Status: Up and Running.
Rat Race
Word Vomit’s the New ‘I Love You’
The door opened, bringing the slightest sprinklings of snow into the apartment. Giselle shivered involuntarily and shut the door behind her. She instantly wanted to go back out as she smelled the strong odor of marijuana. She groaned under her breath and dragged her feet to her room.
Standing in her doorway, she noticed her lights were off and the only color she could see was her blood-red silk covered lamp. She thought that was peculiar because she rarely ever turned that lamp on and she especially didn’t that morning. She flicked the light on and the breath escaped her lungs when she saw the couple making out on her bed. So many thoughts ran through her head and anger swirled in her abdomen.
She finally found her voice. “Get the fuck out!” she screeched, her eyebrows furrowing over her long lashes.
The couple separated and looked at her in annoyance as if she was in the wrong.
“Excuse me?” the girl asked. Her makeup was smeared and her dress had ridden up, showing her underwear.
“Did I stutter?” Giselle stepped inside her room and opened her door wider. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”
The bed squeaked under their weight as they got up. Shuffling past Giselle, the girl muttered, “Not cool.”
Giselle hummed under her breath and stewed silently as they walked down the hall. When she heard the front door click shut, she finally let out her frustrations. “Zack!” She slung her bag on her desk chair and started ripping her teenage-hormone infested sheets off her bed.
Not five minutes later, her brother made an appearance. His eyes were bloodshot and he kept swiping his finger under his nose, sniffing like he had a cold.
“What’s up, sis?” He leaned against her doorway.
“Not a thing big bro. Just ah…” she plopped down on her now, bare bed and crossed her legs. “Found some of your druggie, shit-head friends defiling my bed and messing with my stuff!” Her voice rose at the end, her anger getting the best of her.
Zack’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he smiled as if in ecstasy.
Or on…, Giselle thought while frowning fiercely at him.
“I think the term you’re looking for is ‘pothead.’”
“Funny.” Giselle’s scowl deepened. “Just make sure you keep the trash outside of my room.”
“Right…” He made as if to leave but then turned back to look at her. “Before I forget… I’m gonna need you to clean out Humphrey’s cage.”
“Uh, how about no.” Giselle said as she went to boot up her computer. “Your pet, your problem.” She muttered. Unfortunately, Zack, even in his drug-induced haze, heard her.
“Uh, how about: you live here, you do as I say, without any complaints?” His laid-back posture turned stiff as he stalked closer to her. Giselle turned to look at him with a smirk in place and her arms crossed over her chest. “I pay the bills, I got a job. All you do is come home and complain about how much high school sucks and you wish you could be where-the-fuck-ever it is you’re always bitchin’ about!”
By then Giselle’s smirk had turned into a full blown smile and she was about ready to laugh until it drew tears. She refrained, though. “Hmm…” she chewed on her index finger. “One, you can barely count so I don’t know where you got the idea that you pay the bills around here. Two,” She brought up her middle finger. “I have five AP classes so I don’t really have time for a job when I come home from school.
At least, I do chores like washing your dirty ass underwear! Three,” she placed her hand on her hip and glared at him. “When I get to where-the-fuck-ever it is I’m always bitching about- ahem Florida- at least it’ll be away from you and this shit-hole apartment!” Her chest heaved and her face was an angry red as she finished her rant.
Her brother was quiet for a second as his angry stare leveled with hers. He seemed to be sobering up and Giselle knew he didn’t like when that happened. That thought almost put another smile on her face.
“No one said you had to stay here.” Zack finally said.
Giselle burst out laughing. That was rich. “What do you want me to say, Zacky?” She walked to her dresser mirror and started angrily combing out the French braid she’d put in her hair that morning. “I’m sorry that you’re my legal guardian?
I’m sorry our dad didn’t want his real kids so he went to be with someone else’s? I’m sorry our mom’s a whore?” she stopped combing her hair and looked at her brother in her mirror, spreading her arms wide. “Or how about… I’m sorry my brother is such a douche that all he can think of is his fucking ferret and not his struggling little sister!”
