Sapphire
"Another business trip?" I ask, setting down my toast on a plate as I get the news.
My father gives me a sad smile. "I'm afraid so, sweetie. This is the longest trip I will take compared to the others. It's really important." He tells me, sipping on his coffee. "I would take you, but you still have school to attend and transferring schools is not a choice for you since it's already your senior year."
"Anything but that." I sigh, moving my eggs around distractedly. "How long?"
"At most?"
"Yeah."
"Three months."
I drop my fork as I hear those two words leave his mouth. "That's two entire months added to your usual trips."
"I know," he sighs, setting his coffee down on the table. "It's a long project, you have to understand."
I don't have much of a choice.
"Yeah, okay."
"That's my girl." He encourages and I give him a fake smile. I've mastered it by now.
"Where will I stay?" I finally manage to ask after a few moments of silence. "I mean, I don't want to stay here on my own for three entire months, I'm afraid I'll lose my social life." I explain.
"You still have three days to ask one of your friends if you can stay at their house." He suggests, picking up his coffee again and taking another sip. "Plus, you can't lose your social life by living on your own."
"Natalie moved, Amber has a full house, and Gloria has enough problems with her grandma being sick." I say, taking a drink from my orange juice. "And trust me, I will sleep in all day if I'm on my own."
"Better for me, you'll stay out of trouble."
I roll my eyes, "Seriously, dad. It's so depressing living on my own. I can barely manage one month, I'll get bored to death by the second month."
"Can't Amber come live with you while I'm gone?" He inquires with a raised brow.
I shake my head with a frown, knowing I'm running out of options. "She has to look after her siblings."
"You can always try looking for a place to rent, if they even accept you as a minor." He suggests.
"I'm desperate, I barely have a social life as it is. I'll start searching online." I tell him before getting up from my seat and going up to my room.
"Wait, you barely touched your food!" He calls out to me and I stop at the top of the stairs.
"I'm not hungry!" I call back and continue to make my way to my room.
I sit on my bed, opening up my laptop and start searching up places to rent nearby.
* * * *
I let out a frustrated groan as I shut my laptop and fall back on my bed.
"Right when I find the perfect place, they ask for my age." I mutter to myself, annoyed. "I'll be eighteen next month for goodness sake!"
"You okay in there?" My father questions, peeking his head into my room and I sit up to look at him. "Any luck?"
"No."
"Is it about your age?"
"Yes," I huff, running my fingers through my hair. "Why is it such a big deal? I'm just one month away from being eighteen, for Christ's sake!" I fall flatly on my back as I let out another huff.
"They have a reason to let you down." He says and I put my arm over my eyes. "They can get into serious trouble if they get caught renting a room to a minor."
"I guess," I mumble, taking my arm away from my face and resting it on my chest. "It's not like I'm twelve to make such a big deal out of it."
He chuckles. "There's some weird laws out there, sweetie."
"Well I'll keep looking, after a nap." I say to him, placing my laptop on my nightstand.
"Alright, call me if you need anything. I'll be in my work office." He informs before closing my door.
I get under the bed sheets and lay on my side as I close my eyes, slowly drifting into sleep.
* * * *
"Is that a no?" I question with a sigh, scrolling down the website to see if there's another place that I can call.
"Sorry, sweetie." The lady answers, sounding sincere.
"It's alright, I understand."
I remove the phone from my ear and hang up the call, dialing the last number on the website. I let out a nervous sigh as it begins to ring.
This is it, if this one's a no I'll have to live on my own and die of boredom. I think to myself, my heartbeat quickening as the phone rings four times.
I sigh as the fifth ring sounds, pulling the phone away from my ear – ready to hang up – before a male voice stops me.
"Hello?"
I quickly press the phone back to my ear. "Yes, hello." I answer. "I found your phone number on this website, it says you're looking for someone to share the apartment with? Five-hundred dollars a month? Am I correct?"
He excuses himself from something and a female voice complains, before he speaks into the phone again. "Yes, that will be correct."
I smile, a little bit of hope growing inside me. "Okay, great. I'm interested in renting it for at least three months." I inform.
He stays silent.
"Hello?" I call out after a few moments.
"I'm still here sorry, I was just taking care of something." He explains, clearing his throat. "Talking about this would be better to do it in person, don't you think? How about you come by tomorrow so you can check out the place for yourself?" He suggests and I get a paper and pen ready in case he wants me to write something down.
"Yes, that would be great. What time?"
"I'm not home until six. Will six thirty be fine?"
"Yes, of course." I tell him as I write down the time, a wide smile spreading onto my face. "Oh, one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I'm not eighteen until next month." I quickly say, closing my eyes tightly as I can already sense the rejection.
He stays silent for a few moments. "Your point being..?"
I sit up straighter and look around my room, finding the right words to say.
"Oh uh, I thought that would change your mind." I admit to him, letting out a short nervous laugh.
"No, why would it?" He questions, sounding confused.
I sigh, "I've been rejected by the last twelve people, that's why."
"Damn, that sucks." He comments before a female voice suddenly calls out a name and he tells me to hold.
I do just that, setting my phone on speaker and laying on my back while I wait.
"Okay, I'm back."
I quickly pick up the phone, taking it off speaker and pressing it to my ear again.
"Hey, so tomorrow at six thirty, right?" I ask, just to be clear.
"Yes it's the sixth floor, apartment F-7." He announces. "I'll text you the address to this phone number, is that cool?"
"Yes, of course."
"Alright, sounds good."
"Okay great, looks like I will be seeing you tomorrow..." I trail off as I don't know his name.
He notices my pause and chuckles. "Ian, my name is Ian."
"Ian!" I quickly add, making him laugh and I blush at my embarrassment. "Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow." I say, desperate to hang up already.
"Wait, I haven't gotten your name yet."
"Right, sorry about that. My name is Sapphire."
"Sapphire," he tests the name out. "Alright then, see you tomorrow. Goodbye."
"Bye."
I end the call and let out a breath of relief as I process what just happened through my head, before jumping up on my bed and doing a happy dance.
"Dad!" I call out as I run out of my room, making my way to his room.
"In here, sweetie!"
I run into his room with a wide smile and he chuckles as he sees me. "Well, don't you look happy."
"I found an apartment!" I announce in pure excitement. "It's in an apartment complex, sixth floor, five-hundred dollars a month, it's nearby the beach, and–"
"Breathe, Sapphire." He cuts me off, laughing softly to himself.
I take in a deep breath before I continue. "–And I will be meeting him in his apartment tomorrow at six thirty."
"That's great, sweetheart." He smiles at me, getting up from his seat before he comes to kiss the top of my head. "Wait..." he pulls away, his hands on my shoulders. "Him?"
I laugh, "Yes, is that a problem?"
"That depends, is he young or old?"
I furrow my eyebrows in thought, "He sounded young to me."
"Is he in a relationship?"
I give him a weird look. "I don't know..? That's not something I just ask."
"I don't need a grandchild, missy."
"What? I'm renting a room, not paying for sex!"
"I didn't say he was a prostitute, did I? I'm just saying young people have crazy hormones they can't control that well." He shrugs. "You stay a virgin till marriage."
I'm not even a virgin anymore...
"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, dad." I say instead.
"Good girl. Now about my trip; I will be back for your birthday but I will have to leave again the next day. I hope that's okay with you."
"Alright." I agree, giving him a forced smile. "That's fine."
He wraps his arms around me and I lay my head on his chest, before we both pull away and he sends me off to bed. "You have a long day ahead of you."
"I know," I sigh. "Goodnight, dad. I love you." I say to him, before walking out of his room.
"Goodnight, I love you too."