The more I try to clear my mind, the harder it gets. It's like walking through a dense forest, trying to find the road. I feel so lost. The gang has tried to cheer me up with everything they can think of. They've exhausted all options, but I just seem to be... stuck.
A few days have passed since I last talked to Miguel. And during that period, I got hired and I've been reading up on Tirene. Andie and I have spent a lot of time despite the issue I have with his brother.
We've been keeping track of everything regarding my family, making no obvious moves. Tirene's been talking to the broker who sold my mom her building.
About four years ago, my mom opened her own company; a teaching office. Her team teaches online and in-classroom language lessons. The broker who sold it to her put it directly under her name, and since she hasn't found the time to get a divorce yet, Tirene's been talking to the broker who sold my mom her building, discussing arrangements to make it a joint property. We've been keeping track of everything regarding my family, making no obvious moves.
Andie took me to her office. It wasn't like how I imagined it to be. You'd think her headquarters, being underground, would look like Dr. Abbot's research lab in Species III. It isn't anything like that. It was bright and it had wood floorings and bonsai trees. Freaking bonsai trees. But their work? Now that's some serious shit.
We were in her office when she thought of going gun shopping. "Come on, Ellie! It'll be fun!"
"How is gun shopping fun? Gun shopping!?"
"Well, you're single. You have a house of your own. You have a crazy middle-aged woman after you. Don't you think that it's about right to have something for self-defense?"
"Let's say you're right-"
"I am right, Ellie." She put her feet up her desk and bit her apple. I was on the sofa with my laptop on my thighs. Laptops are a really good substitute for heating pads.
"But how are we even going to go to that place when it's pouring outside? I don't have a car, yours is busted. And I don't plan on dragging my friends to a firearms store."
She dialed somebody on her phone. She begged them, whomever it may be, to drive us there. When she hung up, she was ecstatic. So, I grabbed my coat and my shoes and started to prepare. It was a cold day so I didn't bother putting on full-on make up. To be honest, I haven't bothered to do it in a week, since performance night. I just swabbed my lips with some tint and I was ready. I head up to the café above us and ordered a quick drink, and lit one up.
You can say that my smoking habits have been worsening. I've blown through about three packs this week. The only things I have been doing these past few days are monitoring my psycho-aunt and writing up articles for Prime. That isn't much, so smoking is kind of my pastime. Andie came out and flicked the cigarette out of my fingers.
"Hey! What's the big deal? That was the good kind." I retort. She stepped on the stick and crushed my heart along with it.
"He's going to hate that. He hates smoking."
"I don't care, Andie. You dragged me into this so deal with it! You should've remembered that that I was a smoker before calling up your misocapnist* boyfriend to pick us up."
"He's not my boyfriend."
"You always say that Andie," A car pulled up in front of us and the driver rolled down his window. "just admit it!"
"He's not my boyfriend, Ellie. He's my brother." I bade her goodbye and walked away. This is the last thing I want! Today was such a peaceful, rainy day and Andie just had to kill the vibe! Yet, before I could return to the nice, warm café, Andie pulled me back and threw me in the car. I protested with every bit of strength and resistance I could conjure up, but she was stronger than me still. "Just sit, you don't have to talk."
