I haven't abandoned the story even if you have lol. I have a ton of stuff on my plate so it's taking forever to write. The good news is I have part two done. I just have to type it. This was actually going to be one chapter but it's long and I wanted to post something just because I've been MIA for awhile. Enough talk, here's the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.
CHP 13: Moving On Part I
"Has Gar spoken to you since we tricked him into signing the lease?"
"He doesn't really have a choice. He's still staying in my room."
Stunned, Kori eyed me from behind the monsterous stack of clothes that divided us. Her orb like green eyes hit me with a girlish innocence I'd never really know first hand.
"You have a guy staying in your bedroom?" She asked, contorting her face like a disgusted child who just walked in on two adults kissing. "Do you guys..."
"No."
"Oh, I was just wondering... I didn't think...I mean it's none of my business." She bit her lip nervously, grabbing another shirt from the pile to fold.
She was right. It was none of her business who I fucked or did not fuck. Turning my back to her, I busied myself putting together some cardboard boxes for dishes, but the masking tape was being the biggest of bitches. My stubby nails fiddled with the thin strip until I thought it finally broke loose, fooled me again. A little piece tore off yet again. The more I tore at the stupid thing the more useless little shreds I created. There was no time for this I growled in the back of my mind. I don't have time for this! The tape collapsed by my side; my frusteration had reached ample heights.
My time was rarely my own. IT was spent at work listening to meaningless chatter from, meaningless coworkers, meaningless customers, who desired my meaningless opinion on various shades of pink lipsticks and short short lengths of which I couldn't give a flying fuck. When I did have time, I had to pack in secret, otherwise daddy dearest was bound to ask questions, which would most definitely result in a fight. However meaningless I found my job to be it did serve as means to passify him...at some points. At other points it only served as an excuse to berate my ability to do more with my life than slave away for eight bucks and hour.
"I suggest you apply for college unless you want to be stuck in the shitter at $8 an hour for the rest of your life."
And on and on and on. He complained so much I just stopped listening. And apparently, Gar was fed up too. His only other rant, other than the moving situation, was my foster dad.
"Can't you just tell him to piss off?"
He would ask nearly everyday and my response was put in headphones. I'm not going to bite the hand that's housing us right now so suck it up cry baby.
So that was that. Gar would sulk around my room with headphones in, mocking my dad and even me whenever one of us would speak. How do I know this? I've caught him on several occasions.
A long drawn out sigh shook me out of a stupor, bringing me back to reality. There was still this monstorous mountain of Kori's clothes and then all the dishes and small trinkets she was dead set on bringing, which had to be packed.
Her parents were fine with her moving so long as they had no idea about Gar or even Dick. We'd only told them the half truth about the living situation, which was something along the lines of her needing female support from her "bestie" after the incident. The way she hugged me and called me her bestie at the time almost made me feel like I knew her for more than a few weeks. This whole living with complete strangers was going to be ...weird.
Kori suddenly plopped down next to me beginning to wrap some some china plates with newspaper. She seemed to stay quiet just to satisfy me, but there was an irritating eagerness in her eyes.
"OKAY SPEAK."
She exploded like she'd been holding her breath forever.
"How do you feel about Dick? What about the apartment? Do you think Vic is nice? What about his prosthetic limbs? Do you think they're nice?"
Blah blah blah blah... so clearly there was nothing but shit coming out of her mouth at this point.
"Kori." I put a hand up, stopping her, still looking at the little shreds of masking tape and the moutain of mismatched clothes piled a mile behind us.
"Can you please just pass the newspaper."
"So Dude."
"So."
"Rache and Kori are helping eachother pack, but why am I helping you?" Gar peared out at Dick from two defiant eyes, crossing his eyes and plopping down on the end of the couch as far as he could sit comfortably away from his rival.
"You want to speed this process up don't you." Dick said, stone faced. He picked up a remote extending his arm like a mindless drone, flicking through channels.
"No not really, you assholes tricked me into signing the lease remember?"
Dick shrugged, not bothering to look away from the tv. "No one made you drink but you and it's not like you can go on living off a girl... Or can you?"
The nerve of this badass wannabe, Gar's blood was bubbling over. He snarrled, barring his teeth, appearing more animal than human. "I'm not living off Rache. I have my own job and car..."
"Just not your own place."
"...Just not my own place."
"My point exactly." Dick fingered through his soft spiked hair. "You're a wanker living off a chick."
"FUCK YOU ASS-WIPE!" Gar hocked a loogie, spitting it right on the carpet near Dick's feet.
