maya sat in the cubicle painting her third layer of black paint onto her thin nails. whoever she was supposed to see today clearly didn't take their job seriously because she had been waiting for over half an hour. she already had applied for food stamps because she thought jahseh was never going to get a job and she never really chose the working life. her plan was just to be with jahseh and hope they'd survive.
"that isn't ethical."
"you have no sense of direction." her mother told her.
but she didn't care enough to listen. he had convinced her that he was enough. most of maya's friends thought he was a bad influence on her so they dropped her. the only one who bothered staying had been there from the beginning. devon. even she sometimes was pissed off with maya but she would just ghost her for a month and then come back like nothing even happened. "i'm so sorry for taking long." a mousy woman came back. "would you like some water?"
"i'm not planning on staying long." maya twisted the bottle shut. "so may i ask what you would like today?" the lady asked. "i'm looking for a loan."
the woman turned her monitor on to log in. as she was going through the system, maya analyzed everything in the tiny office. lined behind the lady on top a filing cabinet were picture frames. two redhead kids being given piggyback rides, then another picture of a baby on santa's lap, and the red-haired girl in a gown and cap. "ah. it seems like you've come here before, ms. quentin." the lady told her.
"yup."
"you aren't eligible for a loan, ms quentin. your credit score is low and you have a lot of unsettled payments as of now. i can't help you."
"did you check jahseh? what about his credit?"
the lady sighed. "look, i've told you before, you and your partner need to get your accounts settled. student loans, credit and debit cards, you guys are sitting at about ninety-one thousand dollars in debt if not more."
"check jahseh's account. i'm sure-"
"i'm telling you i can't help you. you are broke. you and your boyfriend have no money. you are paying for shit you can't afford. you want my advice? leave him. get out. get a good job meet a nice man and raise a real family."
maya grabbed her phone and got up. "is there anywhere else i can go? someone that will help me?"
the lady rubbed her temple in frustration. "i have a card," she opened a file cabinet and handed it to maya. "she's a friend of mine who helps with student loans and credit. she can get that portion of your debt sorted out."
"thanks."
maya knew she was fucked. they were two months behind on rent and every time she brought it up with jahseh it fused an argument. he could care less about that. rent was another reason why her friends had left. jahseh and maya never actually paid for their rent. or half the stuff they had in the two-bedroom apartment. devon came from a good family. so every now and then maya would ask to borrow a few thousand for rent. and for a while, devon didn't mind until the sums were getting bigger. maya went from a thousand to eight thousand. the money wasnt even for rent anymore. drugs, purses, clothes, jahseh even started stealing "maya's" money and when devon found out she cut her off.
maya walked up the stairs of the apartment heading to the fourth floor. she was praying jahseh was out doing whatever he did when he wasn't at home bitching. she needed to come up with the money for rent or they were going to get evicted. maya stuck the key in the hole and opened the door. jahseh laid on the couch staring at his phone red eyes glaring angrily.
"I'm back," maya mumbled and shut the door softly.
"what'd they say?"
"it's a no. she gave me a number for some lady for credit and student loans." maya searched her pockets for the card.
"let me see the card." he sat up. she found it shoved in her phone case. "here."
he jerked the card from her hand and read. "we don't need this, maya. we can figure it out. if that bitch doesn't want to loan us money..."
"are you fucking serious? i could pay off my loans and credit!"
"you could pay it off? your lazy ass doesn't even like washing the fucking dishes. nobody is going to hire me because of my record and your rich ass trifling friend won't give us money anymore. there's nothing to pay off!" jahseh stood up.
"i'm so sick of hearing the same shit. give me the card, jahseh." maya folded her arms.
"no."
"okay so you don't want me to pay off our debt and you claim your broke ass can't get a job so what the fuck do you want me to do? sit on your ass until you die?"
"watch your fucking attitude." jahseh balled his fists.
"you watch yours. give me the card," maya repeated.
jahseh tore the card into shreds and let it fall in a pile on the floor. "what is your fucking problem?" she yelled. maya pushed him into the wall. "we needed that and you're doing the most because all of a sudden you're the man of the house?"
"shut the fuck up, maya."
"or what? you're gonna fucking kill me?" she was pushing his buttons and she was doing it on purpose. usually, when jahseh got in his bad moods it was because of the excessive drinking and smoking but today his anger was motivated by her. "i'm going out." he pushed her off. "don't wait up for me."
maya knew where he was going. to see her. geneva. his "friend". while she lied awake in an empty bed she wondered was he better with her? was geneva nice? did they ever fight? did he love her more? maya found out when jahseh went in the shower after sex and geneva blew up his phone.
when some guy flirted with maya at a small get together it turned into a full-on riot yet when he cheated it was practically nothing. she wanted to call her mom and ask for advice but she would say the same thing. "that boy will be the end of you." but maya saw past the flaws and saw what he wanted her to see and what he let her see. even if it was wrong.
a/n:
i doubt anybody will read this but if
so hola!
