA "Louder Than Words") (Slow Update)

Chapter 12: Dim Stripper Light

Chapter 12

“Ugh, this feels very wrong.”

“Not if you stop thinking about it. Just put it in.”

“What if it got stuck?”

“Relax, it’s not that big. It never is.”

“What does that mean?”

Couldn’t stand the agonizing coward delay, Juney rolled his eyes and shoved the peso on Wrick’s hand down an old blue slot machine. A clanking sound followed and after that came the deadly silence of 6 seconds. Everyone held their breath and was in a running posture, prepared to flee if things went to hell.

“Where did you even get the peso?” Color broke the silence.

“Stripping?” Wrick shrugged.

“Impossible. You can’t make that much.”

Wrick was prepared for a spicy comeback when the slot finally came into life with its horrific dying ringing bells and dim stripper's light. Wrick yelled: “Hallelujah lords be praised! It’s alive!”

Color patted the slot: “I told you. You can just put buttons in here and it’d still work.”

“I guess that’s it. We’ve proved the Ice Age money jacker is not dead and apparently multiracial. How about wrapping this awful tour up and go home?”

The kids nodded their head in unison, tired of running around the mall all day without any money and a fat guy with one peso. This tour was slowly coming to a tedious end, with the twins bored out of their mind as their hands had nothing better to do beside being shoved in their pockets.

On their way out, Color spotted Ben arm in arm with a brunett, intimately talking with each other while exiting the gaming center. She smiled and congratulated herself on being right about a lady man like Ben was not going to ride solo anytime soon. They disapeared   

After being struck by the unbearable heat when exiting the air conditioner fueled mall, the cast of The Sitter could see Haley standing by her car waving impatiently. Wrick sprinted to her first like a fat kid running toward a candy store, only he didn’t fall flat on his ass. Color and the twins slowly paced toward her as well: “Why did you come here Haley?”

“To take you home and take all the credits for driving you turds to the mall today. Nice work, Wricky, lunch on me tomorrow.” Haley grinned viciously before tossing Color 3 packs of Captain Kool ice cream bars. She was stunned: “You went 100 miles to buy me my favorite ice cream?”

“No, stupid, I bought them off a van near by. Now eat it!” Haley grunted.

Color just gave her sister a quick glance of gratitude and handed the twins their ice cream. Haley could be really crude most of the time, but deep down inside she still buys ice cream for Color, gets exotic posters for Brandon to stick randomly on his chaos of a room and gives Lana and Phillips bizzare scented candles which they never light up in fear of sudden death from foul odors. But they still appreciate her odd gifts.

As the children chowed down on their treats, Wrick asked Haley about the meeting: “How was it? What number did you get?”

“5. Right after Vincent Has no Life. And before that new kid’s band.”

“Did you meet them?”

“Yeah. They’re too commercial. But good. I don’t know, that Ben chick may have something up her sleeves.”

“He’s a dude.” Wrick confirmed.

“He looks like a girl so whatever. The competition is on a Friday night.” Haley rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be there for sure.”

“You’re the AV guy, you have to be there.” Haley sneered. Then she looked at the clock and shouted: “Are you done? Get in the car and go before Dad comes home!”

Color plunged one big last bit of ice cream down her throat and shuddered from brain freeze. So did Boran. As for Juney, he’d finished the ice cream as soon as it was opened. They jumped in the car and waved goodbye to Wrick.

“Do you need to stop by Lee’s and get a new bag pack?” Haley asked as the car slowly rolling down the street.

“Nah, the old one still doing fine. I think I’m gonna use the money for something else.” School materials came last according to Color’s priorities, she could have her books packed in a paper bag as long as she could buy stuffs that she was really interested in.

“Do you wanna hitch a ride to school tomorrow?”

Color’s heart jumped. Tomorrow is the first day of school after spring break. She was going to have to go back to the regular routine of putting a shell up and just minding her own business. She didn’t really expect to meet a new friend anytime soon and wanted to continue on that path. But it couldn’t be done with Haley’s loud presence. Color shook her head: “It’s fine, I’ll take the bike.”

Couldn’t withstand the depressed silence as Color mourned inwardly for her pathetic social life, Haley budged: “I don’t wanna sound like Gandhi or anything, but just be yourself and try to make some friends. You’re 17 already and haven’t brought a friend home for me to creep them out.”

Color just smiled tentatively: “It’s fine, I’ll make friends when the time comes.”

“Stop saying ‘It’s fine’ when it’s not. You won’t want to go to prom alone. Or with Wrick either cause he’s not going to be available. I’m not letting him ruin your social status as it is.”

“Not even sure I’d go to prom.” Color murmured.

Haley sighed: “OK. It’s your choice, do whatever you want. But remember my words.”

They all drove home in absolute silence, something that everyone in the car was used to.

Can you guess who is which character from "The Sitter"? :) Hint: Wrick is not Noah.

Tune in next time when Color goes to school...