Humor Me

The Truth

Emerald

"Ok Addie, I have to get back to work now, my break's over." I smiled at her and got up from the table. She smiled back and began to dig into her pocket to get something. She pulled out her wallet and my brows immediately furrowed.

"No." I sternly said to her. she placed her wallet on the table and gave me a confused look. "You're not paying for this, this is on me." She stood up and prepared to protest, but I wouldn't allow her. I put my hand up to stop her in her tracks, "Do not argue with me, this is not up for discussion. You're going home and you're getting some rest, you look tired. Unless you want me to call your parents?"

She looked alarmed and shook her head. I could tell I had her defeated, so I gave her a smile of success.

"Fine," she said as she stood up to gather her things "But I will get even." I laughed at her and gave her a malicious look, "I'd love to see you try." With that she took her leave.

I turned back to the table after she exited to clear it for the next customer who wanted it. Gathering the cup and plate unto my serving tray, I noticed this little black square on the table. I picked it up and opened it, to see it was a wallet. Adeline's wallet. I figured she would need it back asap considering her metro card and school I.D. was in there. I looked further into the wallet to see if I could find an address. Luckily for me. she had a note that said, "If found please return to apartment 3F, building 1832." I decided to just return it to her after work, it'd be simpler that way.

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It took a while, but I finally made it to the building I dropped Adeline off at last time. I walked in, soaking wet drying my feet on the carpet at the entrance of the building. I took the elevator to the third floor and walked to 3F. I knocked on the door and waited for a response. After minutes, I knocked again, but this time a little louder. After a few more minutes of no response, I decided to talk to a neighbor. I walked to 3D and knocked on the door with hopes of better luck.

Moments later this scruffy older man answered the door. He was tall with a pot belly, nut a baby face.

"Uh, hi sir. I'm sorry to disturb you so late at night, but I was wondering if the teenage girl that lives next door is home?"

"What teenage girl?" you could hear the slight New York accent in his voice. "There is no teenage girls next door. Or on this floor for that matter. Only people next door is that young businessman and all the different women he brings home every night of the week. I tell ya, its like that man never takes a break. I'm surprised he ain't got kids by now. Jeez."

"So wait, no teenage girl lives on this floor?" I asked in confusion.

"Sorry hun, not that I know of." he genuinely looked sorry.

"So this isn't building 1832?"

H gave me a look as if he finally understood what was going on. "See hun, there's your problem. This is building 1842. 1832 is around the corner." I smiled and thanked him for his time. I left the building to endure the rain once again, and walked around the corner in search of building 1832.

After another ten minutes in the rain, I found the building. It was this little shabby run down place that didn't look safe enough to inhabit any form of life. "This can't be right." I mumbled to myself, but realizing I had no other choice I went inside just to see.

Upon entry, the smell of piss punched me in the face, along with a strong cloud of smoke. I looked for an elevator but there was no sign of one. As I result, I ended up taking the stairs. By the time I got to the second flight of stairs I stepped in something sticky, and it grossed me out to high hells, though I continued up the stairs anyway. Finally I made it to the third floor, and I didn't feel safe in this building at all, but I still made my way down the hallway.

Arriving at apartment 3F, I knocked on the door hoping Adeline wouldn't answer.

Adeline

I heard a knock at my door and wondered who could possibly knocking on my door 8 o'clock at night. I was hoping it was the landlord coming to check out my stove, but when I opened my door I saw someone completely different.

"Emerald?" my mouth dropped open. "W-What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" she sounded stunned but hurt at the same time, "Adeline what the hell are you doing here?"

"I live here." At this point I was looking at the ground, ashamed of the place around me.

"Adeline, I thought you lived in the fancy building around the corner. I looked in your wallet and-"

"You took my wallet?" I said cutting her off her and snatching it out of her hand.

"Took?!" She began to shout, "I didn't take anything. You left it when you were leaving the café with your stuff and my sweater; which I want back by the way."

She angrily barged past me into the apartment, and stopped in her tracks at the shabby old apartment that stood before her. I closed the front down and shyly looked down while rubbing my arm.

"Adeline. Where are your parents?" she asked in a stern voice, though it caught me by surprise.

"W-What?"

"Where are your parents Adeline? How the hell could they let you live in such an apartment, it does look safe nor does it seem like a healthy environment. Matter of fact-"

"They're not here." I cut her off unable to listen to her any longer.

"What?" she asked in confusion, her tone a bit softer.

"They're not around." I repeated, "well they don't exist."

She genuinely looked confused so I continued to explain. "When I was eight my dad got into a car accident. He was walking home from work and was hit by a drunk driver. Luckily, the guy felt so bad when he sobered up he turned himself in and offered to pay for my dad's medical bills. Which happened to be three years worth, considering he fell into a coma for three years after the accident."

She sat silently and listened intently, "Over the years, the doctors told my mom and I that he was stable that there was a good chance he might wake up one day. So we kept hope and visited him everyday. Then one day something went terribly wrong. All I remember was his heart began to fail, and they couldn't revive him. He just died." I began to tear up, though I tried my best to hold them back.

"A few days later we buried him, and after that I was the only one still mourning. My mother wasted no time in getting back on the market. About a few months later she met a really handsome man, a rich handsome man. He was quite fond of her, but no so fond of me. Not long after they met he proposed to her. Though it came with a price, she had to cut me off. And of course, being the needy woman she was, she let me go. She sat me down and explained to me that one day soon she wasn't going to be with me anymore. She said I'll always have a place to live, money in my pocket, and my school fees will be covered. On my 14th birthday she dumped me in this hell hole and got on the first flight to Florida. I haven't seen her since, nor do I want to. Though she's kept all her promises all these years, and I guess that's all that really matters."

She had a monotone face, so I couldn't read her. "That's... about it I guess."

"Addie..." her voice sounded soft but confused. "Adeline, what the hell?!" Her voice boomed with anger and it scared me.

"Excuse me what?" I asked stunned.

"What the hell Adeline?! I've been wasting so much time, and effort trying to help you and be there for you and you didn't tell me all this? Why would you keep this from me? Of all things, out of everything I've done for you, you couldn't tell me the truth about this?!" She began to pace the floor, she looked angry.

"I-I'm-"

"Save it." she said cutting me off. "I'm out of here."

With that she left my apartment and slammed the door behind her. I locked the door, and absent mindedly walked to my bed. I curled up into a ball under the blankets, and grabbed the sweater sitting at the foot of my bed. Emerald's sweater. Holding it close as my only source of comfort and solace, and began to think about what just happened. I started to cry, and continued to cry until I fell asleep. Which was probably for the best.