Unexpected

Take Off

Fury seemed pleased with my decision and had me directed to an Agent Maria Hill who would help me settle down a starting date and the like. She had a nice sounding voice, tinted in even parts with kindness and professionalism. Together we decided that I'd go in to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters called the Triskelion for my first time for a physical and tour of the building so I could be shown where I'd work in a week when I'd be in a walking cast so I wouldn't have to rely on crutches anymore. I'd get added to their data base and maybe even meet my physical trainer while there as well. While I was in town I could also look into apartments. Flights and hotel fare would be taken care of for me, which I thought was nice.

As he had when I'd moved to New York for school, Grumps took his station at his laptop and started helping me look up apartments. He wasn't too good with technology, but he could spend hours on the internet researching what interested him, like news stories, fishing and shooting supplies, and in this case, apartments. We sat side by side on the couch, computers on our laps as we searched sight after sight and went through pictures of buildings and rooms, checking out prices, neighborhoods, and the like. Grams, who was more of a people person, helped me deal with Renee. Now that I was officially not going back to New York, it was time I told Renee that I had no intention of staying her roommate.

It was a hard phone call. "Hey Renee... yeah it's me... no, I'm not coming back today... no, I left the hospital over two weeks ago!... listen, Renee-...uh-huh... that's nice, but listen... Renee!...I'm moving out." I just had to say it straight out to get the woman to listen to me, "It's not a joke... I'm serious. About a week ago I got a job offer and I accepted... no, it's not in New York, that's the point... D.C., and that's part of the reason why I'm moving out...the other reason?" I felt cornered, I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I wasn't going to lie to her, "Because- um, to be honest, it's 'cause you don't care... I know, but I was gone for three days before you even noticed I was gone!... it wasn't just that one time, Renee, I've always been in the background of your life. I've always tried to help you, to be a good friend, but all you did is take and take, and I'm done!" I was getting heated now.

"Name one time? Let's see, how many times have I had to hold your hair and nurse you from your hangovers? How many times have I driven your sorry drunken butt away from bars and parties? You would have died from alcohol poisoning a dozen times over by now if I hadn't been there for you!... I don't have anything against drinking, Renee, and you know it!...And around the apartment! Who cleans? Me. Who cooks? Me... no you don't! Half the time I'm the one who unloads the dishwasher!" I paused and took a deep breath, holding the cellphone farther from my ear as Renee retorted sharply to me, her voice shrill through the speaker. I didn't want this to be a fight. "Renee, please, just listen, for once listen... no you don't, you never listen! You interrupt me all the time and my problems are never as important yours... I don't want to fight, Renee, I really don't, but you don't respect me, you never have and I've let you walk over me too long. You're not interested in being my friend or anything that doesn't have to do with you directly... it's the truth and you know it!... at one point we were friends but at some point... I don't know... anyways, I'm moving to D.C. and that's the end of it..."

Renee started going on about how I was just going to drop her out of nowhere, for no reason. How was she going to pay for the apartment herself? Ignoring the part where she completely ignored all the reasons for why I was leaving, I tried to speak evenly, though exasperation tinted my voice anyways, "Well, gosh Renee, I'm not going to leave you high and dry! I'm going to talk to the building owner and see what I have to do to get you out of the lease, and I'm telling you all this now so that you can find someone else to move in with you or whatever." The rest of the call was difficult to say the least and in the end Renee angrily and abruptly hung up on me.