Rebel Yell

Chapter 13: Adapting

"Why...does...he...have...-" Julia puffed as she climbed up the stairs to the third floor, "to live...on...the third floor?"

"You're the one who offered to help me get groceries." I chimed as I jogged up the last few steps that reached the third floor, bags of groceries in both of my hands.

"I haven't done this much cardio in months..." Julia stated as she staggered over to the door I was now unlocking. "Ugh... it smells like cigarettes and whiskey in here."

"I know... hence the need to buy all the cleaning supplies." I replied, wincing.

"You're going to make me help you rage clean this fucker, aren't you?" Julia asked squinting her eyes at me suspiciously.

"Have I told you lately that you're the bestest friend a girl could ask for?" I asked with a huge goofy grin across my face.

"Have I told you lately that I hate you?" Julia replied, still glaring at me as she set the groceries down on the floor beside us. "...But- I guess I'll help you."

I squealed as I hugged her. Julia pulled away and held up a finger at me, "But... I get to pick the music. None of that metal bullshit you listen to."

Julia and I immediately got to work after we figured out how to hook up Julia's phone to Billy's stereo so that we could listen to her music. My eyes shifted over to Julia, glaring at her as she started to dance to an obnoxious song that my mother use to listen to while she cleaned the house before her and my dad divorced, "love shack". I knew Julia was playing her most obnoxious songs to intentionally piss me off. But, as I really got in to cleaning up the apartment that clearly hasn't been cleaned in like...ever... I became appreciative of Julia of helping me out, regardless of her terrible music.

Eventually we got all the dusting, sweeping, wiping down basically everything with all purpose cleaner, garbage picked up and put in a garbage bag that we took out to the apartment building's dumpster, fridge cleaned out and food that had gone bad long ago thrown out.

"I hate to say it..." Julia said as she shoved my two boxes of belongings and three bags of clothes in Billy's closet in his bedroom, "...But that Hector or Hummus guy... is pretty cute."

I started to laugh at Julia's 'hummus' comment, "Who? Heco? you realize he's a heroin addict."

"The bald guy who looks like he's in the Cypress Hill band?" Julia asked making me laugh even louder.

"Yup.. he's.. insane in the membrane." I replied with a wink.

"Nice pun. Nicely done." Julia praised me as she patted me on the shoulder while we walked out of the bedroom and in to the kitchen.

Sighing, I jumped up on the freshly cleaned counter and stuck my bottom lip out and pouted, "I don't want you to go home."

"I've witnessed two fights, one that I was involved in.. found out Bria is addicted to cocaine... Yeah, I'm actually excited to go back to Detroit." Julia replied raising her eyes as she spoke.

Rolling my eyes, I jumped down off of the counter and opened the fridge. Julia walked over to the stove, opening the oven door as she stood there waiting for me hand her the store bought lasagna that I had purchased just for tonight. She put the frozen lasagna in the oven and sighed as she tapped her fingers on the counter, nibbling on her bottom lip as she sunk into deep thought.

"Almost time..." I stated dully.

"Yeah... I better call my taxi." Julia replied, pulling out her cellphone from her pocket.

"You sure you don't want me to come with? I'll sit at the airport with you.." I asked as Julia dialed the taxi number on her phone.

She shook her head side to side, "Nah. You better stay here.. show Billy that he turned a hoe into a housewife."