Chapter 24 – Andy
Chapter Twenty-Four
ANDY
“This place is really nice,” I tell my mom after the nurse leaves us to talk. I was able to do a tour of the place with her but not much more. I thought I might help her unpack and settle in, but that is against the rules. I get it. They don’t want people to sneak things in.
“It is.” Mom takes a deep breath. I’m sure this is a lot to take in. This is probably the most isolated she’s been from the outside world in a long time.
“You’re already looking better.”
“I’ve gained weight.” She shrugs.
“Which is good,” I point out to her. Her cheeks are fuller, and her eyes no longer have dark circles under them. They also have more of a shine to them now. Mom nods. I’m not sure she agrees, but I could be misreading her. “Hey, what’s up? You still want to do this, right?”
Every day she’s told me she’s willing to go to Synergy Recovery. This place is a gift; I managed to get her one of the free spots that they offer.
“I do.” She shakes her head, making her blond hair sway. Even her hair is shinier. I hadn’t realized how much she had slipped away until seeing her more sober and past the hard part of the detox phase. “I’m just so sorry.” Mom's eyes start to fill with tears. I reach out and grab her hand.
“I know.”
“How can I just leave you to live all alone? I already missed your birthday.” A sob leaves her. With her mind clearer, I think the reality of a lot of things is sinking in, and she's remembering things. I hate that she’s making herself feel bad, but I know this is part of the process.
"If you want to make it up to me, the best gift you could give me is completing this program," I tell her. "Besides, I had a great birthday."
"Really?" She sniffles. "Tell me about it." I glance toward the open door to make sure no one is lingering around before I start spilling some girl talk to her.
They gave us this small room to say goodbye before they fully check my mom in. The staff is already going through the two bags I packed and brought for her.
“I met someone.” Mom’s brows lift at that, her expression growing wary. “He’s really sweet.” To me at least. “He’s always going out of his way for me. Niki even walks me home and checks the apartment, wanting to make sure it’s safe.”
I don’t tell her the other things about the shoes, phone, especially about the graffiti or Niki being the one who came to collect the drug debt. That is a story for another day. She would feel guilty over it and then try to get me to stay away from him.
Mom already thinks most men are terrible, which I understand with her job, but the gang thing will have her coming home.
Me giving her a little about Niki is more for her to know I’m not alone and I have a person watching out for me too.
I’m hoping it will be one less thing she’ll have to worry about while she's here.
All of her focus needs to be on herself and her recovery.
"Never heard you talk about a boy before." Mom tilts her head to the side, watching me. "He is a boy?"
"He's a teen and still in high school too."
Mom's hand covers mine as she leans back in her chair. "Does he have tattoos?" Whoa, how did she get that one?
"Don't most people these days?" I say, trying to dance around it.
"We don't." Right.
"Why are you asking that?" She has to know something.
"One of the bills at the hospital was paid. I thought it was a mistake, but I asked a couple of the nurses and was informed that a boy with tattoos had pushed to pay it, but it was strange because said person didn't know much about me, but it was me they were trying to pay the bill for."
"He paid one of your hospital bills?"
"Who else would it have been? I thought maybe Rico, but he's an asshole." Mom rolls her eyes. She's not wrong.
He is a freaking asshole. One that has no problem making sure the girls at the club have all the drugs they can afford, at least. He wants you high, but he also wants you paying for it. Rico makes sure whatever money the girls make circles back to his pocket.
“It might have been him.”
“Andy.”
“Okay, it was probably him.” I know without a doubt it was Niki.
This generous act screams his name. The part I love the most about it is that it was genuine.
He didn’t do it for recognition like most people would.
He did it because he cares about me. I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve him, but I’ll never take him for granted.
“How can a kid in high school pay that kind of bill?”
“He’s not in my high school.” I really am dodging these questions the best I can.
“So he comes from money?” Mom’s expression is still skeptical as hell.
“How about you meet him one day? When you get out.”
"When I get out." She nods.
"Don't worry about me. I'm good. Focus on getting better."
"Rent is almost due."
"I'll handle it." I'm going to see about pulling a few doubles at the diner this weekend. I’ve been slacking on shifts. Hopefully, the extra shifts will provide me with enough money to cover the expenses.
"Rico owes me a paycheck, and there is cash in my locker."
"All right, I'll see about getting it."
"Maybe this boyfriend of yours can go with you. I don't love the idea of you going there alone."
