Fighting For What's Missing

1.

William

"Have a nice day," the guy behind the counter says, handing me my change. I mutter a thanks, but really, I want to punch him. I can see the judgment in his eyes, the way he looks me up and down for buying beer at nine o'clock in the morning. Fuck him. He not better than me. I grab my beer and leave.

"Babe, is that you?!" Julia yells as I step through the front door. What the hell is she doing up so early?

"Yeah, it's me!" I shout back. Entering the kitchen, I open a bottle and find Julia, sitting on the counter in only her panties and my t-shirt, a large smile curling her lips. She's practically vibrating in excitement. "What, you win the lottery or something?" I take a seat at the table.

"Nope, but it's close enough." She jumps off the counter, crosses the small room, and crawls onto my lap. I peck her lips as I push her wavy dirty blonde hair out of her face. "An old friend called this morning, I wasn't thrilled about her waking me, but honestly, I don't care anymore. She's giving us three hundred and fifty dollars to watch her kid for a few hours."

I laugh, but after a few moments, she doesn't continue and tell me she's bullshitting me. "Wait, you serious?"

"Mmhmm," she hums.

"You hate kids."

"Not for three hundred and fifty dollars."

"Well..." I glance around our small apartment, it's a mess. She has pills and needles everywhere, my cigarette butts are scattered across the coffee table in the living room, there are empty bottles in every fucking room, this place is not suitable for a child. But three-fifty for a few hours, I can't say no to that. "How long?"

"Five to six hours. She said her kid's really quiet too. Please, baby," she pouts, running her hands through my hair. Her British accent is thick.

"Okay...Imma clean up then. When's the kid coming?"

"She'll be here in an hour." She? A girl? Crap. Boys are easier. "If you're gonna be up, I'm gonna go back to sleep. Love you." She swiftly kisses me then climbs off my lap. I slap her ass, making her squeal and blush. She hurries into our bedroom and closes the door behind her.

"Okay," I sigh to myself.

I finish a beer before cleaning up. Julia's is passed out in our bed when I check on her. She's going to be pissed, I throw away most of her needles and hide her drugs. I wish she would get off that shit, but she won't listen to me, not when I drink the way I do. I finish another beer before hiding any other alcohol in the fridge. There's not much food here for the kid, I would have to go out and buy some. When the apartment is somewhat clean, it dawned on me that I don't know anything about this kid. How old is she? What's her name? What the hell's her mother's name? I try to wake Julia up to get some information, but I think she took something before passing out.

Her phone chimes.

I grab her phone and read her message.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Agnes' downstairs.

She doesn't have the mother's number saved? I sigh, placing her phone on the dresser by the bed, then threw on my coat. Agnes, her name's Agnes, at least I got one of my questions answered.

I step off the elevator and see no one in the "lobby," it's honestly not a lobby, more like a big room with nothing in it, not even a chair or a desk.

Where the hell are they? I cross the large room, and the closer I get to the front doors, the clearer I see a little girl standing out there by herself. Is that her? Where is her mother? I push the left door open, and she looks up at me with big blue eyes. Her long and wavy light brown hair dancing around her as she stands there. She looks eight or nine.

I glance around but see no one that could possibly be waiting. I look at the girl again-she's still looking at me-and say, "Agnes?"

She nods.

What the fuck? "Where are your parents?"

She shrugs.

"Okay...um." What the fuck do I do now? I can't just let her in, it looks wrong to whoever's passing by. Why would her parents just leave her outside? "I'm William, Julia's boyfriend. Do you know Julia?"

She nods. Julia said she was quiet.

"Okay, um, come on inside, it's cold," I hold the door open for her. She steps inside and immediately looks back at me. "Um," I step inside, but she's too close to the door and won't move. "How old are you?"

She's quiet for a moment, fixing her bangs that the wind ruined then softly whispers, "seven." I almost didn't hear her. Her voice was so small, I'm sure if she speaks again, I wouldn't recognize her. I slowly begin to walk across the room, and she follows me. I told her I'm the boyfriend of a woman she barely knows and already, she seems to trust me. It doesn't matter if I knew her name, didn't her parents teach her about stranger danger?

We step onto the elevator. "Agnes is a really pretty name," I tell her, and she smiles. The door opens and I'm off the elevator first, she follows me like a lost puppy.

"Julia!" I call out as we enter the apartment. Nothing. I knew I should've woken her before getting Agnes, who is now standing by the wall, awkwardly. "You can put your coat right there-" I point to the couch -"Imma get Julia." I rush to the bedroom before she could respond.

"Julia!" I throw a pillow at her. She mutters something and rolls over, turning her back to me. "Fucking great." What am I supposed to do now? I want a fucking beer, but I know I can't have one when I'm the only one watching Agnes.

Agnes

"Okay," William sighs as he emerges from the room. "Julia's asleep, but if you want to see her, you can, you know, to know it's her."

I've never seen her before. I shake my head.

"Well, kid..." he exhales heavily. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

I nod.

"What do you want to watch?"

I shrug, and he sighs again. I can tell that I'm annoying him. I don't want to. "Ponyo."

"What?" He steps closer. "I couldn't hear you."

I clean my throat and say in a louder voice. "Ponyo."

"Um, I don't know what that is but we can look for it." He grabs the remote from the coffee table before sitting down on the couch. I watch as he turns on the tv and goes to the search bar. "Do you want to sit here or the armchair?" He's already settled on the couch, so I walk over to the chair and sit down. He nods once then turns his attention to the tv again. "What's it called again?"

"P-O-N-Y-O," I spell for him. Ponyo's there, but he would have to pay for it.

"It's only four dollars," he mumbles to himself. I shake my head violently, I don't want to waste his money. He looks at me. "What, you don't want me to get it?"

I nod.

"Why? Because it cost money?"

I nod again.

"That's alright, kid," he smiles. And then I remembered the money. I fish out the money my mom gave me, lean forward and hand it to him. He hesitantly takes it. "Shit-I mean, crap, I mean...don't curse."

I nod.

"Thank you," he shoves the money into his pocket. "I'm going to get the movie, okay?" He talks funny, it's an accent I think, I like it. I nod again then sink into my seat. I look away as he pays for the movie. "Are you thirsty? Do you want a snack?"

I shake my head without looking at him, the movie's beginning.