Feeling my suspicions confirmed when I saw her take a quick look into my fridge after I got some milk out of it, I pointed at the coffee maker and asked her to choose a capsule. After she chose one, we went back into the living room where she sat on the sofa and pointed at the cable management.
“That looks cool! Did you do that too?”
“Yeah. That actually started me on the whole decoration and renovation thing. I just wanted the cables to not get in the way, but when I had that done, it was kinda fun!” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “So after that, I got the LED-Strips working, new lights, fitting carpets ... followed the theme, you know. My buddy said it looks sterile, but I like it.”
“Could I look around a bit? You can tell me what you did yourself.” she said with a disarming smile, trying to seem as casual as possible about it. I suspected she needed to look around for syringes and empty whisky bottles, so I didn’t put up a fight. I was just damn glad I had cleaned the whole place the day before, after I had completely finished with the renovation, and silently vowed to keep my apartment tidied up for future unannounced visitors. “Wasn’t buying furniture for the whole apartment expensive?”
“Oh yes, quite expensive. But I’ve been working since I was fifteen and never had a chance to spend much of it. So, I had more than enough to make this look exactly how I wanted.” I explained.
I noticed I was so nervous, I just blabbered and told her whatever came to my mind when she asked a question. I would have to be careful when she asked about money, since I paid for some of this in cash.
“You like the job?” she asked casually.
“Yeah. It pays well, the people are nice, I learn a lot ... I really have nothing to complain about.”
“Pays well?”
“About thirty-seven hundred a month. Before taxes.”
She started scribbling things on her clipboard now.
“And you live alone?”
“Yes.”
“That your girlfriend?” she asked, pointing at the photos above the sofa. “Does she come by sometimes?”
“No.”
“Not your girlfriend or not coming over sometimes?” she grinned. “Don’t worry, you’re old enough to have relationships.”
“She was my girlfriend.” I sighed, looking at the photos of me and Tess. “She died almost three months ago. I take it my grandparents didn’t tell you about that either?”
“No ... I’m really sorry to hear that, Timothy.” she sounded sincere.
“Alright. Wait here.” I said, figuring the casual pretense for her visit was over anyway, before walking into my bedroom and getting copies of some relevant documents. I resumed talking when I held it all out to her. “Here’s a copy of my employment contract. You’ll see I make enough to not have to squat in someone else’s property. I didn’t get a report card that would reflect if or how the move affected my grades yet, but I’m a solid student. I never got A’s, but I’m not stupid either. And finally, here you have a copy of my lease and bank statements of the rent transfers.”
“Oh! Thank you, that makes this a lot easier.” she complimented my thinking ahead.
“Here’s the deal. Over the last year, I spent months in my girlfriend’s apartment, and the family didn’t even notice I was gone. So, after she ... I got this place and lived here for a full week before the grandparents came to visit and asked where I was. Only then did they notice that my room was empty, and started to look for me. I’m just better here than in the house they don’t even want me in.”
“I ... also wasn’t aware of that.” she just said.
“I started working at fifteen to pay for my school textbooks. Not because the parents had money issues, but because they simply refused to pay for them. And once I had money, I had to buy my own food to cook for myself, do my own laundry, organize my own transportation, and all that while paying rent to them. The only thing that changed for me after I moved here on my own, is the amount of rent I have to pay. Talk to my boss, if you have to, I’ll tell him that he can disclose my information. He’ll tell you how he was the one who had to help me get over the bullies my siblings had set on me, after the parents couldn’t even be bothered to call the school about it. I’m not going back to live with the people who didn’t care about me. Same goes for the oh so concerned grandparents that called you. They knew what was going on in that house, but never gave a shit about me until they recently found out that I have money.”
She was eagerly scrabbling on her clipboard again, her brows frowned, and mumbling something that sounded heated under her breath.
“Now,” I continued. “You can see that I’m not squatting like they claimed. There’s actual food in the fridge, no drugs lying around, I earn a steady income that is more than enough to support myself, and I’m six months
“Work? Not school?” she asked, after thinking for a few seconds.
