Chapter 11
I wake up refreshed and happy until I realize where I am and that Grandma is gone. Now I feel like I never even slept at all.

I walk into the kitchen and make myself a bowl of cereal.

I see Tim sitting at the table on his laptop. I turn on my heels to leave.

"Wait, Jeff," Tim says, "Sit please."

I'm too tired to argue. I sit.

( Read more... )

 Chapter 10

"Can we turn on the radio at least?" I ask Colin. I don't understand how people can drive in the car without music and without talking.

"What? Sure," Colin says distractedly. He hits a button and talk radio comes on.

Kill me.

"We need gas. Fuck," Colin says turning off at an exit, "I'm sorry honey. It'll be quick."

"It's ok ( Read more... )

 Chapter 9
Saturday morning Karyn sits me down at the kitchen table.

“So I talked to Nate” Karyn says, “and he said it’s cool that you stay as long as you don’t make a mess, you don’t steal anything, and you don’t pee anywhere out of the ordinary. And we’ll only charge you one hundred dollars a month, if you promise to do the dishes once a day. ( Read more... )

 Chapter 8

“Nate says I can’t leave you here by yourself. You might steal my shit or pee somewhere. I have to go to class so you’ll have to get up and do something,” Karyn says.

I open one eye. Karyn’s standing over the couch I’m sleeping on, wearing a fur coat and ridiculous red lipstick next to a gigantic bald man. This is Nate I presume. ( Read more... )

Chapter 7

I don’t know where to walk to but aggravation seems to be taking me where I need to go. My chest is pounding and I can’t seem to put my arms down. Anger has given me superhuman strength. I could flip over a car I’m so pissed. I see a blue US Postal Service mailbox and I stop in front of it. I could pick this whole thing up and throw it ( Read more... )

 Chapter 6
I open my eyes. Someone’s foot is in my mouth. I move my face away and see that it is a guy in a jack of spades costume. I try to wipe the taste of alcohol, vomit, and foot off of my tongue with the sleeve of my shirt.

I sit up and survey the living room where I apparently passed out. The carpet is wet and there are shards of glass ( Read more... )

 Chapter 5
I have never been so hungry in my entire life. The bus ticket was exactly 49.50. I bought a pack of gum and I chewed the entire pack while I was waiting in the station for the seven a.m. bus. I swallowed it to maximize the nutritional value. Tim would say “you’re not starving” but I right now I am.

I step off the bus and take a deep ( Read more... )

 Chapter 4
I open my eyes and my grandmother is standing over me with a Tupperware of Pastina. Everything hurts again.

“You fell asleep on top of the blankets! You know I hate that. I had to put you under the blankets” she says.

“What?” I look down and my shoes are off and the covers are pulled up around my chin. How did she move me? I probably ( Read more... )

 Chapter 3
I sit in the X-ray Room at the Emergency Room waiting room for the doctor to come, reading a Cosmopolitan magazine from the waiting room. This magazine is such bullshit. It says that only 54% of guys like girls in sexy Halloween costumes. The rest must be married I guess? It also says that girls should take off their necklaces and ask a ( Read more... )

 Chapter 2

“That’s the bell. You need to go straight to your classes. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars and bring in your late notes next time. I don’t want to see any of your faces in the Late Room again,” says the proctor of the late room as he grins and holds open the door for us.

I lift my head from the plastic cafeteria table and ( Read more... )