Indecent Proposal

Sitting on the roof of my three bedroom house, the one I grew up in I would always watch the stars. Whenever I had trouble in my life or a problem, anything that was holding me down and pushing me back I’d come up here and just talk. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath of the night air the crisp cold wind wafting the smell of a nearby fire burning, spreading some sort of imaginary warmth to me. Shivering I wrapped the small blanket I’d had since I was three. My wubbie – my security blanket that always seemed to protect me from danger and protect me from the world that always seemed to fall apart around me – was securely wrapped around my shoulders. It was a cold November night- just like any other where I lived. I couldn’t really tell you where I was living right now because I kept moving here and there and everywhere. Let’s just say I had many three bedroom homes I grew up in. Even though today was my birthday – my 24th birthday – I still lived with my parents and was still trying to figure out who I was. Or what I was. Generations of Dandridge women my grandmother and her mother in law – my aunt s and my mother when and once they had left school albeit college or high school (although for most of them it started just before high school let out ) got married and had babies right away. This had been the way in my family I’m sure for thousands and thousands of years seeing that they had always drilled it into my head that it was that way. Since the age I started my period which was 13 it wasn’t the sex talk it was ‘Arianna why aren’t you married – that boy your dating is a good man ‘ or ‘Oh Ari you are much too skinny to have babies - you should fatten up’ and the worst of them was ‘Oh God I pray that I may see a grandchild before I die and may it be a boy’. That right there was the extent of what my family thought and expected for me. All of their hopes and dreams revolved around me becoming a pretty little dutiful housewife who’d squeeze out five or six little puppies for them and then look like what my aunt Edwina turned out to be – a size short of tent material. Not that I didn’t love them it was just that it was a constant badgering of when was I going to have a baby. Through a series of misfortune relationships and one that almost lasted but skipped town when they found out I was pregnant I did give them a grandchild – my beautiful little Stella but no – it wasn’t a boy and I wasn’t married. So I was looked upon as the spinster of the family at just 24. Just turned 24 – and I didn’t get a pretty cake with present or my friends around and I certainly had no party. Nope. Not for the spinster. . .
Taking another deep breath as I held other then my wubbie around me - a sleeping four year old in my arms who just by my luck was born only three months away from my own birthday. She was August 25th and I was November 25th but only give or take oh – 20 years apart thankfully. Stroking her hair I looked up at the stary sky on the cold night hoping to see my dad. He always knew how to run interference for me and I was his little girl – his sweetie pie. But the only one I had the chance to talk to that made everything better who when I was littler would come up here with me and talk it out was gone. But it was far fetched even for me. Stretching Stella groaned snuggling her head into my chest I heard a noise. Quickly my head snapped towards the sound only to my relief it was Aliah coming up the ladder. “You scared me – I thought you were mom”
“Well I am not but it’s 8:30 – and you know what on at 9”
She didn’t need to say another word and the sleeping little girl in my arms bolted to her. It still amazes me as to how she could even hear that or respond after stuffing her self with my birthday cupcakes and a whole bucket of candy and a whole can of pop this time around. When I was little I would have been collapsed in my bed foaming at the mouth but it just goes to show now how much she is like the me I wanted to be and how in love with this show she was. “TRUE BLOOD!!”
“No – no – it’s some little girls bed time and I’ve got to talk with momma” Aliah chuckled seeing as it was Friday and only two days away from the next episode both of us were so dying to watch. I watched purely for the story being a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novels for a good while – knowing them cover to cover. My little Stella and Aliah however watch for Eric Nothman okay I kind of did too but I wasn’t going to say anything. Groaning Stella stomped on the room then went to the ladder looking over at me as I winked at her. She smiled brightly then hurried down the ladder as Aliah came forward.
“So how was Cali Ms. Hollywood?” I laughed making a spot for her on the roof next to me.
“Good” She smirked.
“What does good mean – good as in bad good or good good? Did you – you didn’t get a job?” I was ecstatic at this point but not really – it was just some job on a dinky show she’d said over the phone.
“Even better”
“What could be better-“ Before I could answer she wiped out a picture of her shaking hands with the creator of True Blood - Alan Ball and the casting director. Swallowing hard I shook my head vigorously as she then handed over a contract bearing both her name and mine and our signatures - or should I say her signature and my forged one.
"Aliah-"
"Before you say no Arianna I showed him your manuscripts and the screen plays you thought up and-"
"You showed him my -" I started to raise my voice in the middle of the night when she shook her head. Aliah always had to rop me into her little schemes - and her projects. But I no matter how much I wanted to say no had to say yes. She needed me because who else would look out for her - she was a dumb as a post but yes I loved her like a sister.
"I showed him them and he said they were pure genius - that after they started the final season one of them could be in the running to become a show - of course you'd have to right for True Blood for a bit but none the less it's a job and imagine how happy Stella will be and this is Cali we are talking a about Ari - you'd be on your own and free"
She had a very valid point sadly as I nodded mulling it over then smiling. It was my own daughter's and best friends favorite show - she'd get to have a part in it and it was money. I needed money i I was going to be on my own and that would be a lot . . . "Okay - I'll do it"

What was I doing wrong? I was about to start being able to be independent - I could leave this town and my family who lived in it far behind to start fresh - start new - was I making a bad decision? Now that I know what do - yes. Yes I was . . . I would have never met him other wise and none of the trouble now would ever be happening. But how would I ever know that in a few days I'd meet the love of my life?