Elle Jones

Chapter 4: Highway to Hell

Closing the door behind me, I carefully tiptoed behind Austin as we head outside the apartment. Our shoes rubbed against the thick, red carpet; smells of Clorox, lint balls, and cigarettes cloud my sense of direction as the brown walls didn't seem to care about my personal space.

Speaking of space, the inside hallways of the apartment are cramped; old doors were on either side of the walls with golden numbers sticking against the surface. Most entrances are clean, but some had dirty scuff marks, cracks, and unattractive blemishes.

Glued against the walls are lights you would normally see in a hotel: the bright lightbulbs are connected into a clear, glass bowl, which contains a white hue shimmering on the surface.

Taking my hand, Austin marched downstairs, where a red SUV is waiting for us. Leaning beside it is Kristy, giving me a big wave.

She has curly brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a face softer than a rose petal. Despite her forties, Kristy looks good in a low-cut black dress with pointy black heels and red lipstick.

As I nervously take a step forward, I inhaled the watermelon perfume, which was peeling off her dress, and smiled at her.

"Hi Kristy," I beamed. "You look really beautiful today."

Kristy blushed and said, "Thank you, Jack."

Then, with a sideways glance at Austin, Kristy adds teasingly, "See? At least someone cares about fashion."

Austin rolls his eyes. "I said you looked nice."

"I said you looked nice," Kristy mimicked Austin's voice. "Now really, is that any way to compliment your mother?"

"Ugh," Austin moaned.

Kristy turns her head to me then said, "My wife has a lot on her plate, so I am taking you to Ellie Jones' funeral."

My smile turned into a cheerful grin, while Austin gives her a deflated look.

"Mom, I already told Jack." he insisted. "Her dad is letting her tag along with us."

"Oh," Kristy blushed again, staring in my direction. "My apologies."

I shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"No worries," I say. "You were just making sure."

"Are you sure?" Kristy casts me a doubtful look. "I might be a pain the ass to Austin-"

"Which is half-true," Austin says as a matter of fact.

"-but, I just feel uncomfortable taking you on a trip behind your father's back." she finished in a careful tone.

I chewed my bottom lip and stared at the dark cement, agreeing what Kristy says.

It became clear to me that Kristy is afraid of him: whenever I come over to Austin's house, she would ask me five times if Joseph gave me permission to visit him.

I can't blame her, though. I mean, he did give Kristy a hard time telling her and her wife not to allowing their son to go near me.

Although they were unconvinced, Kristy and Olivia took Joseph's words to heart by buying Austin condoms and make him watch a ten-hour documentary about the birds and bees.

While his moms thought it was "educational", Austin thought it was childish and disturbing. According to him, the movie was at least thirty years old, has absolutely no color, and the guy discussing the Birds and the Bees looked like Hannibal on steroids.

Feeling his pain, I wanted to tell Kristy the truth, that Joseph doesn't want me to go to Ellie's funeral, but I fear that she'll have a pitch fit and blame everything on Austin.