conflicting emotions I’m feeling.
“Oh, sweetie,” she says before standing and putting her arms around me, letting me bury my nose in her neck, and although I can smell her last Joe’s cologne on her skin, her touch is soothing. Tears spill from my eyes while Chrissy rubs small circles onto my back. “What’s going on?” she whispers.
Sniffling, I lift my head and lean closer to her ear to ensure that no one hears me. “It’s Momma,” I whisper. “Her screen came back positive. It’s HIV, Chrissy.”
Chrissy gasps, her hand covering her mouth as the shock takes a grip of her. Watching her, I can see the wheels start to turn in her head and I know what she’s thinking. She’s wondering what I’m going to do, just like I am. “We’ll figure it out, Presley. Somehow, we’ll make this work.”
IT’S THE FIRST DAY I’M able to sleep in. Fridays equal no class for me, and once I realize that I have all the time in the world, I start to settle back down in my comfy bed. But my bliss is short lived when my door flies open with such force that it bounces off the wall.
“Get up.” Chrissy’s voice bellows from the hallway and I open my eyes. She’s standing there, looking at me expectantly. “We’re going shopping.”
“Shopping?” I ask groggily, turning over and pulling the covers tightly around me.
“Yes, shopping. We’re going to act like normal twenty-one year olds for the day.”
“So where are we going?”
“Where do all twenty-one year olds go to waste an entire day?”
Not feeling up for her games and proverbial pretend, I glare at her, totally unimpressed.
“Get the fuck up,” she commands. “We’re going to the mall.”
It takes me little time to get myself ready, mainly because I just don’t give a shit. I’m not in the mood to be social, and to be honest I was just really looking forward to spending the day sleeping in my bed. But I have to hand it to Chrissy, she’s a good friend—looking out for me when I’m unable to do it myself.
She’s ripping on a cigarette as we wait for the bus stop before she finally speaks again. “Presley, it sucks, but it could be worse.”
“Really?”
She shrugs.
“I don’t think it gets much worse than knowing your mother is dying, infecting more people every day, on the verge of losing her job, all the while wondering what will become of your own future.”
“Okay, so it’s pretty shitty.”
The bus pulls to a halt in front of the stop, and Chrissy throws her cigarette to the ground, using the bottom of her flip flop to snuff it out. Luckily we’ve missed the morning rush and the bus is fairly empty when we make our way on to find an empty seat, piling in next to each other.
“So what are you going to do?”
The million-dollar question. I wish I knew. Having a smidgen of an idea would really set my mind at ease, but I don’t have a fuckin’ clue. I shake my head and look up at her helplessly. “I dunno, but Big Earl is gonna have a field day with this.”
Her lips press together in a hard line because she knows just as well as I do that this is the perfect ammunition for him to finally get what he’s been wanting for years. “Fuck him,” she scoffs.
“He’d like that too much,” I joke, but the mere thought of him, his greasy hands touching me, sends chills down my spine. We sit in silence for the remainder of the drive, both of us lost in thought. It’s not even her problem, but I still know Chrissy is trying her hardest to figure out something for me.
In reality, we both know it’s hopeless. It’s only a matter of time before Earl finds out, and then Momma will lose her job. Without her working for him, I don’t know where we’ll stand. Obviously I’ll keep doing the books for him, but in order to make enough money I’ll probably have to start pulling doubles, which would make keeping up with school work damn near impossible. The next thing you know, I’ll be dropping out and flushing my hopes and
“Oh, sweetie,” she says before standing and putting her arms around me, letting me bury my nose in her neck, and although I can smell her last Joe’s cologne on her skin, her touch is soothing. Tears spill from my eyes while Chrissy rubs small circles onto my back. “What’s going on?” she whispers.
Sniffling, I lift my head and lean closer to her ear to ensure that no one hears me. “It’s Momma,” I whisper. “Her screen came back positive. It’s HIV, Chrissy.”
Chrissy gasps, her hand covering her mouth as the shock takes a grip of her. Watching her, I can see the wheels start to turn in her head and I know what she’s thinking. She’s wondering what I’m going to do, just like I am. “We’ll figure it out, Presley. Somehow, we’ll make this work.”
IT’S THE FIRST DAY I’M able to sleep in. Fridays equal no class for me, and once I realize that I have all the time in the world, I start to settle back down in my comfy bed. But my bliss is short lived when my door flies open with such force that it bounces off the wall.
“Get up.” Chrissy’s voice bellows from the hallway and I open my eyes. She’s standing there, looking at me expectantly. “We’re going shopping.”
“Shopping?” I ask groggily, turning over and pulling the covers tightly around me.
“Yes, shopping. We’re going to act like normal twenty-one year olds for the day.”
“So where are we going?”
“Where do all twenty-one year olds go to waste an entire day?”
Not feeling up for her games and proverbial pretend, I glare at her, totally unimpressed.
“Get the fuck up,” she commands. “We’re going to the mall.”
It takes me little time to get myself ready, mainly because I just don’t give a shit. I’m not in the mood to be social, and to be honest I was just really looking forward to spending the day sleeping in my bed. But I have to hand it to Chrissy, she’s a good friend—looking out for me when I’m unable to do it myself.
She’s ripping on a cigarette as we wait for the bus stop before she finally speaks again. “Presley, it sucks, but it could be worse.”
“Really?”
She shrugs.
“I don’t think it gets much worse than knowing your mother is dying, infecting more people every day, on the verge of losing her job, all the while wondering what will become of your own future.”
“Okay, so it’s pretty shitty.”
The bus pulls to a halt in front of the stop, and Chrissy throws her cigarette to the ground, using the bottom of her flip flop to snuff it out. Luckily we’ve missed the morning rush and the bus is fairly empty when we make our way on to find an empty seat, piling in next to each other.
“So what are you going to do?”
The million-dollar question. I wish I knew. Having a smidgen of an idea would really set my mind at ease, but I don’t have a fuckin’ clue. I shake my head and look up at her helplessly. “I dunno, but Big Earl is gonna have a field day with this.”
Her lips press together in a hard line because she knows just as well as I do that this is the perfect ammunition for him to finally get what he’s been wanting for years. “Fuck him,” she scoffs.
“He’d like that too much,” I joke, but the mere thought of him, his greasy hands touching me, sends chills down my spine. We sit in silence for the remainder of the drive, both of us lost in thought. It’s not even her problem, but I still know Chrissy is trying her hardest to figure out something for me.
In reality, we both know it’s hopeless. It’s only a matter of time before Earl finds out, and then Momma will lose her job. Without her working for him, I don’t know where we’ll stand. Obviously I’ll keep doing the books for him, but in order to make enough money I’ll probably have to start pulling doubles, which would make keeping up with school work damn near impossible. The next thing you know, I’ll be dropping out and flushing my hopes and
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