The house no one Knows about

FOUR

She told me that the lights had never worked. She didn't have enough money for the electricity bill. She told me that her parents are very busy people and they're in a business together. They own a chain of restaurants in France and are very good at what they do and because of that they never have time for her. Her grandmother lived with her for a while but then she died and Bambi never told her parents and they stopped visiting. She doesn't wear shoes because her toes always hurt.

'Is that all you want to know?' she asks

'Yeah, I've got enough information'

She nods slowly and stares at the window for a while. I watch how her eyes bounce around inside her head; filled with thoughts. I try to brush off the temptation of asking her out.

'You're going to tell your teacher and your class all that?' she asks again.

'Yes'

'They're not going to know my name right?'

'No'

'Or where I live?'

'Your house doesn't have an address'

'But there is a road that leads to this house'

'They won't know anything'

This time she doesn't stand on the patio and watch my car drive off. She stands by the door and waits for me to leave before carefully replacing the locks. I listen to the sound of each of them trying to imagine what directions her fingers are moving.

I start to drive home when the rain falls down heavily. My hair glues itself to my face and my car nearly skids off the road but by the time I get back home, Tasha's car is parked outside my house

* * *

Fifteen minutes was all it took for me to almost exist in the United States. Mercedes already has her life and I can't go back to that but Bambi now has a personality that's not hers and is so fictional and making up more characters is reckless. I swear if his teacher believes that story I will kill myself; which would make sense because I've been looking for ways to do that for a long time. Regardless of what he thinks, that is why I do not wear shoes; slowly the cold will destroy me by freezing my feet and then the rest of my body.

For some reason, Pyroflu hasn't killed me yet. You only get Pyroflu when you don't die of Hypothermia. It's like life is giving you a second chance at life but at a very lousy price.

The anonymous attractive boy who is always watching and drives a Ferrari 458 Italia seemed more inquisitive than usual today and I really don't think he was asking for his project. Why did I even let him in? I told myself that I would never see him again. I hope he drank up the lies anyway but I know deep down that he will believe everything I told him and when he finds out that I lied, he will come back.

* * *

'Are you kidding me? Tasha demands.

Knowing that Tasha had been at my house was too much to handle. I drove out of the house and towards a convenience store; where via my fake ID, I was able to buy some beer. Now I'm sitting in the parking lot talking to Tasha through the phone because this conversation will be much harder if done face-to-face.

'Tasha, I swear I was going to make it but something came up'

'Something that is more important than me?'

'Of course not'

'That should not even exist in your life'

'And as from today it won't I swear. Now how can I make it up to you?'

'I have a surprise for you'

'What kind of surprise?'

'Oh you know just any ordinary surprise. It's at Alex's party'

'Alex is having a party?'

'You didn't know?'

'Well to be fair I haven't been inside the society for about thirty-five minutes'

'Correction, sixty-five minutes and where were you anyway?'

'You don't need to worry about that.

I can practically see her rolling her eyes.

'Whatever, just go to Alex's party'

I finish the first bottle and buy another one. Then I fall asleep in my car after dreaming about Bambi.