You're All I Need

"Mick, is it okay if I stay here for a while?" I asked, still standing in the doorway. It was fucking freezing out there...

"Why?"

"Because Bullwinkle kicked me out." I couldn't wait any longer-- so I just walked in and dropped all my shit on the ground. Hailey ran down the hallway as if I was fucking Godzilla or something.

"Tommy, why did she kick you out?"

"I had a bit of tomato sauce left on my plate, and she got mad and beat me up cause she worked so hard on getting it perfect."

"Bullwinkle doesn't cook."

"That's why I didn't finish it!"

"Well, that was kind of a bitchy move on her part."

"Tell me something I don't know, dude."

"Nikki fears dolphins."

I rolled my eyes and sat on the table. "So, can I stay here? For a baby bit?"

He thought for a moment and slowly said, "I guess you could. You'd have to share a room and bed with Imogene though, since Vince is in rehab."

Sharing a room and a bed with Imogene? Yes please. I felt like fucking Cinderella, with all this good luck I was having. I simply replied, "Okay, that will work."

Imogene walked out of her room with Hailey skipping behind her. I walked up and delivered the news of my departure from the foul, disgusting, part machine-gun Bullwinkle. She smiled and threw her arms around me.

Giggity.

She led me to what would be "our" (Dude, I just got a little tingle in my special spot. Just thought I'd let you know) room. I set all my shit down and looked around.

"Well, this is pretty fucking cool." I tried to make a conversation, even though I would much rather be making a baby... Dude, shut up! No!

I picked up some pillow that was on my side and looked at it, and Imogene came onto me like a fucking spider-monkey.

"Don't touch that!" She yelled.

"Why not?"

"It's Vince's." She lowered her voice to a whisper and held the pillow in her arms. "See, smell it."

I leaned over and inhaled the smell of pussy and alcohol and cigarettes-- but with a hint of raspberries or something like that.

"That's great." I nodded. She smiled and sniffed it again.

"So what do you wanna do?" She set the pillow on a shelf in the closet carefully as if it was a god-damn baby.

"I don't know. But guess what, dude." I grinned and pulled it out of my bag. "I brought Bambi!" I sang, wagging it in front of her face. She laughed and touched the case. "It's our signature movie." I added, placing my hand on her shoulder.

"I missed you," She whispered. "It's been only like, two hours, but still."

I picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. After I set her down on the toilet, I ran out and locked her in.

"Aw, come on!" She groaned. "That's not fairrr!"

I kicked the door. "You have two hours to find a way out." I ran into the kitchen and sat at the table next to Mick and Hailey.

"Where's Imogene?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, looking out the window and whistling. I heard some thumping and scratching noises coming from the hallway.

"Tommy! You asshole!" A muffled scream floated into the kitchen. Hailey looked at me, trying not to laugh.

"What did you do?"

"I simply challenged her." I listened to her struggling a bit more.

"This is impossible!" Right as she finished her sentence, I heard a loud crash. I got up and ran in. The door was open, and she was looking around, completely disoriented. "Okay, I won. What do I get as a reward?"

I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up to "our" (TINGLIES!) bed. "I'll tell you what you get!"

"So tell me, bastard. I didn't slam my fists into a door repeatedly for nothing."

"We're going to your grandmother's house!"

"You don't even know where she lives, idiot!"

"I wanna see if she's as hot as your mom!"

She got up and bitch-slapped me. "Would you shut up?" She giggled. I leaned over and nearly pushed my lips against hers, but the fucking phone had to ruin the moment. Imogene grabbed it excitedly. "Hey, baby," She twirled the cord around her finger. "How you doin?" Her smile faded.

"Who is it?" I tugged her sleeve.

"Sorry, I thought you were Vince... Oh, he's just on a business trip... Yeah, a really long business trip.... A seven-year business trip... Yes, seven years... Is it wrong for me to call Vince 'baby,' Ralph?... Listen, I can't talk right now... No, nothing's wrong! I'm perfectly fine!... I don't care! I wish I never gave you this number!" She slammed the phone down and sighed.

"Was that Ralph?"

"Yes." She didn't look up. Mick opened the door and looked around.

"What were you fucking yelling at?"

"Ralph called. Again."

"He hasn't called in about five months, Imogene."

"I don't care." She growled, touching the phone. I tried to read her mind, and I only heard elevator music and saw the name "Vince" repeated over and over again.

Mick walked over and sat next to me. "Listen, Vince isn't in rehab anymore."

Imogene jumped up. "He isn't?!"

"No, he's in jail."

The light in her eyes just like, died, dude. She sat back down and looked at the phone... again. "Do they let visitors go to the jail?"

"Yeah..." Mick raised an eyebrow. "But you aren't going anywhere, missy."

"Why not?"

"I know what happens in prisons, and I'm not that much of an asshole to let you go to one." He explained, keeping a level tone.

To my surprise, Imogene only nodded and stayed quiet. Hadn't we taught her anything? You're supposed to punch Mick in the lip and scream, "I can go wherever I fucking want to go! Fuck you!" And the best part is, Mick doesn't do anything back. He just sits there then he says, "Don't do that." Then you're free to go, because he's such a dinosaur that he's not gonna come after you.

"Dude, you got any food? Hey, that rhymed..." I squirmed around and walked into the kitchen.

"No, we need to go grocery shopping." Imogene answered. "Who wants to go?"

"I don't! I hate the grocery store!" I yelled. Mick seconded that, and Hailey ran and hid in the closet.

Imogene smiled. I mean, she actually was happy to go to the grocery store. What the fuck? "Okay, I guess I'll go. See you guys later." She got up and put some money in her pocket.

But I had a feeling she wasn't going to the grocery store.