Belong To the World

Chapter 6: What to do, What to do

March 28th 2017

About an hour or so later police officers and paramedics came to the seen to investigate the incident. After questioning Toni, Myself and Miguel they let us go and told us there was no need to worry...of course let's not worry about the man who saved our lives and almost killed himself, let's definitely not worry about that.

"Lana, I am going to take Miguel to ya'lls place okay? We will see you there in a bit," Miguel gave me on more hug before they left.

"Everything is going to be okay sis. We've been in way tighter situations than this and still manage to make it every time. We both hit adulthood at a young age, but I'll be changing your diapers this time in the next few years," Miguel let out a small chuckle. I kissed his forehead and gave Toni another hug as I turned back to look at Andy's house one final time.

Digging into my back pocket I pulled out a folded up envelope. It was the same one from Andy's nightstand. I opened it up and a picture fell out face down. Picking it up I saw it was a photo of Miguel, our parents and I. It was the last photo we took that Christmas day. I tucked it away in my back pocket and handed the pocket watch to Miguel.

"Where did you find this?!" Miguel looked frantic for a moment. His eyes filled with a mixture of shock, sorrow and joy, "W-where did y-you find this?" he began crying as he clutched the pocket watch to his chest. He missed dad way more than I did which was saying something because I loved my parents to death unconditionally. This would be the first time I've seen Miguel cry in over four years. I held him close to me comforting him so that he wouldn't cry as Toni walked him to our place.

"Everything is going to be alright Miguel. I'll be at the house in a second okay?" He nodded his head as Toni draped her arm over his shoulder directed him down the opposite end of Jefferson street. I didn't look back at the house for if I did I knew I would cry again. Instead of heading down the same path Toni and my brother were going I took a detour route to the local park. I needed just a minute to myself before I lost my sanity and I always feel better at the park.

When arriving there, not a whole lot of people were out and about today, which made it better for me in the long run. I sat on the bench near the marry-go-round and placed my face in my hands and let it all out. I just couldn't take it anymore. The moment me and my brother finally have some room to wiggle it, life grabs us by the throat and fucking choke slams us back to where we start. I can't catch a break

"...I just can't catch a break,"

"Oh! Excuse me?! You alright?" I looked up and saw this girl standing before me. She only looked a few years older than me and was sporting a red jacket with black skinny jeans and some black heels. Her hair was pinned up and she wore bright red lipstick that went well with her bronze complexion, "I saw you cryin' and everythang, and I hate to see a fellow sista cryin' but, me being my nosey self, I of course have to know if everything is alright...is it?" I looked at the girl before me. Not fully knowing what to say I just remained silent for a few minutes before addressing the situation.

"I just lost my job today...It was vandalized down on Jefferson street,"

"Oh that was ya'll?! Damn, that's fucked I'm sorry. But hey if you are looking for a job, we are hiring!"

"We?" I didn't know where she was getting at, but she then smiled and pulled a card from a purse that looked far more expensive than anything I was wearing. She wrote on the back of it and kissed it leaving her lipstick stain over the words; still legible though.

"Just go here at eleven pm tomorrow night and ask for Starla," She turned and swayed her hips from left to right. A black mustang pulled up as Starla stepped inside. There was a man she was talking to but I could barely make out his appearance with how tinted the windows were. The moment they sped off I took another look at the card. Trailing through my memories I tried back tracking to find out where I had remembered seeing the name 'Lucky Star'. After about 15 minutes of mind tracing I gave up and decided it was time to head back home; maybe Toni would know. If it is a job that pays good however I might just take it, I have to provide for myself and Miguel some how.

~*~*

When I made it to the apartment my door opened just before I was able to pull my key out of my pocket.

"Girl if you don't pick up your feet. I could hear you halfway down the damn street," Toni and I exchanged a few chuckles as I entered my apartment.

"Where is Miguel?" I asked putting my stuff down in the living room nonchalantly gazing the perimeter in search of my brother who wasn't present. I walked to his room and didn't see him in there. I knew not to panic but half of me was already on the verge of flipping shit. I went to my room and saw Miguel sprawled out across the bed snoring and snorting up a storm. I slowly closed the door making sure not to make a sound. This day wore him out, hell it wore me out, Toni had returned back to the couch as she began texting away on her phone.

"Did you get the alone time you needed? Figure everything out?" Toni asked as I sat next to her on the couch with my head resting on the wall behind me. Digging in my pocket while not moving from my comfortable position I pulled out Starla's card and handed it to Toni, "What's this?"

"Someone offered me a job. They heard about the Andy's being shut down and she told me to meet her there tomorrow at eleven. I thought you would know," Toni examined the card one more time before her eyes grew wide.

"Oh my god," She said as she began scrolling through her phone searching the address labeled on the card.

"Whats going on?" I asked worriedly as she chose not to respond to me just yet. The moment she stopped looking through her phone she began staring at an image that I could not see.

"Girl..." She said as she turned the brightness up on her phone and showed me what she was looking at. My eyes grew wide as well when I had finally pieced everything together. Starla's outfit, that car, her purse, it all made sense.

"It's a strip club," my heart nearly sank.