With a icy calmness Dick set down the remote, raising to his feet.
"WHAP!" His right fist came so fast Gar hardly had a chance to see it. Swift and sharp right to the gut it came flying, knocking him back into the wall.
Okay... so maybe he is a badass... just maybe. The ache in Gar's rib wouldn't stop throbbing now as Dick walked over towering above him.
With a satisfied and cocky smirk Dick extended a hand, pulling the limp punk to his feet.
"You are such a prick." Gar winced, holding his gut.
"I know."Dick replied, the smirk on his face deepening.
Gar threw his head back trying even harder to bite back the look of pain in his eyes and his gaze instantly landed on something.
"You own Death's Revenge? That's an unreleased game."
"I know."
"How the hell'd you get it?"
"I have my sources."
"What other games you got?" Gar eyed him with peaking interest.
"Ah." Dick gave a nonchalant shrug. "A few."
Gar's mouth started to salivate a tad as he looked at the entertainment center with glazed eyes. "You just became slightly less of a prick."
"Beer?"
Gar gave a surprised look, "How did you know?"
The sound of popping beer cans and blaring game music became the sound of a beautiful...not hatred.
Kori was still talking when I decided to sneak away. It was just an extended bathroom break, extended all the way to the diner about a block away. I'd be back...maybe.
My stomach wouldn't stop growling. That shit that Kori made this morning wouldn't pass for food even on Mars and I had no choice but to sneak it into the trash when she wasn't looking; so now my guts were growling and I wished they would shut up as I made my escape, quietly easing the back door to her house shut. Now to find my exit. Since her house was a mini mansion climbing the oversized fence was no small feat.
"Ow, ow, ow." I grunted, one leg hoisted half over the fence and the other still dangling inside. My knuckles went white with the pressure of 125lbs of body weight struggling over a 6ft fence. The plop to the ground stung the arches of my feet, but I quickly shook it off, feeling the new energy of my emerging freedom. I could breathe for a minute without someone crowding my thoughts with idle chatter, what a fucking relief.
Okay, now why hasn't Gar or Dick bothered to message I thought, tapping the sides of my android with my nails. No status updates on how the morning was coming along, nothing, what could those two possibly be up to.
"Dude!" Gar complained you just scored 5000 points in one round .
"I know."
"Dude!" Gar stuck out his fist and gave Dick a quick knuckle bump.
For a second it felt like a tiny rain cloud had made it's way over my head. "Guys are so stupid." My eyebrows bumped together and my thoughts drifted to my two jerk-off fathers.
Daddy number one was a psychotic murderous lech and daddy number two wasn't that entirely different come to think of it, what luck. I gazed up at the sky noticing that it had taken on a murky tone like dirty dishwater and I was umbrella-less...Maybe... no. The thought of Gar came to mind. I could call him, just to see what he was doing, how far they had gotten on packing, but my thumb paused, hovering over the talk button. Why Gar? Why not Dick? So I began to dial Dick's number instead. Halfway through I stopped. Screw him. This was my moment of peace and it would be gone as soon as I moved in with these three other teenagers.
It would be worth it though, just to escape from my foster Dad's clutches. I grimaced, thumbing through the visual voicemail messages. All my missed calls were from him.
"Ugh, should I? My curiosity got the better of me and I hit play.
"Beep."
"Rache! Get your ass back home ASAP. I found your little boyfriend's boxers in the bathroom this morning. You've been gone for two days. You little whore! What the hell are you thinking!
"Beep, message two Friday 1:30pm."
"Rachel Roth damn you! You better bring your little pale ass back home this instant!"
"Click." I had, had enough.
Nearing my destination, I sulked up to the entrance of the diner forgetting to open the door for a group of chatty elderly women. I hardly notice their hateful stares as my mind was consumed with anger. How could Gar be so absent minded! He's going to blow everything!
I attempted to relax the muscles in my face when the hostess came to seat me, but apparently I wasn't doing a good job. The lady with a toddler riding in a stroller started crying while parked beside me and when his mom noticed how unpleasant I looked she turned the child's stroller completely in the opposite direction.
Damn I thought, that bad; but the waitress who walked up after the hostess payed no mind to my bad mood. She reminded me of Kori, completely oblivious to my unwelcoming presence.
"Can I start you off with some water?"
"No. I already know what I want. I'll take the blueberry waffles and a glass of orange juice."
"Okay dear," She smiled folding up my menu. I watched her float away into the kitchen letting my scowl deepen.