She had started pushing him out of her room while tears streamed down her face and he stood surprised and gaping, wondering what to say. That’s the way she left him when she slammed the door in his face.
Standing in her doorway, she noticed her lights were off and the only color she could see was her blood-red silk covered lamp. She thought that was peculiar because she rarely ever turned that lamp on and she especially didn’t that morning. She flicked the light on and the breath escaped her lungs when she saw the couple making out on her bed. So many thoughts ran through her head and anger swirled in her abdomen.
She finally found her voice. “Get the fuck out!” she screeched, her eyebrows furrowing over her long lashes.
The couple separated and looked at her in annoyance as if she was in the wrong.
“Excuse me?” the girl asked. Her makeup was smeared and her dress had ridden up, showing her underwear.
“Did I stutter?” Giselle stepped inside her room and opened her door wider. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”
The bed squeaked under their weight as they got up. Shuffling past Giselle, the girl muttered, “Not cool.”
Giselle hummed under her breath and stewed silently as they walked down the hall. When she heard the front door click shut, she finally let out her frustrations. “Zack!” She slung her bag on her desk chair and started ripping her teenage-hormone infested sheets off her bed.
Not five minutes later, her brother made an appearance. His eyes were bloodshot and he kept swiping his finger under his nose, sniffing like he had a cold.
“What’s up, sis?” He leaned against her doorway.
“Not a thing big bro. Just ah…” she plopped down on her now, bare bed and crossed her legs. “Found some of your druggie, shit-head friends defiling my bed and messing with my stuff!” Her voice rose at the end, her anger getting the best of her.
Zack’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he smiled as if in ecstasy.
Or on…, Giselle thought while frowning fiercely at him.
“I think the term you’re looking for is ‘pothead.’”
“Funny.” Giselle’s scowl deepened. “Just make sure you keep the trash outside of my room.”
“Right…” He made as if to leave but then turned back to look at her. “Before I forget… I’m gonna need you to clean out Humphrey’s cage.”
“Uh, how about no.” Giselle said as she went to boot up her computer. “Your pet, your problem.” She muttered. Unfortunately, Zack, even in his drug-induced haze, heard her.
“Uh, how about: you live here, you do as I say, without any complaints?” His laid-back posture turned stiff as he stalked closer to her. Giselle turned to look at him with a smirk in place and her arms crossed over her chest. “I pay the bills, I got a job. All you do is come home and complain about how much high school sucks and you wish you could be where-the-fuck-ever it is you’re always bitchin’ about!”
By then Giselle’s smirk had turned into a full blown smile and she was about ready to laugh until it drew tears. She refrained, though. “Hmm…” she chewed on her index finger. “One, you can barely count so I don’t know where you got the idea that you pay the bills around here. Two,” She brought up her middle finger. “I have five AP classes so I don’t really have time for a job when I come home from school.
At least, I do chores like washing your dirty ass underwear! Three,” she placed her hand on her hip and glared at him. “When I get to where-the-fuck-ever it is I’m always bitching about- ahem Florida- at least it’ll be away from you and this shit-hole apartment!” Her chest heaved and her face was an angry red as she finished her rant.
Her brother was quiet for a second as his angry stare leveled with hers. He seemed to be sobering up and Giselle knew he didn’t like when that happened. That thought almost put another smile on her face.
“No one said you had to stay here.” Zack finally said.
Giselle burst out laughing. That was rich. “What do you want me to say, Zacky?” She walked to her dresser mirror and started angrily combing out the French braid she’d put in her hair that morning. “I’m sorry that you’re my legal guardian?
I’m sorry our dad didn’t want his real kids so he went to be with someone else’s? I’m sorry our mom’s a whore?” she stopped combing her hair and looked at her brother in her mirror, spreading her arms wide. “Or how about… I’m sorry my brother is such a douche that all he can think of is his fucking ferret and not his struggling little sister!”
She had started pushing him out of her room while tears streamed down her face and he stood surprised and gaping, wondering what to say. That’s the way she left him when she slammed the door in his face.