Page 33 of Collin: Episodes 1-3
“It’s dirty, sir.”
“I have the ability to shower, Collin.”
Collin tightened his stomach, bracing himself. The carpet was a muted color behind the sunglasses, but Collin knew what Mr. Reevesworth would be seeing. Something gray with hints that it had once been a dark green.
“There’s no elevator, but it’s just the second floor, sir.” Collin motioned toward the staircase.
They didn’t speak until they reached the door. Collin stuck the key in the lock and jiggled it to get it to turn.
Inside smelled even worse than usual, or perhaps a few days away had robbed him of his immunity to the scents of cheap weed, unwashed clothes, and cat litter. The living room belonged to a guy named Sam. There were curtains tacked up to the walls and ceilings, leaving only a walkway to the kitchen and dining space and the hall to the rest of the bedrooms. The dining space was also walled off with boxes and room dividers. The kitchen overflowed with unwashed dishes. Sasha was sitting at the tiny table by the window at the far end, pane open. She had a cigarette between her fingers and was scrolling through something on her laptop.
She grunted as Collin approached, then sat up straighter, eyes focused on Mr. Reevesworth. “Who’s this?”
“My new boss.” Collin raised his chin. “I’m just here to get my things.”
“Yeah, Jinx said you were leaving. Asked if I knew anyone who wanted your spot.” She shrugged. “I mean, I’ll ask, but until they clean up…” She shrugged. “I’m probably moving out next month.”
Collin grimaced and opened the door to the walk-in pantry beside the table. A thin cord hung from the ceiling. He pulled on it, turning on the bare bulb overhead.
Nothing had moved. His narrow futon mattress was still rolled up at the end, and his clothes were rolled up in the shelves below his books. The racks he’d pounded into the wall at the end held his duffel bags that looked like someone had opened them. He hurried the three steps it took to reach them and pulled them open. His grandfather’s record was still there in its plywood-reinforced case wrapped in an old jacket. So were his anime action figures and his bundle of seeds and hand-built model of a hydroponic shed setup. He checked the other two bags. Everything seemed to be in place.
He turned around. “It’s all here. I don’t think Andy actually took anything.”
Mr. Reevesworth nodded. “Anything you don’t want anyone else to touch or that you need immediately? I’ll have the movers box everything else and take it to storage at The Residency.”
Collin glanced over his things. “Give me a moment?”
Mr. Reevesworth nodded and stepped out.
Collin emptied one of his duffels. All he needed were some essentials. But what essentials? He wasn’t working. His books? He couldn’t read them. He couldn’t wear his clothes where he was living now.
Fear crawled up his throat. He stared at the shelves of bits and pieces of his life. A life that felt far away. None of this had saved him. None of it had kept him safe. It hadn’t made him strong enough to take care of his family. Hadn’t kept him from falling in that break room and making trouble for everyone.
“Collin.”
Mr. Reevesworth was back. “If you’re trying to decide what to pack, just take what you think you’ll need in the next few days.”
“I…I don’t need any of it.”
Mr. Reevesworth glanced over the shelves. “Then why don’t you take anything you couldn’t stand to have broken.”
Collin set down the duffel bag in his hand and went to the duffel with his grandfather’s record in it. “Just this.”
“The movers will get the rest, then. We can leave them the keys.”
“They need to leave them under the cookie jar on the counter. The one that looks like a toad.”
“I’ll tell them.”
They were in the back of the car once again before Collin really came back to himself. “The keys?”
Mr. Reevesworth nodded. “With the foreman. They know where to leave them. They’ll send pictures when they finish. I think it’s okay for you to take a quick look at a screen, just to check that the room is clear. Better than waiting while they work.”
Collin nodded. Somehow that was important, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The seat was comfortable, and all he wanted to do was close his eyes.
He woke as the car came to a stop. Mr. Reevesworth was getting out, so he followed suit. His duffel bag was already over Mr. Reevesworth’s shoulder. “Are you steady, Collin?”
Collin followed Mr Reevesworth robotically into the elevator and back into The Residency. A tap on his arm reminded him to remove his shoes. Then they were in his room, and there was a bed.
