"Oh, come on," she said knocking me playfully on the shoulder. "Tell me your name." I shook my head and replied, "True names have power and we just met." She grinned and asked, "So if we become besties you'll tell me your real name?" I could tell from her facial expression that she was being playful and teasing, but the thought of having a best friend was a good one and it made me feel warm inside. It had been a long time since I had a best friend. (Sisters don't count.)
"Yeah, maybe," I murmured. I was silent for a moment and then I pulled away from the counter I was leaning on.
"I should go," I said and I started towards the door. Octavia sprang after me motioning wildly but I wasn't looking at her. I reached for the door handle but she blocked it.
"You don't have to leave," she signed. I stared at her and there was a strange look in her eyes. It felt like panic. I paused and glanced around the disheveled apartment. I suddenly felt tears burning behind my eyes. I looked at her and said, "You can't live by yourself. Are you sure you don't have any relatives you can stay with? Did you father have a will?" The full reality of death suddenly fell on me. Did she want to have a funeral for him? The Cleaners took care of the body. I didn't even consider if the girl wanted to have a service, if the man had a death plan, burial instructions, if he had friends. Would The Cleaners just erase all memory of him like they did in the past or would they go through the legal channels?
She looked at me with glistening grey eyes.
"My mother died in the accident when I was eleven. I don't even know if I have grandparents or aunts or uncles. My parents never talked about them. Where would I find a will if he had one? I can't go into foster care!" Her signs became increasingly more frantic. She looked straight at me and a glittering tear spilled over the edge of her left eye.
"Chase, what am I going to do?" Before I could answer she plowed into me, knocking me back against the door and pressing her face into my chest. She sobbed silently and I didn't know what to do. My face was burning. I hesitantly reached up and pet the back of her head, my fingers tangling in her soft dark hair.
I suddenly had a thought.
"What if you got emancipated?" I asked and she looked up at me tears glistening on her cheeks.
"How do I do that?" she inquired pulling away from me. I blinked and then shrugged sheepishly.
"I have no idea. You'll have to do some research." She nodded and then sprung away from me. She disappeared down the hall and returned a moment later with a beat up laptop. She plunked down on the couch and opened up the laptop. She glanced at me and patted the spot next to her. I hesitated for a second and then sat down next to her.
She opened her browser and was just about to type something in before she paused.
"Where should I start?" she asked. I thought for a moment and replied, "Teenage emancipation?" She nodded and typed that in.
We got tons of results and most of them weren't helpful. We clicked on a few links and read a few articles. After about twenty minutes of searching she huffed in irritation and closed the laptop.
"So I have to get a job...or get married. Or both," she signed before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back into the couch. I leaned back next to her and said, "There aren't many jobs around here that a sixteen year old can get that will pay rent for this place." She closed her eyes and sighed.
"I don't know if he even paid rent for this month," she signed with her eyes still closed and I could tell she was tired. Beyond tired. She suddenly pouted and said, "I have geometry homework!" I was silent for a moment and then haltingly I said, "I don't know about the geometry homework, but I might have a solution for your living arrangements."
She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me.
"If you're talking about money, I can't accept it," she motioned, barely lifting her arms. I shook my head and replied, "No...Sissy and I barely cover rent as it is. She doesn't work but she gets a lot of things for free so it balances out." I paused again not sure I should be saying this, especially not without consulting Sissy first. I took a deep breath and blurted, "Maybe you could stay at our place until you find a job and make enough money to emancipate yourself and get a place of your own...or you could stay. We could use a roommate to pitch in with the bills and stuff."
She stared at me for a minute that felt like an hour and then smiled.
"You would let me stay with you guys even though you barely know me?" she asked. I felt my face grow warm and I shook my head flustered.
"I mean if you want. I understand if you don't. You're right, we don't know you, you don't know us. I killed your father. A box full of cookies and a shopping trip doesn't change that. I just want to help and I--" She suddenly covered my mouth with her hands and my face flamed.
She slowly pulled her hands from my face and signed, "That is a very generous offer and I would say I need time to think about it, but this place is disgusting and any place would be better than here. When can I move in?"