and he paid me a visit. The angry knock at the door was clearly him.
“Jasmine,” he called out to me. “I know you’re in there… You know your rent is late. You need to make arrangements with me to pay it. My tenants can’t live here for free. I have to eat, too.”
I kept still and didn’t make a sound, hoping he would go away.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for the money to pay it, but I didn’t want to deal with it right now.
After a short while, he stopped trying to knock down my door with his heavy fists. I could hear his footsteps move back down the hall towards the stairs, and I assumed that he was leaving.
I let out the breath I was holding.
Boy, was I in trouble.
I started to contemplate calling my father to ask him for the money, but I hated borrowing from Dad. He would never let me forget that I had asked for his help. Maybe Jim could lend me the money. Then I remembered that he had also mentioned he was having trouble paying his rent this month.
Damn.
I opened the refrigerator, which was bare as usual. I had two options: baking soda and ketchup. Neither one looked particularly appetizing. My mind flashed back to the amazing food that had been on the spread out, and wasted, at Bradley’s mansion.
If I could have even half the food that was thrown out that night in my refrigerator right now, I wouldn’t feel so broke.
Well, at least with the cupboards and refrigerator bare, I wouldn’t have that much to move once I got evicted. I sighed and grabbed a noodle cup from the cupboard, filled it to the line with hot tap water, and then popped it into the microwave. Just as I was pressing the button to turn on the microwave, I was startled by another knock at the door.
A knot was forming in my stomach.
I guessed the landlord wasn’t going to give me much time to find a way to pay my rent. He knew I was home and he knew that I was avoiding him.
He was already back to yell at me again for not having it ready for him today. My mind started to swarm with all of the late fees and eviction notices that I would have to deal with. I dreaded trying to find someone to help me to move all of my belongings again.
Jim had helped me to move in, but I doubted he would volunteer to lift my heavy futon back down the three flights of stairs.
I wished I was back at home and Mom and Dad were still paying the bills.
Being a grown-up just plain sucked sometimes.
Being on your own meant that you had certain freedom, but I couldn’t take advantage of them because I never had any money!
I was always stuck in my apartment, bored out of my mind.
I knew there was no avoiding my punishment and my fate this time. I might as well just face the music and front up to the landlord.
I walked up to the door and took a deep breath before opening it. I had to blink twice when I saw who was really standing on my doorstep.
But when it sunk in that Bradley Clifford – and not his driver – was actually standing at my door, I slammed the door in his face.
I don’t want to have to deal with that.
Knock, knock.
The knocks were heavy.
I swung the door open. “What?”
I wanted to slam the door in his face again. Preferably, I would slam the door on his face.
Just as I started to close it, he put his foot in the door to prop it open.
“Wait,” he said.
When I tried to object, he put his finger to my lips and said, “Shhhh….”
This made me even angrier, and I wanted to bite his finger clean off.
How dare he be so rude to me in my own apartment?
I should call the cops and have him removed. Wouldn’t that give him a rude awakening!
It was then that I noticed a crowd of people behind him.
Each of them was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. I recognized Gretta. Then I saw Brianna and Anne. My boss was even there. They were all holding vases full of red and pink roses.
“Jasmine,” he called out to me. “I know you’re in there… You know your rent is late. You need to make arrangements with me to pay it. My tenants can’t live here for free. I have to eat, too.”
I kept still and didn’t make a sound, hoping he would go away.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for the money to pay it, but I didn’t want to deal with it right now.
After a short while, he stopped trying to knock down my door with his heavy fists. I could hear his footsteps move back down the hall towards the stairs, and I assumed that he was leaving.
I let out the breath I was holding.
Boy, was I in trouble.
I started to contemplate calling my father to ask him for the money, but I hated borrowing from Dad. He would never let me forget that I had asked for his help. Maybe Jim could lend me the money. Then I remembered that he had also mentioned he was having trouble paying his rent this month.
Damn.
I opened the refrigerator, which was bare as usual. I had two options: baking soda and ketchup. Neither one looked particularly appetizing. My mind flashed back to the amazing food that had been on the spread out, and wasted, at Bradley’s mansion.
If I could have even half the food that was thrown out that night in my refrigerator right now, I wouldn’t feel so broke.
Well, at least with the cupboards and refrigerator bare, I wouldn’t have that much to move once I got evicted. I sighed and grabbed a noodle cup from the cupboard, filled it to the line with hot tap water, and then popped it into the microwave. Just as I was pressing the button to turn on the microwave, I was startled by another knock at the door.
A knot was forming in my stomach.
I guessed the landlord wasn’t going to give me much time to find a way to pay my rent. He knew I was home and he knew that I was avoiding him.
He was already back to yell at me again for not having it ready for him today. My mind started to swarm with all of the late fees and eviction notices that I would have to deal with. I dreaded trying to find someone to help me to move all of my belongings again.
Jim had helped me to move in, but I doubted he would volunteer to lift my heavy futon back down the three flights of stairs.
I wished I was back at home and Mom and Dad were still paying the bills.
Being a grown-up just plain sucked sometimes.
Being on your own meant that you had certain freedom, but I couldn’t take advantage of them because I never had any money!
I was always stuck in my apartment, bored out of my mind.
I knew there was no avoiding my punishment and my fate this time. I might as well just face the music and front up to the landlord.
I walked up to the door and took a deep breath before opening it. I had to blink twice when I saw who was really standing on my doorstep.
But when it sunk in that Bradley Clifford – and not his driver – was actually standing at my door, I slammed the door in his face.
I don’t want to have to deal with that.
Knock, knock.
The knocks were heavy.
I swung the door open. “What?”
I wanted to slam the door in his face again. Preferably, I would slam the door on his face.
Just as I started to close it, he put his foot in the door to prop it open.
“Wait,” he said.
When I tried to object, he put his finger to my lips and said, “Shhhh….”
This made me even angrier, and I wanted to bite his finger clean off.
How dare he be so rude to me in my own apartment?
I should call the cops and have him removed. Wouldn’t that give him a rude awakening!
It was then that I noticed a crowd of people behind him.
Each of them was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. I recognized Gretta. Then I saw Brianna and Anne. My boss was even there. They were all holding vases full of red and pink roses.
Similar Books
