How to Unkill Yourself [ruby da cherry]

I Don't Know What an Instant Pot is, but I am Now a Proud Owner of One

     I walked into the apartment and saw Eric digging through the fridge. "What's goin' on here?" I asked. He got up and closed the door, holding a tupperware container in his hand. He tossed it on the table in front of me as I sat down.

     "That's all the food we have," he said. I pulled the container over to me and opened it, revealing two grains of rice.

     "Damn," I got up and put the container in the sink. "We need to go food shopping then."

     Eric sat down at the table. "I'll go food shopping, knowin' you we'll be there all night," I laughed at him, but I knew he was right.

     "Alright, but I'm giving you money," I said. I took out my wallet and pulled out the last two 20s I had. "I can go get more from my room." I suddenly felt ashamed of the little amount I'd put down.

     "No, actually, this'll probably cover everything that you'll be willing to eat," Eric said.

     "Alright, whatever. Have fun food shopping, I gotta put this shit away," I said, walking over to the front door where I had put my bags. Eric nodded at me as I took them to my room.

     I had only gotten a few things, not wanting to spend all of my money. When I left Jersey I stole all my money from Daniel's hiding place, and found that it wasn't much at all. As I finished putting my new clothes in my dresser drawers I noticed I was still wearing Ruby's hoodie. I took my phone out of the front pocket and texted him. After tossing my phone on the dresser, I looked in the mirror attached. I didn't usually love what I saw when I looked in the mirror but lately I'd been warming up to myself.

     My phone buzzed and a text from Ruby popped up on the screen.

keep it. it looks cute on you.

     I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I stared at the screen. I quickly texted him back a simple "thank you" and put my phone back on the dresser. His words were strange in the ways they could be so simple, yet make me feel light and bubbly inside. That was one of the reasons I knew I was definitely beginning to catch some sort of feelings.

                                                                        ---

     Eric carried his keys to the door, this time making sure they were the right ones. He found it ridiculous how he could remember his phone, but forget his keys. Charlie's keys could be found still on the kitchen table alongside her phone. When it began to ring, the ringtone being Regular Show's opening theme, Eric came to a stop inches before the front door. The caller ID read "mom", and Eric decided he should take a message. It wasn't like her mother to call or even really speak to Charlie. He walked over and picked it up.

     "What the fuck? Your boyfriend wants to know where the fuck you are. What did you do?" Eric was speechless for a second. "Well? I know you ain't fuckin' deaf. You left us to move in with him so you better deal with your own goddamn life decisions, bitch."

     "Hello ma'am, this is Eric speaking. We met a year ago at the concert when you came to pick up your son," he tried to sound as calm as possible.

     "Oh- hi, why are you... why are you answering my daughter's phone?" her voice was now softer and laced with a false politeness Eric could see right through.

     "Charlie's staying with me until she gets a place of her own. She's in the shower right now," he replied, careful not to say she was out of state.

     "Okay, well then why doesn't Daniel know? Did she cheat on him with you?" she began to sound more aggressive. Eric rolled his eyes, already regretting his decision to answer this lunatic.