Easy Enough

Chapter 9

Ms. Fay closed up early because she had to go out of town, so I planned to take the rest of the night off. Working everyday with no breaks definitely took a toll on my body.

Thankfully, the buses were making their last rounds and I was able to ride one home instead of walking.

I took my seat on the bus and instantly, every muscle in my body relaxed. It felt like the ride only lasted a couple minutes before we were pulling to my stop. With a heavy huff, I pulled myself from the rusty seat and made my way towards the front, jumping off of the bus.

Once I arrived at the apartment complex I decided to check the mail where I discovered that the tickets for graduation had arrived.

Every graduate got a total of five tickets. It used to be four, but they realized there were a lot of empty spaces because not too many people graduated from our school. They either flunked out or dropped out.

I journeyed back to my apartment with the tickets and a couple of bills in tow, contemplating who I would invite.

Aunt Jan and Danielle were definitely out. Erin might come. I didn't even give my mom a thought. I knew for a fact that wasn't going to happen, and if it did she'd think it was her time to announce 'everything she's done for me' and attempt to collect for them.

Ms. Fay may come if I beg her enough. And maybe if Mr. Pryor, across the hall, wasn't too busy, he'd be able to fill in for a family member.

...that's really it. I didn't know anyone else that actually cared.

So, three nos and three maybes.

. . .

Earlier in the week I had gone to Goodwill and grabbed a couple pieces of furniture that weren't completely jacked and brought them back to my apartment with the intention of fixing them up really nice. Thank God for Mr. Pryor and his truck or I would still be furniture-less.

I was working on painting an old dresser when I heard a light knock on my door.

Looking down at myself, I had on a black pair of Under Armour running shorts and an oversized Bernie Mac t-shirt that was now covered in paint.

Oh, well. It's probably just Mr. Pryor anyways.

Boy was I wrong.

As soon as I opened the door I wanted to go hide in a corner.

"I'm guessing I caught you at a bad time?" Ace, or Aiden, said with that smirk that I'd grown to love.

Play it cool, Devyn.

"No, you're good. Come in, I don't need any bugs shacking up with me." I said stepping to the side so he could enter.

He walked in and looked at the mess before him.

"What are you doing?" He asked amused.

"Arts and crafts. What does it look like?" I responded closing the door and walking back to my little project.

He just laughed.

I looked at the time on the stove and saw that it was going on 9 o'clock.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to check on you."

"That's sweet, but what if I was busy, or sleep for that matter?"

He thought for a second before shrugging, "I would have taken that chance."

I went back to painting. If I would have continued looking at him I may have done or said something I would later regret.