Author's note: the reason why I made the parents (especially the mother) the way they are in this chapter is based on the way they acted when Jack came over for dinner for the first time. Please read and enjoy.

Chapter 15: Voices Carry

While Grim slept, David ran to the lodging house and got Les. When he got back, his parents and Sarah were sitting quietly at the table. David had to explain to them that Grim got sick at the meeting. He hated to lie to his parents but he didn't want them to think poorly of her without meeting her first. His mother gave him a look that he knew all too well.

"Please, Mama. I don't want to talk about it right now." he said quietly.

"Then we'll talk about it in the bed room." she said as she headed into David's and Sarah's room.

"Papa," David began but his father stopped him.

"Go in the bedroom." Mayer said.

Mayer and David went into the bedroom and Mayer closed the door so the others couldn't hear them. David knew this talk like the back of his hand. He wasn't allowed to have girls here when his parents aren't around just like Sarah can't have boys over. David never went against their wishes and this should be a special exception since Grim was "sick". If they came in when he was lying with her, all hell would break loose. Esther was sitting on Sarah's bed with her arms crossed. Before David could even think about what to say, she gave him a look.

"I didn't do anything wrong, Mama." he said defensively, "She was sick. What was I suppose to do? Leave her at the meeting?"

"I know what kind of girls hey have at those meetings." Esther said, "I hear how Jack describes them."

"She's not that kind of girl. She lives at the lodging house with the guys. Race invited her because she's good poker player. She's really a good person."

"You have to find better friends, David." Mayer jumped in. "We like the guys at the lodging house but we want better for you. We get worried about the way you've been acting lately. You're jumping on everyone."

"That's not because of my friends." David said, trying to control his voice. "I'm tired of everything that's going on here. I'm not the parents. You are. I should still be in school, not supporting everyone here. Now it's even harder since Sarah quit her job and it wasn't even for a good reason."

"Sarah is just sensitive." Esther said quickly.

"Sarah doesn't care about anything but how people look are her. I can't support everyone with money I from selling newspapers. And, for your information, Grim raised money to help us out even though she didn't have to. She cares about this family." he snapped at his mother.

"David, what's wrong with you? Don't talk to your mother like that. We didn't raise you to be disrespectful." Mayer snapped at him.

"I'm sorry, Papa, but…I'm tired. I really am. I can't do this anymore." he said in defeat.

"It won't be long until the factory will give me my job back."

"Papa," he snapped, "that's not going to happen. They already hired someone else. You have to find something else. Maybe find a new factory and Sarah has to find a job. We have to get back on the right track."

"We'll get back on the right track. Right now, we're going through some hard times. We all are tired, David. You have to understand that. We don't want to put everything on you but we need some kind of income." Esther said.

David looked away from his parents. He does understand that the whole family is going through some hard times but they don't seem to understand that he's at his breaking point. The only thing that's keeping him from losing his mind was Grim. Knowing that Grim was only a room away gave him the courage to stand up for himself. He just wish his mother didn't have to think of Grim as a "working girl". She's better than that. Esther would see that if she gave Grim a chance like she gave Jack.

"Grim care." David suddenly said for no reason at all. "She worries about us. She's a wonderful girl and I want you to see that. I want you to know her like I do. I think you'll like her."

"I'm sure we will but, for the meantime, why don't you find someone else to be friends with? You are so smart. Why don't you get in contact with your old school friends?" his mother suggested.

"They stopped talking to me after I left. They think they're better than me. I know you want better for us, Mama, but I got my head on straight. You don't have to worry about me." David said.

"There's not talking to him." Esther said as she shook her head.

David sighed heavily. There's no way his parents can change his mind about having Grim as a friend. After this conversation, David fears his mother would have a heart attack if he tells her that he wants to have more than a friendship with Grim. David nodded then headed out to then living room where he noticed something was different.

"Where's Grim?" David asked, when he noticed Les's bed was empty.

"She said that she felt well enough to go back to the lodging house." Sarah answered from the kitchen table.

"You just let her go without any question? She's been sick all night."

"She said she felt fine. She's probably already at the lodging house." Sarah said.

"I'm going to find her." David was about to go to the door but Esther stopped him.

"She's probably at the lodging house, David. She's fine." she said.

"Don't try to fight with your mother." Mayer said before David could open his mouth. David sighed as he sat down at the table.

Grim, on the other hand, wasn't heading to then lodging house. She heard everything David's parents said. They hate her already. They haven't even met her yet and they hate her. She doesn't want to come between David and his parents. Grim didn't know where she was going because she's still a bit drunk but she just had to get out of that apartment. As she carefully walked the streets, the Brooklyn Bridge comes into view. Grim stared at it for a moment then she went forward.