Fingered Back

Tuesday

Dennis, red eyes, fresh hickeys, and alcohol on her breathe, stands on the street corner with April by her side. Both of them bundle themselves in their coats trying to ward off the chilling September air. They watch as Dennis's mom and her new boyfriend Craig unload their luggage from their tan minivan and onto the dirty pavement. April hates Dennis's mom just as much as she hates fake tans, which was a lot. "Hey, how long will you be staying?" Asks Dennis rubbing the back of her neck. Her mom, slamming the trunk shut, then locking it with her car keys, looks over at Dennis. 

"Sweetie just relax we haven't even made it inside the lobby yet." Dennis's mom was the spawn of satan trapped inside Lulu Lemon yoga pants. Any word that escaped her thin organic chapstick lips, April had to fight the urge not to slap her. "Just take a deep breath in and a deep breath out." A fist forms from inside April's coat pocket. "I hope you don't mind us taking your bed." She smiles at April. Wide mouthed April looks over at Dennis who shrugs, then looks at her mom. 

"Uh where the fuck am I going to sleep?" Asks April, her knuckles turning white from inside her coat pocket. Craig, thermos in hand, walks over to April, puts his dry aging hand on her shoulder. 

"We aren't cussing so if you would please refrain from using any words with a negative connotation to them, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Sorry Craig, won't happen again." She takes four bags off the side walk, two on both arms, then follows Dennis up to their room, Craig and Monica following closely behind. Setting all four bags on top of a crumpled red solo cup in the middle of the living room, she pushes a pink lace bra off the back of the couch, then collapse on the couch next to her lab partner in Chemistry.  

"We're talking about this in the morning, as for you April, can you please show us to your room?" Sliding off the stained brown couch, she picks up the bags, then leads them to the door at the end of the hallway. Blood stained white sheets bundled up in the corner of her bed, three day old Starbucks glued to the coffee table by the bed and a opened bottle of aspirin tipped over. She turns around, Monica, kicking a pair of white keds out of her way. 

"Mind if we rearrange some things in here?" Asks Craig, his hand pressing against the coat rack. Were the cars loud enough for no one to hear Craig scream? Probably not. 

"I didn't realize my room needed to be rearranged?" Fuck it, any amount of time in jail would be better then spending an hour with Craig and Monica. 

"The aura in this room is a bit off, I think if we just moved some things around then all the negative energy would just escape through the fire escape." Monica chimes in. 

"What the fuck no, i'm being forced to give you my bedroom anyway. The least you can do is keep it the way it is." 

"April, language." Craig breathes out. His voice heavy and annoyed. 

"You're a fifty year old man, everything that comes out of my mouth shouldn't be a surprise to you." Craig tightens his grip on the thermos, while Monica, pushing the dresser against the opposite wall it was originally in, gasps in disbelief. "Did you not listen to anything I just said Monica, put that back where it was." Dennis rushes into the room, the hickey that tattooed her neck is now covered poorly with concealer. 

"April, can I talk to you for a minute." She smiles at Craig and Monica before shutting the door behind them. "Look, I don't like them just as much as you don't. But, if they came here barring gifts of money that we need, make their stay as welcoming as possible so they feel obligated enough to give us the money." A sigh escapes April mouth. She opens her bedroom door again, Craig and Monica were setting their bags on the bed.

"I realize I haven't been a very good hostess and I apologize, if rearranging my furniture makes your stay more comfortable, by all means go right ahead." Monica and Craig both walk over to her, welcoming her into a hug.