I told Gar not to leave his stuff laying around where my foster dad could find it. If Dad finds out Gar's staying in my room he might go after him. It was no secret he was also violent, but not to the extent of my biological Dad. He had never hit me, but he had punched a hole in the wall once when he found out I had been rejected from the University of California. He usually only got that bad after a few beers, but still, I didn't want to risk it. Gar couldn't get caught up in anymore drama, his record wouldn't be able to handle it.
"You alright honey?" The waitress had come back to the table with a heaping plate of hot food. She had the same pleasant look on her face as before.
"Fantastic."
She set the plate and juice down. "Just ask if you need anything else."
"Will do." I ate in silence, with my head down and eyes glued to the table. I only bothered to look up every so often when one of the old ladies at the neighboring tables would belt out in outrageous gregarious laughter. When one or two of them had saw they caught my attention they would lean over to their friend and start whispering then both hens would burst out in laughter together.
I noticed that beside them of group of teen girls were doing the exact same thing.
Inwardly I rolled my eyes, some people never matured. Childish prunes and future prunes. Fuck them.
Quickly, I occupied my mind with more important matters, like how long it was going to take to move the rest of my stuff. I loathed the very thought. The even bigger problem would be sneaking over to get it. These were the troubles that plagued me, but I let waffles be my distraction.
My next mouthful of blueberry goodness was followed by Vic's call. To answer or tend to the waffles that was the question of the hour...waffles were winning. I took another bite.
"Is everything alright dear?"
Looking up from my plate I could see the beaming waitress hovering over me.
"No, I need whip cream, milk, more blueberries, and can you refill this orange juice too?" That should keep her busy I smirked, watching her slump off to the kitchen defeated.
"Look Vic," I snatched the phone off the table at the next ring. "I am in the middle of something important why are you calling me?"
"Important? How important are blueberry waffles?"
"Well, they're important to me, wait how the-"
"I just passed by the diner and saw you. I'm coming in."
Great. A moment of peace out the window.
Vic joined me at the table and immediately we started catching more stares than I had previously gotten alone.
"That's her boyfriend?" Someone whispered. "He's hot." A few sets of eyes added to the mix and the ones that were there originally weren't budging an ounce. Then Vic rolled up his sleeves flashing his shiny mettalic limbs and the looks of romantic interest turned to disgust, which he greeted with a smile. He threw his head back and let out a chuckle scoffing at the group of onlookers as he turned his attention back to me.
"Why do you show off your prosthetics if you know people are going to react like that?"
"Why not?" It doesn't bother me.
A faint smile came across my lips. The first one all day. "Let's get back on track. Why are you here?"
"Well," He eyed my plate. " I was trying to reach Gar and Dick to find out when you guys would be finished moving. The owner of the complex is complaining about all the boxes sitting on the sidewalk. It looks bad and it's going to attract thieves."
"Oh yeah, sorry, don't know what they're doing. They haven't said anything to me all day."
"You got anymore beers?" Gar asked.
"Two more." said Dick. "Pass me the controller you drive like a chick."
"Shut up dude." Gar chuckled, popping the cap on his beer.
"What about Kori?" I asked.
"Haven't heard from her either."
I raised an eyebrow. "I just left there. What could she possibly be doing?"
"I think I added way too much hot mustard to breakfast this time!" Kori grunted, grimacing as she held her stomach. "I should not have eaten two plates! Uggnnnnh!"
Flush. Flush.
"Ugh, fine. I'll come help you move the boxes after I'm done here."
The waitress had finally returned from the kitchen and her other customers.
"Here you go dear." I detected a tad bit of venom dripping off the end of that dear. "Anything else?"
"No, thank you."
When she left Vic started undoing the extra set of silverware.
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Thought I'd help so we finish quicker."
My eyebrows bumped together as I watched my waffles disappear bit by bit."
It was dark by the time Vic and I finally finished getting the rest of the boxes put away, with no sign of the other three.
"This is so annoying, and we still need to get Gar's stuff out. I can't get anything done all this week my dads going to be home for vacation."
"He doesn't go out of town?"
"He's too cheap. He stays home and watches football."
"Oh. " Vic shrugged. "Then just get his stuff out today."
"It's a lot and it's not like I have a car to move it. We were using Kori's before, but hers is packed right now."
"Don't know what to tell you then little lady," Vic bit his bottom lip. "I've gotta get back to work, and I'll be working all this week." He clapped his hands together dusting them off.
"Well, this is my exit."
I watched him head off with dread filling my stomach. This was going to be an extremely long night.
