What I Love About You | boyxboy

Chapter 3

At about nine at night the two of us ventured out of our apartment to head to the sub shop across the street. The intersection is near impossible to cross any earlier than that, so we waited. Much to our protesting stomachs.

If it wasn't obvious by now, we're not exactly rolling in luxury. Our story is a bit of a long one, but basically we live with our single mother in a shitty two bedroom apartment with hardly any money to spare. Most of our income goes into a savings for a deposit on a house, in addition to our current rent, heating, water, and electricity bills.

"Do you want anything on it?" Emy asked as we stood just outside the door.

I shrugged. "Get whatever you want."

"You sure? I want black olives." I made a face at that suggestion. "Figures. I won't get olives."

She turned to go inside, but I grabbed her arm and turned her back to me, shaking my head. "It's your money, get what you want."

"But you hate black olives."

"Emy..." I sighed. "Just do what you want."

She smiled at me. "Great."

Leaving me on the curb, she skipped her way into the sub shop gleefully. While I waited I found a stick near an old drainage pipe and started drawing in the sand. I wasn't very good at art, that was mostly my sister's fortay. Like me she was gifted and focused hard on that talent to increase skill. We believed, as our mother had told us, that these talents would "set us free" - as it were. If we could make ourselves the best, draw in attention to a fantastic career, we wouldn't have to worry about living out the rest of our lives like this.

That was the dream, anyway.

It was one of the reasons our mother worked her ass off with three jobs, few hours of sleep, and paying for lessons as well as our school. That school... it wasn't exactly prestigious, although it was a private academy. Unlike most it wasn't one of the religious types, they simply employed fantastic teachers and promised their curriculum was the best. That's why it cost us a tuition to attend, but at least it was cheaper than some of the others in the area. With it, we were able to learn music and art at the school, as well as a program after school on some days with a private tutor. Anyway, that's why we live in a dump with little money, even though the three of us contribute our share. Mostly our mother who nowadays we hardly ever saw.

I was grateful to her, though, make no mistake. Emy and I cared for her and every sacrifice she made to get us where we were today. Without it, we'd be going to some uncultured, criminal ridden school on the west side of the river.

"Nice drawing." I heard behind me. I had expected it to be Emy, it sounded like her, but I was surprised to see my mother.

Her eyes were black and drowsy from all the lack of sleep. Her dress was clean, apart from a sauce stain near the hem of the breast. Her hair, which was normally perfectly secured in a bun at the beginning of the day, was loose and messy around her tired face.

"Emy said you wouldn't be back until three." I let go of the stick, probably ruining my worthless sand art.

She smiled at me. A forced one. "I was, but Smith let me go."

"What?" I jumped up. "Why?"

"It's not a big deal, honey, I'll find a new job."

I made a face. It was because she was pushing herself too hard and she messed up again, wasn't it? Of course, I couldn't ask that. "Mom, will you be okay-"

"We'll be just fine, Sen." I could see the worry in her happy faking eyes.

"I meant you." I removed my school's jacket and let it fall around her shoulders. Usually it fit alright with only a little hanging over, but it looked massive around her tiny frame. She lost weight again. "You don't need to work so hard, I'll go find a part time job some-"