Trailer Girl (Completed)

Chapter Eight - Surprise

I was dragging my feet down the street and there was a dark cloud following me with each step I made. I had just received my last paycheck. It was official now. I was unemployed. No more monthly checks for... well, not working.

I was coming back from the bank and I was feeling pretty down and conflicted. Enough to seek the comfort of my best friend.

"I'm broke," I said as soon as she picked up the phone. Emily and I rarely ever bothered with greetings.

"What do you mean you're broke?" Em questioned. "What did you buy this time? A bus? A plane? Are you starting your own airline company? 'Cause if that's the case, count me in."

I rolled my eyes and decided that such mockery on my part didn't deserve a response. "I've just received my last paycheck."

"Oh, honey..." I could hear the sensitive tone she rarely used. "I know that's sad for so many reasons, but not for the money - please. Money is never worth being blue over. Besides, I'm sure you have more than enough on your bank account. You're not a big spender."

"Oh yeah? Are you sure? Because last year I bought an apartment, getting rid off a pretty significant chunk of my savings and then I got fired. I then bought a freaking RV, wasted-"

"You bought what?"

"The trailer, Emily. The trailer home."

"Oh. Why didn't you just say so?"

"I did! It's not actually a stupid trailer, it's an RV!" I screamed. At least in my mind, I did.

I took a deep calming breath. "Whatever. As I was saying, I bought a trailer," I said with a roll of my eyes, "wasted money on a year of traveling, bought every piece of furniture I liked, paid shipping costs for them to be sent to Chicago where I waste even more money storing things in the storage unit."

"Damn, your breakdown was more serious than I'd thought. You didn't just dye your hair and took a year off for some soul searching. You became wild, my friend. I swear you're the only person I know that goes on a soul searching mission and instead of becoming more spiritual and level headed you're even worse than before."

"I think it's because I'm away from you."

"You think I was your anchor steering you to do good?" The hope in her voice was almost touchable. And pretty laughable.

"No, I think I was too busy bailing you out of trouble that I barely had time to cause some trouble of my own."

"Alright, you might have a point there. Anyways, how broke are we talking about? You need me to send you some?"

"No, not that broke. With careful managing, I have enough money to last me another year, but I'd like to buy a car and save myself a humiliation of riding around town in my trailer."

"So, it's either starvation or public humiliation?"

"Basically."

"How 'bout that reporter job of yours? What's up with that?"

"With the Travel magazine? I'm still writing Fly Girl column, but that's more like a little cash on the side. That's not enough to count as an actual paycheck."

"So find a real reporter job."

"You think I could do that?"

"Hell yeah. When are you going to learn? My Frankie can do anything, be anyone. She was a Fly Girl, Trailer Girl and now you'll be a Reporter Girl."

"Your fate in me is frightening."

"You know what's frightening? Waking up with Josh third time in a row."