My Old Friend

Chapter 11

TIM POV: Audrey is staying at my place for a bit to help me around. I'm honestly glad she's here. A week ago, I would've never thought I'd see her again. Now, she's sitting in the living room chair, reading Hemingway. I lean against the door frame, and watch her eyes scan the page. She's so drawn in, she'll never realize that I'm here.

After about fifteen minutes, she looks up and jumps after seeing me watching her. She holds her chest as she places her book on the coffee table. Her bare feet are curled under her as she begins to ask questions.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asks, pushing her hair behind her ear. I shrug my shoulders.

"A while." I answer. She rolls her eyes playfully at me, and goes into the kitchen for more iced tea.

I finally drift off to sleep after thinking about Audrey for hours. I love her... I'll always love her...

Her father is rinsing dishes in the sink as Audrey grabs her bag off of the couch. Her blonde, manicured curls bounce as she dances across the house. Her smile lights up the room brighter than the sun. Her father turns and looks over at her, releasing a smile.

"Someone excited today?" He asks. She lets out a little laugh. He leans against the sink and wipes his hands off with a rag.

"I guess so!" She says, throwing her bag on her shoulder. She runs over and gives him a kiss on the cheek before heading out. Her father's smile slowly fades after the door shuts, and the house falls silent. He turns back toward the sink and slowly rinses dishes once more. He drags himself into his bedroom, and into the bathroom. He takes a few anti-anxiety and depression pills before getting into the shower.

He heads out to work, listening to the country radio station on the way. His old truck spits out black smoke as the diesel engine cranks. He pulls into the factory that he works at, and mentally prepares himself for work.

He clocks in five minutes early, and heads right to work.

"Mr. Hill, can I please see you in my office for a minute." His boss approaches him. He nods, staring at the ground. He drags himself up the metal stairs into a small, wood-paneled office. He sits down in the chair set for guests. He sits like a bag of bones. "Sir, you've been working here since the factory moved in, and we are so grateful for your work here." His boss begins.

"Thank you." Her father says quietly. His boss nods with a weak expression.

"Unfortunately, with the economy and lack of demand, we have to let some people go..." His boss hints. He nods.

"I understand." He says, standing up.

"Thank you." His boss says. "Best of luck!" He says as her father walks out of the door.

Her father sits in the truck, and stares at the clock on the dash. It's 10 A.M. Audrey's going to be home in four hours. How can he explain to her why he lost his job? There's no way the state will let him keep her if he's unemployed. He can't afford to keep her anyways...

He walks into his house and finds collection notices gathering in the mailbox. He grabs a beer from the fridge and stares around his house. He has no job... In a day like today, the only job he can have is the one he just lost. He doesn't know how to read and barely knows how to sign his own name. He doesn't know how to work a computer, nor does he have the money to learn. He can work in a factory, that's it.

He dreams Audrey won't ever have to live like this. That she'll never have to worry about jobs or money. She'll have a perfect education, if it's the death of him.

She would've been better with her mother. She would've been in a better school, in a better neighborhood, raised with more money. The things he couldn't supply her with, she could. Her mother was always more fit, mentally and physically. Audrey has to go to her now. He can't take care of her when he can't afford to care for himself.

He stares down at his beer can, then places it on the in table. He gets up and heads to the master. He opens the closet door and pulls out a pine box from under a pile of jeans. He opens it, and lets a tear fall. He sits down on the bed, staring at the black metal in his hand. It's loaded, and ready to fire. The safety is pulled, and his eyes are shut. He takes a final look at the clock. It's 2:47 P.M... Audrey will walk in around 2:55 from the bus, as she does every day. She can't see him kill himself. He must do it quickly, without any second thoughts.

He squeezes his eyes shut, then squeezes the trigger. The last sound that hits his ears, is the sound of a front door opening. After his world becomes dark, and numb, screams begin to shatter through his head.

Audrey stands above her father, analyzing the aftermath. She sobs, and stands with her hands covering her mouth. She's horrified. She feels scared, and alone all at once. She doesn't know what to do...

"Tim!" Audrey screams, giving me a stern shake. I feel cold sweat all over my body. My bare chest feels sticky as my boxers cling to my legs. I pant as she catches her breath. "You were screaming." She exhales. She sounds tired.

"I'm sorry..." I spit out. I can't seem to catch my breath.

"Why were you dreaming about him?" She asks. I'm taken aback for a second.

"How do you-"

"You were screaming Charlie through the house. Did you see everything?" She asks quietly. I nod slowly. She rubs the back of her neck and begins to pace.

"He lost his job..." I say, letting it hang in the air. I stare at my hands, before looking back to her. She has stopping pacing, and has now begun to sob. Her tears soak my shoulder as I take her into my arms. She's trembling.

"Why didn't he think about me? Why couldn't he just talk to me?" She cries even harder. I rub her back and hush her. I hate when she's this upset. I just want her to be happy, and not have to think about this anymore. It's not fair to her.

Audrey pulls away slowly, looking at my chest. Her eyes slowly travel up. When our eyes lock, a warm sensation takes over me. My hand brushes her cheek, wiping away a tear. Her hand cups mine, fastening it against her face. She slowly pulls it away and kisses it lightly, then looks up at me. She releases my hand slowly, then goes in for a kiss.

Our lips touch, and I begin to feel weak once more. I run my fingers through her hair, as she leans her head back, allowing me to kiss her neck. I know the sequence, it's the same way it's always been. We kiss, then I kiss her neck, then she unfastens a belt or signals she's ready and this is what she wants.

Her hand slips under the band of my boxers, letting them hit the ground. I'm shocked at how quickly she is going through the steps. Normally she's teasing for at least a few minutes. Now she's straight to the point. She pulls away from me for a brief moment, taking off her tank top and sliding down her shorts. I stand back, trying to rationalize everything. There's no way to rationalize this. My ex and I are about to have sex.

Her tears begin to fall once more, but she tries to hide them.

"What's wrong?" I ask her softly. She shakes her head and looks away from me.

"Promise you'll protect me. And that you'll never leave me... not again." She says, her voice crackling in the late night. I nod slowly.

"Yeah baby, I promise." I say. She shakes her head again.

"I can't lose you again, Tim. I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could live..." She begins to sob. I take her in my arms and proceed to kiss her, so she'll be silenced.

"Audrey, you're never going to lose me." I say. "I promise."