Page 25 of The Spotted Cottage By the Sea
“I’m four thousand in debt.” Cora hung her head low. “My parents say they won’t bail me out this time. Please don’t hate me, but we’re going to be evicted at the end of the month.”
They’d been best friends since they were in high school. Eliza was angry with her, furious even, but more than that, she was worried. Cora seemed to be getting deeper in debt with every passing month, and there was no end in sight. She’d grown up with money – tons of it – and she was not adjusting well to her parents finally cutting her off.
“They’re coming up the sidewalk!” Cora yelled out. “What do we do? Should I bark so he thinks we have a big dog?”
Normally she would’ve encouraged Cora to do something as ridiculous as barking, but their current circumstances didn’t put her in the most jovial mood. “I’ll answer the door. It’s fine.”
“What if he tries to rob us?”
Eliza paused as she reached the front door of the apartment. “Rob us of what? We don’t have anything.”
Cora frowned. “That’s true.”
Eliza opened the door just as Cora added, “What if he tries to kill us?”
There were two men standing there in nearly matching jeans and flannel shirts. The one nearer to the door laughed. “We were worried you might try to kill us, too.”
Eliza took a deep breath and forced a smile. “We won’t if you won’t.”
“Deal.”
“I was hoping to get the couch outside for you,” Eliza turned, pointing behind her. “But we haven’t gotten to it yet.”
“That’s all right. We can carry it.”
She stepped aside and he walked in with his friend. They circled around the old leather couch for twenty seconds.
“Five hundred, right?” he said, reaching into his pocket.
Eliza nodded. “That’s right.”
The friend spoke up. “I don’t know, man. This couch looks a little slumpy in the middle. You shouldn’t pay more than four. Maybe three-fifty.”
Cora stalked over, her hands on her hips. “Five hundred or we walk!”
Eliza shot her a look. Not only was she the reason they had to sell their stuff in a hurry, now she was going to play hardball and negotiate?
He held out his hand. “Ignore him. Five hundred is fine.”
She accepted the money, then watched as they stooped and carried the couch out the front door and onto the bed of the truck.
“Whew! That was easy. Nothing to worry about at all,” Cora said brightly, shutting the door behind them and locking it.
Eliza stared at her. She had to resist making any comments. She knew this wasn’t easy for her, despite her cheer. “Here. Half to you, half to me.”
“Thanks.” She looked down at the money and made a face. “Are you always going to be mad at me?”
Eliza sighed. “I’m done being mad at you, Cora. You just need to…you need to take care of yourself. Get better.”
“Because you can’t be angrier at me thanIam at me,” Cora continued, taking a seat on the carpet where the couch had once been. “I have to move back in with my parents because of this stupid shopping problem. Do you know what that’s like?”
“Funnily enough, I do.” Eliza crossed her arms. “I have to move back in with my mom, too.”
Cora waved a hand. “IwishI could move in with your mom. Your mom’s so cool.”
That was true. Her mom was the best.
At the same time, her mom never would have let Cora steal the rent for all those months. She was far too responsible and far too careful with money to let something like that happen.
