A Girl, A Tree, and a Million Hellos

Sweet Romance

     I dropped my bag and laid in my "bed". A twin mattress with stains and a torn up quilt. At least I had my laptop. Dad got me that. Pops died as far as I was concerned. He was a thousand miles away paying child support and raising two half sisters I've never met. 

     My life felt like I had a tumor pounding on the side of my head. But that wasn't the only pounding that was happening. The door creaked with every knock that came from the other side. "Come in." The door squealed and creaked as it swung open. A girl about my age walked in.

      "Hi!" She was oddly perky an was dressed nice for what a dump this place was. " I'm Adara. Hopefully your new friend. I'm Miss apartment 203."

     " I guess Ill be seeing you around a lot?"

      Her smile started to sink like a stone in water. "Not likely, though. People use this place like a 31 day trial of hell."

      " I know the feeling all too well. My homes triple my age"

     " Well, sob story, you gotta name?"

     " Only the most exotic one, Josh."

     " Well Josh, take it all in. This is the life hat you've longed for. Smelling spaghetti every breath through the nose and wondering what that strange stain is on the floor."

     " Funny. See ya 'round."

     " See ya." she disappeared into the flickering light outside of our apartment. 

     The fun ended as the the door creaked into a slam. I turned on Starman and slowly drifted into a black null heaven, you might call it sleep. Now we can talk backstory. 

   Bet you didn't expect a forth wall break, huh?! Well I wasn't expected either. My "mom" had been pounding more doors than Bill Cosby knocked out women when my dad took her in. The grew close caged in a apartment. With the light of three candles and public advertising on our box television. Life was a black moss infested heaven for them. 

     Then the safe sex didn't work to well. Nine months later little old me popped out of the "birth canal" and made a big splash. the ripple in the water made them float differently. Mom became a grouchy bi- ... -person, a very grouchy person. Then it hit my dad. She hit my dad. So one day he woke up said to hell with it. He locked her out of the room and escaped through a two story window.

     I know what you're thinking... "what a selfish piece of crap!" That a-hole left me with a pill-head lunatic in a dumpy apartment. But it gets better, just wait. He started a new family and sends me a birthday card every year. Three months early. 

     That girl today numbed the pain. Other people always did. But she's just a phase of my life. Right?