ETHEREAL

CHAPTER 14

Justin becomes like the brother that I never had, but used to wish for.

He makes me laugh at the most inappropriate times, like when he randomly jumped into the Target cart that I was pushing and scared half of the aisle to death as it was full of mostly middle-aged adults and seniors shopping at the time, and we become closer than ever before. I tell him about how I think I love Damien, even with all of the drama and tribulations that seems to come along with it, and he tells me about the guys that he meets on these random hookup apps, like Tinder.

Justin's presence makes my life more bearable, in that I'm not obsessing over Damien's hot and cold games, in which he texts me a lot, and then I don't hear from him for days. Plus, it makes my parents have something else to focus on, other than my future and college education.

    Two weeks into our living arrangement, Justin and I are busy texting each other at breakfast, even though we're sitting right next to each other, and it's like a scene out of an AT&T commercial or Mary Kate and Ashley movie.

My dad looks up from his cereal. "Are you guys texting... each other?"

Justin nods, cramming more cinnamon toast into his mouth. "Yeah, it's easier than talking and eating, sometimes."

My dad looks bewildered. "So, do you think you have to change your look, Justin, in order to get a real, better-paying job, instead of working part-time once or twice a week at Aldo?" My dad eyes Justin's various tattoos, multiple piercings (septum, nose, lips, eyebrow, tongue), and incredibly large gauges.

Justin laughs nervously. "Um, maybe, yeah."

"When do you work today?" I actually ask him aloud.

Justin replies, "Just 6 till closing - the hours suck! I wish that they would give me more... but, they promised me that they might."

"Oh... you could always work with me. They are always looking for full-time people."

Justin nods in a noncommittal way, and looks back down at his phone, "Yeah, maybe."

My dad hands Justin the jobs section of the newspaper, and leaves for work. "So, can you pick me up tonight?" Justin continues tapping on his phone without looking up at me.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to hang out with Damien, but I'm sure it's fine."

    After breakfast, I attempt to take a shower, but Justin has used up all of the LUSH soaps and shower gels, Sephora body scrub, as well as the Bath and Body Works body scrub, again. My UNITE shampoo and conditioner are incredibly low, also. I sigh. Ugh. I guess I'll just have to use some Bumble & Bumble dry shampoo spray, and try to repurchase all of these items later. I pick up the spray bottle, and press hard on the nozzle, but nothing comes out. I shake it and try again, and still nothing. I look at myself in the mirror. I guess the grungy look will be my thing today, and maybe, Damien will find that sexy with some smoldering smoky eyes and heels.

Hopefully. Ugh. It is getting really expensive having Justin here. Typically, I replace my toiletries and other miscellaneous hair care items every three to six months, but now I've been repurchasing these items every two weeks, which is really eating into my meager paychecks. "Justin! You used up all of my dry shampoo spray again?! This is like $36... plus tax! ...and it's supposed to last for more than a week!"

Justin laughs, and nonchalantly replies, "Sorry, I really like it."

    Justin hasn't offered to buy anything that he uses of mine, or even buy groceries, even though I have to buy orange juice and that damn cinnamon swirl bread every three days, not to mention how I have to pay for his dinners at the mall when we eat together. I space out and think about how the other day, I asked him if he wanted to share a sandwich at the Nordstrom cafe, because they will give you one meal on two plates as a courtesy, and he understood that to mean that we would order two meals, and he would eat half of mine plus all of his, then I would have to pay for everything plus tip.