Chapter 4
After getting her receipt from the ATM, Joey placed her bank card back into her pocket as she held farther down the streetlight lite sidewalk. Finally making to Domino High her second stop of the night, Joey left her bike in the bushes infront of the gate as she hoped the fence. Once inside the school, she went to her locker putting in her combination and placing her bank card inside. Looking around to make sure there weren't any security guards around she quickly snuck back over the gate home.
Entering the main floor of her appartment, Joey stop by the mailbox grabbing her mail as she head upstairs. Once upstairs the teenager was greeted to a living covered with beer bottles on the floor. In the sink nats could be see flying around the dirty dishes that haven't been wash since that morning. Letting out a sigh, the blonde grabbed a trash bag and begin to pick up the bottles. As she continue to pick up trash, Joey noticed a balled up piece of paper. Straighting it out the teenager could see that it was a used lottery ticket. With an annoyed click of her tongue the blonde angrily toss the piece of paper in the bag.
Finally getting the living room/kitchen clean, Joey picked into her dad's room. Like the living, her dad's bedroom was in the same condition or possibly worst. Once again the teen begin to clean the room of trash. While cleaning the room, Joey noticed a note sitting on her dad's bed.
-Joey,
Gone for a while, be back soon
Dad-
This earned yet another frustrated sigh from the teenager as she toss the note in the trash. Knowing her father's track record, He probably won't be home until the next night broke or drunk or both. Running her hand through her hair, Joey finish cleaning her dad's room and head to her room. Like most of the rooms in the appartment, Joey's room was small with only a few things scatter here and there letting someone know a person lived their and that it wasn't abandon. Joey sat down at her desk and begin to look through the mail she brought up. The teen was surprise when she saw numerous red envelopes saying final notice on them. Knowing that putting it off any longer wasn't going to help and also knowing her day was far from over, Joey took out a note book and paper logging the amount owed on each of the bills.
After an hour of checking numbers and looking through her journal of what she haves and what was owed, Joey ran her hand through her hair and let out a tired sigh. *There's no way I can pay them all this month...* Joey's glance fell on a handwritten note
-You're rent is way over due. I'm tired of waiting. Pay up your rent or get out you bum!
Greg Summers-
*There's no getting pass it I have to pay this month's rent to get that slum lord off our back...after that I can pay for our water and eletric bill but I have no choice...I'll have to let my phone go and skip out on lunches at school.* Joey begin to lean backwards in her chair as she looked up at the ceiling *man is this depressing* Looking back at her desk, Joey's eyes feel on a personal letter which she insteadly reconized who it was from. Joey picked up the letter finding neatly folded stationary and a photo inside.
-Hi Sis,
How have you and dad been? I hope well. Can you believe we're already in mid-terms. A group of friends and I have been forming study groups and going to library. I hope you can meet them, they're really nice. I've told them a couple of stories back when we were younger. Like the time we went to the beach and we looked for buried treasure. I still have some of the sea shells we found. I'm a little worry about my Math class, but I'm sure if I work hard I can pass. I remember when we were in grade school, you use to buy me candy and I had to get the right numbers on our flash cards right to get best pieces. I really miss us hanging out. I ask mom and she said that I'll have to wait until summer break and that I have to focus on my studies. Maybe then we could go to the beach again. I can't wait till then
Love,
Serenity-
This brought a smile on the blonde's face as she looked at the picture of the house, Serenity and their mom now live in. *Right...and being neck deep in bills won't allow me to do that, so I have to work hard.* Joey though as she continue to look at the bills.