Page 9 of Drive
“Did you open that as well? You know, to make sure you ruined everything?”
“Come on, I had to wake you up somehow and I need to shower. I picked up a shift tonight, so you’re alone again. Neil’s working late, too.” She lifted herself from the couch, looked over to Reid, and held out the remote tohim. “I’ll be done in a few.” Reid took the remote from her as if they’d been doing the routine for years. And, for all I knew, they had. Paige and I didn’t talk much once she left home. She always came for the holidays, and when she finally had courage enough to announce that she had a live-in boyfriend, and my parents accepted it, she and Neil began to come around more. Her invitation to let me stay with her until school started was a Godsend due to the intrusive behavior of Mom and Dad. Still, I couldn’t help the dread that coursed through me at the idea of another isolated night in her apartment.
“I’ll go with you,” I piped. “I’ll try to look for a job.”
Paige furrowed her brows. “It’s a six-hour shift.”
“Youcouldlet me drop you off and lend me your car.”
“No way,” she quipped. “I’ve seen the way you drive.”
“I drive just fine.”
Paige rolled her eyes before she turned back to Reid. “She drives like she drums.”
“That bad?” Reid chimed in. He got afuck you very muchscowl of his own.
“Within twenty minutes of her being behind the wheel, she hit aparkedcar.”
I had little defense. “That was four years ago.”
“I’m not lending you my car, but I will buy you dinner,” she called as she disappeared into her bedroom.
You could stay at home all night and write.
Normally, I’d jump at the chance to get a new article done, but I was feeling especially uninspired. I needed to get to a show and fast.
Suddenly alone with Reid, and knowing I would probably have about ten minutes in the bathroom after my sister’s shower, I began to gather clothes from my duffle that sat next to her fireplace. My sister had the Cadillac of one-bedroom apartments, but there was little to no room for guests. And though Neil was nice to me, I could tell he wasn’t exactly thrilled with me being there.
I had no time to grieve my joke of a relationship. I needed money and fast. Austin wasn’t cheap, and it was time for this baby bird to truly fly the nest. My parents’ plan was to pay for two years atUT. We were blue-collar, to say the least. Our childhood had always consisted of just enough money. But when Paige had left home, there wasn’t much in either of our tuition savings accounts. Their intentions were in the right place, but they could never really afford to save. My parents had an abundance of love over money, and I would gladly take their support over anything else.
It had turned out to be a blessing for them when I didn’t get intoUTthe first few years. Both relief and worry for my future clouded their eyes when we sat down to plan. I busted my ass to pay for my first few years of junior college, while they scraped and saved for the next two years. But we made it work, and I was in Austin. And Austin was where my hopes lie for a start that I prayed would lead me to the career I’d been dreaming about since I caught my first episode ofBehind the Music.
Alight with a small amount of enthusiasm, and determined not to let Dylan’s rejection ruin any more of it, I brewed a quick cup of coffee and planned my day. I had little to go on in the way of a job that I would truly want. I made a quick mental list of places I could go within walking distance of her restaurant.
It seemed when my sister left the room she took Reid’s attention with her, which suited me perfectly. He quickly became immersed inTVwhile I pulled out a pair of shorts, my electric blue Chucks, andPulp FictionTasty BurgerT-shirt with Samuel Jackson’s fuck-with-me face on it. I scurried to the bedroom and changed while Paige showered, then ran a brush through my slightly wavy hair, along with a little oil to weigh it down and tame the fly-aways. After applying some heavy liner and mascara, I glossed my lips in loud, pink berry and spritzed my wrists and neck with Paige’s perfume. Reemerging, I found Reid in the kitchen. He paused, a bottled water to his mouth, as he looked me over. “Nice shirt.”
“I agree.”
“You think you’ll get a job dressed like that?”
Offended, I took in his jeans, boots, and T-shirt. “Looks like you did.”
“Whatever you say, little sister.” He brushed past me and resumed his spot on the couch.
I wasn’t looking for an office job. If anything, I wanted to find something at one of the clubs on 6th Street. I knew it would be hard considering I wasn’t of age, but there was no harm in trying before I was stuck taking Tex-Mex orders.
Ready to wage war on a stilted Austin, I flipped through my phone to message Lexi, who was the only person I really regretted leaving behind in Dallas. She’d been assuring me she would come to Austin as soon as I got enough money for a place, and her only job would be to furnish it. She was very much like me in that her mother didn’t have the means to support her a day after high school. And because her mother depended on her to watch her little brother, a nine-year-old surprise souvenir she caught while vacationing in Puerto Rico, she couldn’t break free and move in with me until he started back to school. And that gave me weeks to make it happen. I needed someone other than my sister, who was busy living her life, to help keep me motivated.
I’m going crazy here. Was this a mistake?
LEXI: Hell no, I can’t wait to get there. Did you get a job yet? Why didn’t you come to Dallas this weekend?
Black Betty blew up. I texted you twice. Broke up with asshole too. It’s been a shit week.
LEXI: You texted? Shit, I’m sorry. I was watching ‘The Rico.’ He’s a full-time job. Jesus, I will never have sex without a condom and spermicide bodysuit. I’m almost positive that’s why my mother has trapped me with him for the summer before she lets me loose in the world. And what the hell with Dylan?
He broke up with me. And that’s on good assumption because we haven’t talked.ATALL. He just stopped calling.
