Again

Chapter 2: Cecilia

I make my way down the street, edging past the curb piled high with garbage. It's an uncharacteristically warm afternoon for autumn and the bags are attracting flies like so many rotting carcasses would do. That's a foul and morbid analogy but I'm in a foul and morbid mood. I roll my eyes for no reason in particular, maybe just at the atmosphere, and climb the steps to our building. Digging my fingers into the pocket of my black knit sweater -or old reliable as I like to call her- my heart drops to my feet.

Instead of stopping around my keys my little fingers find themselves slipping through a gaping hole. I look down, holding the sweater out and open wide and sure enough my fingers wave to me from its lining. The absolutely empty lining of the pocket.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

I holler the curse at the top of my lungs, but again this is New York City: the few people who pass by at that moment could care less. They've seen it all before, they've heard it all before. I fly back down the steps and down the street, hoping I managed to drop them recently and not while I was out and about all over the place.

"Shit, shit, shit! Fuck this fucking shit!" Profanity is my thing when I'm upset. Never used to be but it is now. Go figure. "I can't lose the goddamn key AGAIN. I cannot fucking call Louis over here to jimmy me in! Di will kick my ass this time... I'm such a fucking spaz... how the hell do you keep doing this shit? You're supposed to be a grown woman for fucks sake. Shit!"

I scream and whine and mumble and as I come to the end of my outburst and resign myself to the facts I lean against the wall of the store on the corner: a little girl appears out of nowhere. Her eyes are bright and wide and a playful grin is on her face. She looks stunned and on the verge of hysterical laughter; like a child with a juicy secret to tell a parent about one of the other kids.

Clearly she heard my rant.

I narrow my eyes at her, my thick black eyeliner and deep scowl giving off the intimidating look I hope for as I approach her. She gulps and I know it's working. She's cute; two big and very neat braids on either side of her head, an all pink play outfit on, sparkly running shoes. She's a little lady. I kneel in front of her and she stares blankly at the many holes in my face, their studs and hoops gleaming in the sun.

"Ladies never ever use that kind of language. Got it?"

She nods, a solemn look in her wide open eyes. I fish a dollar out of the pocket of my cargos and hand it to her. Her eyes light up again as she smiles at me as she waves and skips off down the block. I watch her until she runs up a flight of stairs and into a brownstone. Kid probably has more money than I do in the bank, but she was awfully cute and I assaulted her innocent little ears.

I stand up and pull out my phone. There's nothing to be done: its either call Louis and risk getting my sister thrown out of the building, wait outside 'til god knows when she gets off work and comes back home, or crash at David's place.

I'm not excited about my options.

Things with David and I are quite awkward at the moment. I got pretty wasted last weekend and stumbled in drunk while he and Di were up watching a movie, and even though I didn't do anything but go to straight to my room, I can tell he was put off by it. He's too polite to say anything but I can tell I make him uncomfortable. If he wasn't already so crazy about Di I'm sure he'd have dumped her after encountering her sister with the criminal past.

And for my part I have no excuse, but try as I might I can't quite bring myself to like him very much. Spending time alone with him will be unpleasant and weird, but a few awkward moments are better than getting Di evicted or sitting outside in the stench of warm garbage for hours.