Page 34 of Second Down Darling

“You can move in the main house. Stay in my old room. My mom is allergic to dogs, though, so you can’t bringDuke.”

I’m not ready to give him up yet. What if he gets adopted by another negligent family and stops eating again? I have to make sure he’s fully recovered before I return him to theshelter.

“I can probably swing a few weeks in a motel. That one by the highway accepts pets.” I stayed there a few nights when I first moved to Charming. It’ll tap me out, but it’s not like I have a choice. Because I’m really not comfortable staying in her parents’ house, especially without Roxy, since she’s moving in with otherfriends.

“Don’t be silly. I’ve seen that motel. It looks straight out of a slasher movie. Like Leatherface is gonna hop out from behind a dumpster and murder you. No fucking way am I dropping you off there.” She takes another sip of her drink. “I have another place you can stay. It’s justthat…”

“Just thatwhat?”

She pulls up in front of our old place. Our side of the building is totally gutted. It’s ash and soot and rebar. Everything I own went up in flames. I literally have nothing except a bag and a few outfits Roxy loaned me that she dug out of her old bedroom at her parents’house.

We get out and make our way around the debris. “Winkie!” I yell, pausing tocough.

Roxy helps me look for my pirate cat, but there’s no sign of him. Just charred particles blowing in thewind.

She hugs me as I cry in the back parking lot. “He loved to tear up mysocks.”

“Sorry, boo,” she says as I start coughing again. She tugs me to her car. “Let’s get out of here. This air can’t be good for you tobreathe.”

As we walk, I glare at my old clunker on the other side of the parking lot. It won’t turn over and is basically useless. Will I be able to get anything for it at a junkyard? Why couldn’t that have burned up and my apartment beenspared?

I feel like I’m starting all over again, like I did two years ago. Except this time I’mbroke.

Look on the bright side, Charlotte. You can still do the calendar for SecondChances.

In all the chaos of the fire, I forgot that while I lost my camera equipment, at least my negatives and hard drive with all of my digital photos are at school. I have a locker down by the photo lab where I store that stuff. It used to annoy me that I couldn’t afford editing software and had to do that work on campus, but I guess it’s a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, I would’ve lost those imagestoo.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Charlie. When I saw the video of Jake pulling you out, you looked like a rag doll. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.” Roxy starts her car as I tug on my seatbelt. “I’m sorry I wasn’t home thatnight.”

“So you could’ve been endangered too? No, I’m glad you were off causing mischief andmayhem.”

She giggles. “Shh. Don’t tell my dad about my mischief. He’s pissed we were living in such ashithole.”

“Why was that? Why did you want to live there with me?” Surely her family can afford betteraccommodations.

“It’s what I could manage without begging my parents for money. I have a little college fund, and I’m trying to stay within those financial parameters and prove to them I’mresponsible.”

I get that. “I’m sorry about your stuff. About your cheer outfits going up insmoke.”

She shrugs. “It sucks, but clothes are replaceable. Most of my important things are at my parents’ house. I’m just grateful you’reokay.”

“Did your dad freak? I know he’s pretty protective ofyou.”

“You should’ve heard the lecture I got about fire alarms. Even though you won’t be staying with my parents, they still want to have you over for dinnersometime.”

Hope they don’t mind if I roll up in sweatpants and a t-shirt that belong to their daughter, because that’s all Ihave.

“So about this other place where you can stay…” She lets that statement hang as she pulls into an apartment complex two blocks from our old place. “First, you should know that Duke is welcomehere.”

That’s great. “But…?”

“But nothing. You’re welcome to stay here as long as youneed.”

“That’s amazing. What’s the catch?” I glance up at the building. “Whose place is it?” Roxy and I have a few mutual friends. Well, they’re mostly her friends and my acquaintances. I can’t imagine any of them offering to let me couch-surfindefinitely.

“The catch is… you might need to do some babysitting inreturn.”

I only know one person who has a kid in Charming. “Roxy, I don’tthink…”

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