Broke-Ish [Completed]

Chapter 26

I am standing outside the Magistrates court, a multi windowed, aged brick building that I have walked past several times and for some reason or another have always believed it to be a club. As I walk inside and see the tall walls and far away ceiling, I think it would make a good club and I wonder if they would consider this as an option should people stop committing crime one day. I stuff the remainder of the chicken salad wrap that I brought from the sandwich shop earlier on into my mouth which puffs my cheeks out like a hamster, Gee looks at me and shakes her head. Rain has a breakable looking, gold coloured chain draped between her fingers with a crystal on the end that she is cradling in her palm as if it has the powers to decide her fate. Maybe it does but if she holds on to it any tighter she will have to be more concerned with her fingers tearing apart spilling blood onto this lifeless floor than her fate.

Marcia Ellis is called into the court room. Oh yeah, the whole Rain name change thing was only ever officialised in airy compartments of Rains head. According to her, you don't need to involve the government or any other external agency if you decide to change your name as its your name and your body and "Why do they need to know anyway?" which all sounds good and well except for the fact that you do need to let them know, so in the event you end up in court on assault charges, you don't end up cringing like Rain is doing right now at the sound of your "government name." She walks with her signature lethargic sway over to the court room, me and Gee have been given strict instructions to wait outside so we don't have to see her being publicly humiliated like a common criminal for trying to defend her daughter (her words not mine) and I'm okay with this because this court room is nothing like you see on the TV. There is no semi naked animal rights activist who has managed to bypass security and is holding an illegible sign written in a fading marker pen on the back of a delivery box. There's no rake thin security man running down the hallway after them holding his hat on his small head shouting "stop that man." There's no secret romance between judge and journalist, no mass murderers trying to make a run for it, no barrister causing a stir by openly defying the written rules, in fact, aside from my crunching on these surprisingly bland crisps I don't think I've heard anything for the past three minutes. The vibration on my phone shakes the bench like a sound blaster in a small rusty car tries to break through the speakers.

"You're not supposed to have that on in here,"

"In here?" I point down.

"Yes in here where else would I be talking about, over there?"

"No I'm just saying we aren't technically in the court rooms are we so..."

"Soooo, have it on silent at least, you almost woke that old man up over there, have some manners" she smiles.

I look over at the old man, shoulders slumped and chin resting securely against his chest,

"How inconsiderate of me,"

"Who is it anyway? It' been buzzing non-stop?"

It is William and as I have not yet officially terminated our agreement he is wanting to know what time he can see me Not if, what time. The assertion is slyly attractive but borderline annoying as now I have to break it to him and I understand why ghosting is a thing. It's a shit thing of course and if I were to write a list of all people the people I have been ghosted by it would fill an Argos catalogue, not those flimsy effortless catalogues they do now either, I'm talking the original heavy duty ones, but I get it, kind of. Now I must go through the ridiculous task of telling a man I am not with, that I no longer wish to see him for no real reason other than I don't want to and don't really have to, so I won't. This is probably an area I could use Gee's problem solving expertise in but when it comes to her and Rain I have kept the details of my sugaring to a minimum and weirdly they haven't questioned me much about it either which is out of character, especially for Gee. This makes me wonder if they even believed me when I told them in the first place, probably not, I wouldn't believe me. I mean, dating random men for money but it making no real financial difference on my life. I mean, I'm no longer limited to beans on toast or shop brand noodles but I can't quite order sushi without having to compromise the amount of electricity I put I my metre for the week. Thinking of how to approach the situation is causing a dull pain between my eyes and a change of subject is needed, so I decide to ask Gee,