Page 9 of Wasted Oil

It takes a second to get David's lips detached from me so that we can continue packing.

"David, seriously we have to pack! It's already late and I’m starving!”

"Yeah me too sugar.” He says while looking at me with hunger.

"I'm serious David!” I shove him as a chuckle comes out from him.

“Calm down sugar, we can get Bubbas.” Just at the name alone my stomach is rumbling, eliciting another chuckle from David. Bubbas is the only place in Nashville that stays open 24 hours and isn't McDonald’s or Burger King, my mouth waters, Bubbas is the home of the best ribs in my opinion.

I load my guitar into the back of my truck, when my phone starts ringing. Looking at the screen, I see it's my mom calling. My eyes go wide and David notices.

“Everything alright?” I look up at him, his blue eyes filled with worry and concern. He may not be my boyfriend but he has always been there for me, always checking to make sure I’m okay. I consider him a friend still even though we have thrown sex into the circle.

"Yeah I just need to grab this, can you go in and get the truck started? I’ll be there in a moment.” He looks at the keys I'm holding up wearily before grabbing them and rounding the truck to the drivers side and starting my baby up. The phone signals off again and worry has sunk in. I answer the phone.

"Hola?” No answer, maybe she butt dialed? But twice in a row is unlikely.

“Mama? Are you there?” Still no answer, hmmm that's strange, maybe it really is a butt dial. Just as I Am about to hang up I hear a voice.

"Mija? Are you there?”

"Yeah, I’m here. Is everything okay?” My mind races through every possible thing that could have her calling me.

"Por favor no me diga que es Xavier.”

I hear a sob on the other end. This can't be good. This woman has only cried once and it was when I left. Not even her getting hit does she cry.

"Mamá, please talk to me…”

"Mija, I think it’s time you come home, please?”

Home? She wants me to come home?

"Is everything okay?”

I hear a shuffle then a voice from the other end this time it was a man, Andres, my father. I start to panic. I’m pacing back and forth when the phone shuffles again and her voice comes back on.

"I know it’s a lot to ask for you to come home but please, I can explain everything once you're here.” Her voice is shaky and sounds fragile.

She didn't need to say anything else, I already had made my mind up, and something in my gut is telling me to go.

"Okay.” Is all I say before hanging up and climbing into the truck.

“Everything okay?” David's voice is low and filled with concern.

“I need to go home.”

“We are once we get Bubbas.” Shaking my head no, his face drops into a worried frown.

"Not to the condo. I need to go back to Texas.” Without another word from either of us he shifts the gears into drive and heads towards our condo.

When I first arrived in Nashville I had my own apartment and was eager to get out there and be discovered. What I didn’t think of when I was dreaming all this up was how hard it would be. Months went by and the money that was given to me was running low, the gigs in between were nothing but chump change and so when I took the job at Honky Tonk Central I was able to save up enough money to get back on track. Shortlyafter, I got fired for showing up late on a day the owner was in one of his moods. Fast forward to a year later I had taken a job at a diner that paid nothing but laundromat money and that's when it all went downhill. I was behind on my rent by four months and on top of that I had to use a majority of my money to get a new truck after my bug broke down coming back from a gig. When I went home that night I had found a pink paper with a note that said I had 24 hours to get my stuff out. Rock meet hard place. I either had the choice to live on the street or pick myself up by the bootstraps and head back to Texas. It was David who told me that he was in need of a roommate and now here we are driving back to our shared condo.

The drive is quiet, with David taking quick glances my way, silence is killer and right now all it's making me do is relive memories.

Memories with him.

“Ahhh prom week! I can smell the nasty vodka and sex in the air.” Alex takes in a deep breath stretching her arms out soaking in the hot sun. “And you, my sweet little Mav are finally going to go with the man of your dreams.” She nudges me, almost knocking me off our bench.

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