forget me not [severe hiatus]

chapter nine - changing patterns

Your life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change. -Jim Rohn

"What do you mean, I need to find a job?” I ask Brandi, nearly spitting out my mouth full of Froot Loops.

 My sister furrows her eyebrows and takes a bite of her toast. “Is there something wrong? I mean, you’ve applied for and had jobs everywhere else. This isn’t any different.”

 “Yes, it is!” I guzzle down the rest of my orange juice before continuing to speak. “Before, we’d rent out from old ladies for a month or two, or set up a tent, and - “

 “We’re in an apartment, Elliot,” my sister laughs. “That’s not exactly a house or anything.”

 “Still.” I move my spoon around my bowl, scraping off the dusty bits off the side, picking up the multi-coloured mush my cereal’s turned into. “Now, we actually live here. You’re at college, I’m in school. What do I need a job for?”

 “Fine.” Brandi sighs, shoving the last bit of toast in her mouth. “Don’t get a job. But then you won’t have any gas for your car or anything like that.” My eyes widen. No gas?

 “God damnit, I’ll get a job,” I resign, standing up. Brandi sips her tea, eyebrows raised and eyes looking up at me. I stick my tongue out at her and she snickers.

 Taking a look at the clock on the oven, I grab my backpack off of the counter and give a little wave to Brandi. “It’s 8:10. I have to go to school.”

 “Good luck today.” She smiles sincerely. “Oh, and tell your friends that I say hi!”

 “Okay.” I lift my hand up for a small wave and close the door behind me. Fat chance I’ll tell my friends ‘hi’ for her. They don’t even know who she is.

 I start up my car. During the five minute ride it takes to get to school, I think of Camille. I think of the way her brown hair curls, wisps falling into her face. I think of how she laughs, lightly at first and how she leans over, as if her lungs are caving in and she can’t breathe but can’t stop laughing either. I can’t get over how she treated me like one of her good friends from the moment I met her.

 My mind turns to Maggie, the somewhat-ditzy blonde. Her flamboyant attitude and her outstanding confidence continue to amaze me.

 And, for some reason, I think of Callie.

 Callie’s sweet - when she wants to be. It was fun racing her around Walmart, I’m not gonna lie - but she’s just so… I don’t know, out of it? It’s not just her whole I-Don’t-Give-A-Fuck attitude - as I’m sure she was that way before, too - but how she generally doesn’t give a shit. It’s like the difference between YOLO and We’re-All-Gonna-Die-Anyways-So-What’s-The-Point?

 And yes. I did just say YOLO.

 It won’t happen again.

 Before I can think about my new social life any longer, I’m at school. After parking my car (I love saying that. Parking my car) and seating myself in the back of History, I realise that I really, really need to find a job. Especially if I want to go somewhere with my new friends.

 Friends.

 I still can’t believe I have friends here, and so quickly, too. Even at towns Brandi and I stayed at longest, I was too busy working and doing homework to make friends.