Last Resort

Feeling a slight burning sensation on the tip of my index finger, I glanced down to notice that I had received yet another paper cut. I suppose that is the price of packing all these cardboard boxes too quickly – but it’s not like I have much of a choice.

I wanted all my stuff boxed and in my car before Jacoby returned because that way I’d only have to say two simple words before walking out of his life forever. I’ve had enough of his sleazy ways and I’m ready to do what I want with my life.

A light click of the door’s lock filled the silent house just as I had finished taping up the final box. “Babe, I’m home,” Jacoby stated in an obviously obnoxious tone, almost sounding irritated that I haven’t properly greeted him yet. I took my time as I waltzed down the stairs.

“You don’t look very happy to see me,” he pouted, pulling me close to him into the very same comforting, strong hug that I once adored.

“Maybe that’s because I’m not,” I answered bluntly, playing with the edges of the band-aid on my finger. I didn’t give him anymore time to ask questions. It almost killed a part of me to have to speak these words to the man I have loved for the past two years, but there was no other option for me to take.

“It’s over, Jacoby. I can’t live like you do…I know all about the groupies and other easy whores you’ve been with. You promised me that you only loved me and no other girl. Well, obviously that was nothing but a lie and I’m sick of it. Enjoy your life,” I said sternly, to ensure that he knew just how serious I was being.

He laughed a little to himself, as if he was witnessing anything but his girlfriend breaking up with him. “That was really cute, Ashleigh. Good effort, but we all know that we are madly in love with each other. You can’t honestly be thinking of leaving me.”

“You wanna bet?” I challenged, angered that he was taking this so lightly. I grabbed the final box off the table and supported it against my cocked hip. “It’s over,” I repeated, this time with a glare.

I was about to walk forward and push him out of my way, but he grabbed onto my arm and pulled me back. “Where do you think you’re going? You know you won’t make it out there without me. You have no place to live and no one to support you.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see in case you weren’t paying attention when I first told you, I got a job as a journalist on the local paper as a band reviewer. And, this just in my brother is letting me live with him so, oops I guess there goes all your attempts to keep me here.”

Slowly, I could see the anger rising in his eyes as the pupils dilated in and out, turning blacker by the second. “You’ve spoken to them again?! I thought I told you not to talk to those people ever!” he shouted.

‘Those people’ he was referring to would be my brother and his friends. Yes, my boyfriend nearly successfully cut me off from my own family just because he was afraid that there was something going on between me and Brian, one of Jimmy’s best friends and band-mates. This was something that I found quite ironic, seeing as he’s the douche bag who has been cheating on me numerously since we’ve been dating.

“Yes, forgive me for keeping in contact with my brother. What kind of asshole wouldn’t allow his girlfriend to keep in touch with her family?!”

“This is a special case,” he spoke quietly, “seeing as they’re not your real family.”

He just had to bring that up, didn’t he? I could feel my heart skip a few beats in slight depression as his words entered my mind. He knew that that was a sensitive topic for me, and yet there he goes bringing it into all of this. I didn’t need any further evidence; I’m done with him.

I shook my head in disgust as I carried the final box out toward the front door and past this disgusting heartless creature that I had come to call my boyfriend. “One more thing, Ash – if you walk out that door right now, I just hope you know that something bad is going to be coming your way.”

“Your open threats aren’t going to do anything to me, so go to hell, Jacoby.” I slammed the door shut behind me with a smile on my face – I had won. He’s gone, out of my life for good. This calls for a celebration.

xXx

As I was driving down a road that I used to travel down quite frequently, I couldn’t help but fight the sadness that was attempting to overcome my entire being. Why, of all the things that he could’ve said, did Jacoby have to mention the one thing that he knew I don’t like to talk about? A slow-paced song began to play on the radio, taking me back through memory lane…

I had been alone for about three or four years, I can’t quite seem to remember anymore. I used to belong to an average lower middle class family, and I was the only child. My parents would try their hardest to get enough money for us to survive, but it was tough. Not once were we ever successful in what we tried to do. For instance, one year our rent (which had been 3 months overdue already) needed to be paid or else we’d be kicked out. My parents worked day and night, two jobs each, to attempt to gain enough money to pay the rent(s). They didn’t get enough.

We then had to live on the streets until one of the men my dad worked with offered to let us live in the spare room for rent in their house. Things were ok, at first. I mean, we were living in a relatively good home with meals, air conditioning, and a rent that was much cheaper than the last place we wasted away in. But, of course, all good things cannot last for my family. My mom got fired from her day job as a secretary at a pharmaceutical company, which was the job that paid the most for her. This meant that in time we would be unable to afford the rent due to other necessities.

When my dad’s ‘friend’ caught wind of this, he spoke with his family, claiming that they would come up with another form of payment. Do you want to know what the new form was? It was me whoring myself out to their son and his friends. Words will never be able to describe the suffering I had to endure during those terrible months.

