Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.16
“I need a job,” Polly stated a few hours later, halfway into their 3rd crappy action movie.
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Alex asked, braiding her hair. She was sitting between his legs while he sat on the recliner. She seemed to be staring intently at the movie playing on the television screen, eating popcorn out of a large plastic mixing bowl. Really, she was staring intently so she wouldn’t start to fall asleep. Alex’s fingers were gentle as he pulled her hair back, his fingertips sliding along her scalp. Any other time and Polly would be asleep.
“Because I’m bored all day. There’s only so many science fiction novels I can read before I go insane,” she said.
“Ooookay,” Alex said slowly. He knew there was more.
“Besides! I think I should start pulling my own weight. You and Cady have been so night, paying for everything and giving me a place to stay. It doesn’t feel right. I need to repay you and I figure, I can get a job and help pay for bills and-”
“No.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Pollyanna. No. I won’t let you pay for our bills. Those are my resp-”
“Okay, listen here, Mister. I’m using your electricity. I’m using your water, your heat, your cable. I can’t freeload. I’m paying for my part of the bills and there’s no-”
“Nothing I can do about it? Yeah, there is. It’s my house, Polly. And Cady would agree with me. You don’t need to pay for anything.”
“Then the mortgage!” she replied, twisting so they were facing each other.
“No.”
“You are a pain in my ass!” she griped.
“You’ll get over it.”
“Alex,” she whined. He stared hard at her, driving home his point with those intense hazel eyes.
“I’ll help you look for a job tomorrow. It’s my day off,” he said.
“Can we continue Truth?” Polly asked, her mind completely off bills and mortgages and jobs.
“Of course!” Alex said, laughing as Polly clapped excitedly. He could see that there was still a bit of innocent Young Pollyanna inside of her. He could see the girl that she used to be, peaking out of the cracks of the armor she wore now as an adult. He could see the scared brown eyes of an excitable little girl staring at him. He wondered exactly what kind of little girl she had been. A tough tomboy or a fragile girly girl? Had she played sports or piano? Was she popular or the girl who sat in the corner with a book? It was just a matter of Polly letting that girl out.
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Alex asked, braiding her hair. She was sitting between his legs while he sat on the recliner. She seemed to be staring intently at the movie playing on the television screen, eating popcorn out of a large plastic mixing bowl. Really, she was staring intently so she wouldn’t start to fall asleep. Alex’s fingers were gentle as he pulled her hair back, his fingertips sliding along her scalp. Any other time and Polly would be asleep.
“Because I’m bored all day. There’s only so many science fiction novels I can read before I go insane,” she said.
“Ooookay,” Alex said slowly. He knew there was more.
“Besides! I think I should start pulling my own weight. You and Cady have been so night, paying for everything and giving me a place to stay. It doesn’t feel right. I need to repay you and I figure, I can get a job and help pay for bills and-”
“No.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Pollyanna. No. I won’t let you pay for our bills. Those are my resp-”
“Okay, listen here, Mister. I’m using your electricity. I’m using your water, your heat, your cable. I can’t freeload. I’m paying for my part of the bills and there’s no-”
“Nothing I can do about it? Yeah, there is. It’s my house, Polly. And Cady would agree with me. You don’t need to pay for anything.”
“Then the mortgage!” she replied, twisting so they were facing each other.
“No.”
“You are a pain in my ass!” she griped.
“You’ll get over it.”
“Alex,” she whined. He stared hard at her, driving home his point with those intense hazel eyes.
“I’ll help you look for a job tomorrow. It’s my day off,” he said.
“Can we continue Truth?” Polly asked, her mind completely off bills and mortgages and jobs.
“Of course!” Alex said, laughing as Polly clapped excitedly. He could see that there was still a bit of innocent Young Pollyanna inside of her. He could see the girl that she used to be, peaking out of the cracks of the armor she wore now as an adult. He could see the scared brown eyes of an excitable little girl staring at him. He wondered exactly what kind of little girl she had been. A tough tomboy or a fragile girly girl? Had she played sports or piano? Was she popular or the girl who sat in the corner with a book? It was just a matter of Polly letting that girl out.