Squad 6 | COMPLETED

Chapter 39- Chloe

Chloe

Chloe made her bed with the newly washed sheets, she heard the doorbell ring. She had crept up to it, peeking through the hole in the door she'd covered up with some carton she found by the dumpster. Her heart was beating rapidly. She had expected a grown man, demanding payment or an addict wanting his next fix. No one else ever came round.

At the door stood a girl, with dirty blond hair. She didn't notice, or what was more likely, pretended not to notice Chloe staring at her through the hole or the shakiness of the old door when Chloe pried them open, careful not to make them fall off the hinges.

"Cześć, jesteś Chloe Nolen?" She had asked.

Chloe nodded in response.

"My grandma wanted me to give you this."

Just then, Chloe had noticed that the girl was holding a plastic container and balanced a plate covered with aluminum foil on top. She let her inside, telling her to thank her grandma once again for the clean sheets and the food. She cleared some space on the wobbly wooden table, taking the food. "Sorry for the apartment, I try to clean up the best I can."

Chloe's Polish wasn't perfect, but she knew enough to get by. After a couple of years, she'd picked up on a few phrases her parents used to use frequently when they worked. They had not been nice phrases.

"No, it's fine. It looks comfortable."

The apartment was on the third floor, often drafty in the colder months, due to the height. The windows were there to give the illusion of isolation when really, there were more of a decoration.

It was a one-bedroom apartment. Chloe and her brother used to sleep on the couch in the living room, while her parents used the bedroom. Neither were comfortable to sleep in but at least the bedroom didn't have as many windows and therefore was much warmer.

The girl watched as Chloe opened the cupboard hanging over the cracked counter and pulled out a plate. She only had two of them left. People who were still coming by had thrown the rest at a wall or at Chloe when she was in range. Same with other kitchenware. Chloe had gotten rid of knives and forks, leaving only one pair under the counter, in a drawer for when she needed them. She was aware of how bad everything looked, how there was still porcelain and glass on the bloodied carpet, how the light-bulb in a nearby lamp was barely emitting enough light to not bump into stuff.

Putting the food on two plates, Chloe handed one over to the girl. She'd given her the fork, taking a spoon for herself. "I washed the dishes this morning," she said as if that was going to make the situation any less pathetic.

The girl smiled, taking a seat on the couch. When it squeaked, she made no face, like she was unfazed by the spring probably stabbing her backside.

Chloe joined her. She would've turned on the TV but it had stopped working when nobody paid the bills. As did the water and power.

The two of them ate in partial silence, the girl making a comment on how the apartment looked 'nice' or 'cozy' from time to time. "We should give it a makeover, what do you think?"

Chloe smiled. It would be easier to just demolish the thing.

"I'll help you fix this place up if my name isn't Irene. And it is. Okay—"

#

"Chloe?"

Fog clogged up the bathroom mirror. Chloe stood, shakily hunched over the toilet. She had been vomiting on and off through the night. Her hair was stuck to her neck, as a wave of shivers and cold sweat washed over her body. She whimpered.