Page 121 of Something Tattered
I bit my lip. I wasn't looking forward to telling him. The whole thing was just so humiliating. But fair was fair, so I did what he asked. And this time, I didn’t leave anything out.
By the time I finished talking, my mouth was dry, and my juice was long-gone. I'd explained everything – how taxes had consumed any funds set aside for maintenance, how I'd diverted the money meant for my own living expenses to pay for some of the bigger repairs, and how I was taking this year off from college to look after the place – and hopefully save some money in the process.
To give him examples of what I was dealing with, I rattled off a few of the minor things that were wrong with the house. I finished by saying, "And the worst part is, I can't do much about it until I turn twenty-five."
"Why twenty-five?" he asked.
"Because that's when I'll finally have control."
"Of what? The house?"
"Not just the house," I said. "The money, the artwork, the cars, everything."
No more Derek on my doorstep. No more pissy little messages from his dad. No more begging for permission to use my own things.
If I was lucky, the next four years would fly.
Concern darkened Joel's features. "In four years? Will you be able to hold on that long?"
"Sure." I tried to smile. "Almost definitely."
From the look on Joel's face, he didn’t believe it any more than I did.
Looking to dispel the lingering gloom, I added, "Thereisone bright spot though."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"Well, therewassome money pre-allocated for basic upkeep, like lawn care. I worked it out with Derek's dad so thatI'mthe one doing it."
Joel stared at me from across the table. "Let me get this straight.That'sthe reason you're stuck mowing the lawn?"
"I'm not stuck," I said. "It was my idea. And there was that old mower in the shed, so it mostly worked out."
Suddenly, Joel looked ready to explode. "That's bullshit."
His reaction surprised me. After all, it was only a lawn. I asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what kind of asshole leaves you with a shitty, broken-down mower and hounds you when it's not done on time?" His eyes narrowed. "And what about Derek?"
"What about him?"
"You said he was like a brother."
"So?"
"So, what kind of shitty-ass brother is that? IfIhad a sister? There's no way I'd let that happen."
I gave him a long look. The sentiment was nice and all, but I'd seen firsthand how well he got along with his own siblings. Unsure how to respond, I picked at the crumbs on my empty plate.
Abruptly, Joel got to his feet. "You got a toolshed?"
I wasn't following. "What?"
"A toolshed," he repeated. "A place where you keep tools."
"Uh…"
"Forget it. I'll get my own."
