Survival

Survival: Chapter Nine

• Chapter Nine: •

The chain of apartments Emma lives in seems very decent, more than decent, I can say. All the building are made out of bricks, surrounded by green grass. The apartments are set in, what seems to be, the rich part of Austin. It's obvious Emma is rich. That explains the mustang.

We park, and I wonder if I should open the door for Emma to show my gratitude or at least show I have some manners.

But instead she tells me she'll go first, while I wait in the car, and she'll explain to Stephanie that a complete male stranger is going to live with them. Well, it sounds bad saying that.

I wait in the car and look at the sky. Stars everywhere. The only star I know is Capella because I had to memorize it for science class. Capella is the sixth brightest star in our sky, and it's part if the Auriga constellation and it's also a yellow giant. See? I can be smart.

And while I watch the illuminating dots in the sky I found the penny in my pocket. The year of the penny is the same as my birth year: 1996.

This penny.

Copper, small, rounded.

For some reason, it really gets my attention. I wonder why?

I see Emma come out of her apartment, and she gives me the "c'mon" hand gesture.

"So I'm good?" I ask Emma.

"Yeah, I think," Emma responds to me." Not sure if she heard me, she's drunk."

I really hope Stephanie doesn't end up being like anybody from my school. I meet Emma mid down the path and walk in together, me behind her. The inside of the house is obviously decorated by two teen girls. The wallpaper, a clear sky blue color. Everything clean. Everything organized. Even the Christmas tree is up. As I looked around, I see a girl laying on the couch. "Don't worry about her," Emma says." She's not dead. She's just ninety-nine percent wasted and one percent awake."

I could clearly notice the wasted part, not the other one percent.

"Did she even listen to you," I say as I examined her. I can't see her face. All her hair is covering her face.

"Yeah, she heard you. She just fell asleep in the time I took to go get you from outside," she said. "Stephanie. Stephanie! Wake up!" Emma pokes at her in the stomach, which is probably full of liquor and tequila shots, and she eventually wakes up from Wasted World.

Stephanie got up struggling from the couch. The tequila definitely did its job.

"Shit. I have a huge headache. My head gonna explode- who's this guy?" She questioned Emma with a confused/drunk face." Did you bring him to fool around with? It's about time you grew up, Em. Can I borrow him when you're done."

There's was doubt she's drunk. A blind, paralytic, deaf person could tell she had a little too much.

"Shut up, Stephanie," Emma said. She clearly didn't sound mad at her comment. Probably she's to use this."I already told you. Forget it. I'll tell you later."

And suddenly a pulse drags Stephanie to her feet. For a second I just thought she was going to introduce herself, but instead, she puked all over my jacket and shirt. I jerk away but all the substance is all over me.

"Ups. S-orry. Hi," Stephanie says. And then runs to the bathroom in search of a toilet to throw up in. Even though she shut the door I could hear how she screeched and gagged on her vomit. As I always said, partying is fun until you experience the throwing up, the headaches, stomachaches, and of course the hangover.

"Oh, crap. Look at you. You're a mess," Emma pitied me.

And all that came out of my mouth was a, "yeah" instead of something like this: 'This was my only shirt, Stephanie. You're lucky I have no home, and can't say anything to you because if I did Emma would probably kick me out.'

"Geez, here give me your jacket and your shirt," Emma said." I'll put it to wash."

I don't know if I feel comfortable getting half-naked in front of Emma but I guess I have no choice. I take my jacket and shirt off and handed them to her.

"Wow, Hulk, I didn't know you lifted," she says to my skinny and wimpy body.

"Yeah, I like working out," I said.

Emma left to hand wash my clothes because the apartment's laundry service was closed. She left the room with an impressed face.

When Emma came she fixed me a blanket and a pillow to sleep on the couch.

"Good night, Adam," Emma says to me.

"Good night, Emma," I respond.

It was almost midnight, and my eyes were shutting without my approval. I didn't need to count sheep to fall asleep tonight.

I slept like a baby.

I'm glad I didn't sleep under a bridge tonight.