My parents knew how hard this was on me, and so I assumed that they would try hard to find a way out of here, because in my opinion – living on the streets would be ten times better than being raped every other week. They spent a long time reviewing bills and such, all while screaming and fighting with each other. Finally, they reached a decision and I was so thrilled.

“Ashleigh, sweetie, we know how hard our lifestyle has been on you, especially recently. Last night, we realized something that should’ve been obvious all along. You’re sixteen now, which means you can survive on your own. So, tomorrow we’re…we’re kicking you out of the house – that way you won’t have to do that horrible payment and your father and I can have enough money now to pay the rent legally, no strings attached. This may be a hard transition, but trust me, it will be better in the end.”

I couldn’t believe that my own parents just decided to throw me out of this house just so that they can stay there. They’re full of shit – using my nightmarish experiences as a cover up for the fact that they don’t want me anymore! I wasn’t going to cry in front of them.

Instead, I turned around, grabbed my stuff (which they had so kindly packed for me already) and stormed out the door. The car keys were sitting on the table in the foyer, so I sneakily grabbed those on the way out, got in the car and rammed it right into their house, smiling to myself as I watched bricks fall out of place, leaving behind an expensive gaping hole where their prestigious front door and foyer window used to be. It made me feel better, but only for a little while.

Somehow, I survived high school living on the streets. I didn’t have a ton of friends, so I didn’t have a place to stay – other than the homey alley down the street from school. I got two jobs, both at restaurants nearby. I was going to save up enough money to get a place to stay, so that I had a place of residence to mark down on my college application. I wasn’t going to let my life go down to hell like my parents did.

Well, as it turns out I wasn’t very liked at school. One day, some jocks followed me ‘home’ and stole all my savings. Over the course of two years, I had saved up roughly $300,000. And now, along with my hopes and dreams, it was gone. I now was completely broke.

Soon enough, it was summertime again, and the Californian air seemed to get thicker and more humid by the minute. I felt as if I was choking on the air that I breathed. I already knew that I was essentially dehydrated, and basically if I didn’t get water soon I would probably, in all honesty, die. Hoping for the best, but not expecting a whole lot, I walked into the nearest fast food place. There weren’t too many people in here – just a guy sitting in the corner playing the imaginary drums, an elderly woman gazing out the window with a nostalgic look playing across her face, and one of the employees mopping up the floor.

“Excuse me, sir can I please get a glass of water?” I asked, my voice cracking and sounding hoarse because of its severe dryness. He nodded as he reached down and placed a plastic cup in front of me.

“That will be $1.25.”

My heart beat quickened at the sound of a price. “B-but it’s just water, can’t you give it to me for free?”

“Lady, you’re living in California, the bankrupt state of America. We can’t just give away free stuff anymore.”

“Please, I’m begging you! I haven’t had anything to drink in over a week.”

“Then why don’t you go look for some sewers or something? There’s lots of water in there. Look, lady, you’re causing a huge backup here. Either give me the money or get out.” I can’t believe this is happening. What am I going to do now?

Someone stepped forward from behind me and slammed his fist down on the counter. “You are truly disgusting, you know that? You can’t even give this poor girl a small cup of water?! Here’s your damn $1.25,” this mystery guy said, the money scattering all over the counter, seeing as he paid in all coins.

I looked up to see who my savior was and found that it was the imaginary drum player. “T-thank you so much,” I mumbled, gripping my cup as I filled it to the brim with ice and water.

“Oh it was no problem at all. I’m Jimmy,” he said, extending his hand.

I shook it and smiled, “I’m Ashleigh…but really, you didn’t have to do that for me.”

“Are you kidding me? How could I not do something for you? You deserve it.”

“How can you say that when you don’t even know who I am?”

He shrugged, “Then why don’t you tell me?”

And thus I spent the next hour or so spilling my guts out to Jimmy. He was quiet for a few moments after I had finished, and I was so afraid that he would just leave me to rot like everyone else had.

“Ah ha, I’ve got the perfect idea! I’ll have my parents adopt you!”

And from there on forth, I was now a Sullivan. Being welcomed into a family that really cared was such a wondrous feeling. Life was finally starting to work in my favor.

I smiled to myself as I pulled into the driveway of a rather large house. I didn’t expect that memory to make me smile, but somehow it put me in a totally better mood, and distracted me from Jacoby. I laughed as I glanced out the windshield to see Jimmy and Zacky chasing each other around the yard shirtless, attacking each other with their Super Soaker water guns.

“Guess who’s back?” I shouted, slamming the car door shut behind me. They both froze in position and smiled when they saw me.

“ASHLEIGH!” they screamed, running halfway toward me before suddenly teaming up against me and squirting me with the water guns until I was just as soaked as they were.

“We missed you,” Jimmy said tackling me down onto the wet grass.

It felt so great to finally be home. And I could tell that now that I’m away from Jacoby, my life will start to be perfect. Or at least that’s what I was hoping for.

Apparently, I had forgotten about Jacoby’s threat.