Life For Rent!

Chapter one continue

RE-EDITTED!!!**********************************************************************************************

What would you do if you were in my shoes and was offered $2 million dollars to pose as someone else?

Besides sell your soul to the devil and dye your hair green.

Well, Tiara scarcely spoke to me the next five days, which was odd. We fought most of time but it's never lasted this long. We still talked occasionally but only because we lived and worked together, so we had little choice. I could sense the tension that hung between us. It affected me more because I began to feel it was all my fault. But it's my life! I couldn't throw away my dignity just for money. At least what's left of it. How could she force me to chose between that and our friendship! Oh well, she'll come around soon. Till then, I would just ignore her. 

On the night after the weekend I met Vincent Langston, I got home after work feeling very exhausted and in deep thought. Only a phone call away, a better life than this waited for me. Why couldn't I just overcome this stupid sense of morality and do what had to be done? While I shuffled across the living on my way to the bedroom, I did not bother with turning on the lights until I heard a muffled sniff by the couch to my left. I paused mid-stride and listened. After a few minutes, I heard a second sniff. I felt the walls for the light switch and turned it on. 

Tiara sat on the couch with knees bent to her chest and a packet of paper tissue besides her. 

'Tiara! Are you okay?' I went to her side. 

She nodded and sniffed. 'Never been better.' 

'Are you sure? You're eyes are all red and puffy. You've obviously been crying.' 

'I just told you, I'm fine!' She yelled then suddenly bursted into tears. 'Oh Alley, who am I kidding? I'm so stupid! So, so fucking stupid!' 

'Just tell me about it okay.' 

It took her several minutes to compose herself enough to speak. 

'Alley, I'm sorry I heed this from you. I went for grocery shopping last week...and...and I causally bought a..umh...a...pregnancy kit...' 

My eyes widened in shock. 'Don't tell me...' 

'I'm pregnant Alley. Knocked up! Scored! Whichever way you chose to put it, my life is oveeeer...' She leaned her head on my shoulder and wept. 

'Are you sure? Did you try confirming it at the hospital?' 

Her head snapped up. 'What do you take for? I'm not dumb! Well... I am now. Only someone as dumb as me would get herself into this mess.' She sniffed. 'The doctor confirmed it Alley, I'm three weeks on. Look at me! Just look at me! No money, no future, a job that barely gets me by, what possible future can I offer a child!? Huh! Do you want to know what's worse?' 

'The father won't have anything to do with it!' I ventured. 

She looked at me in surprise. 'How did you know?' 

'Wild guess.' Considering the fact I've always known he was a sleaze ball. I kept that statement to myself. She's usually touchy when I bring that up. 

'Bastard!' She said vehemently. 

Scrap that thought. 'Sleazy bastard!' I added. 'Are you keeping it?' 

'I want to, but...' 

'Keep it Tiara, we'll take care of it together, you and me both.' 

'I can't.' 

'Yes you can okay. Trust me. It might not be easy, but we'll make it work some how.' I hugged her. 'Everything will be okay, you'll see. They're tons of single mothers out there who are surviving.'