"Okay." I nod, although I don't fully agree. Niki has done enough for me already. He also has a life of his own.
One that he doesn't seem to want to mix with mine. I get it. He's protective of his sister and mom. While mine works at a strip club and is addicted to drugs. I get why he doesn't want to introduce me to them.
A knock sounds from the open doorway, a nurse standing there. "Are you ready?" she asks, giving us a warm smile.
"As much as I'll ever be." We both stand. Mom wraps me in a tight hug. I hug her just as hard back.
"I love you," I tell her.
"I love you too, sweetheart." She kisses me on the cheek.
I watch the nurse lead her out of the room. I drop back down into the chair when she’s gone and let a few tears slip free before I make myself pull my shit together.
I grab my phone out of my bag and order a Lyft. This place is on the edge of the city in a nicer area. If there are gangs here, they aren't evident, and I’d have to jump buses to get back to my part of town.
Plus, if I have a car, I can have them drop me at the club. I can make my way back home from there. I plug in the address and don’t miss the look the driver gives me when I get in. I'm sure he suspects me of being a stripper, but I don't care.
I pull up a study guide for one of my upcoming tests on my phone and scroll through it.
I can’t wait to be out of high school. It's really going through the motions at this point. I’ve gotten a few grants and small scholarships already.
They could cover community college, which would be a nice step in the direction I want to go, but there is still time to try and get more.
What I need is to get us out of the area we are living in to help my mom stay sober when she gets out. That’s the goal, but I know it’s a long path before I get to that.
"You working tonight?" the driver asks when he pulls up in front of the building. He turns around to get a better look at me.
"No" is all I say, getting out and slamming the door behind me. I don't know how my mom deals with that shit all the time.
“Andy,” Nick, the bouncer, greets me when I get to the entrance, giving me a chin nod.
“Hey.” I nod back.
“How’s your mom?”
“Good.”
“Is she coming back?” he asks.
“I hope not.” He opens the door for me. “Thanks.” I slip inside; the smell of cigarettes and sweat assaults me.
I give Shelly a wave from behind the bar.
It’s still fairly early, so the place isn’t busy.
I keep my eyes off the two stages, letting the shitty music fill my ears and drown everything else out.
No one pays me much mind as I make my way to the back, entering the girls’ dressing room.
“Andy!” One of the girls comes over, giving me a hug, and another asks about my mom. The girls here have always been nice—well, most of them.
“I’m getting the stuff from her locker,” I tell them as I spin the combination to the lock. It pops open, and there is nothing inside. “Her stuff is gone?” I ask them, and everyone shrugs.
“If it’s here, it’s in Rico’s office is my best guess,” one of them tells me.
“Right,” I sigh. “Is he in there now?” All of them nod. “Thanks.” I head toward the long hallway that leads down to his office. I’m dreading having to interact with him, but I’m not leaving without my mom’s things. The door is closed when I reach it, so I knock.
I hear a male groan followed by a woman cursing. “Come in!” Rico barks. I’m hesitant to open the door, but I want to get this over with.
As I push the door open, I see Rico messing with his belt while a dark-haired girl scurries past me, adjusting her top as she goes. She must be new. I’ve never seen her before.
“Look who it is.” He smirks, running his hand through his short, greasy black hair. Rico is literally the stereotypical shitty strip club owner. “Looking for work?”
“No, I’m looking for my mom’s stuff and her last check.” That has the smirk dropping off his old, weathered face that has seen way too much sun. How, I have no clue; this place is dark as shit. No light ever gets in. In fact, I bet this is where it comes to die.
“Shut the door if you want to talk.” I reluctantly do it but stay standing next to it. “I don’t bite, Andy.” He licks his lips, and I already know the cliché line he’s going to say. “Unless you want me to.” Typical and gross.
“I really just want my mom’s stuff.”
“There’s nothing here for her. She’ll be lucky if I ever give her a shift again.” I don’t want her to have one, so Rico can go get fucked. I keep that thought to myself. I’m not trying to escalate things.
“She told me she has her last check here and money in her locker.”
“Like I said, she’s got nothing here.”
“Rico, come on. It’s for rent.” He drops back down on the old leather couch, his belt still undone.
“What she had covered her ass for the shit she pulled. Call it even.” I was an idiot to think he would do the right thing.
“I’m serious.” I try to put some force into my tone. It must have some effect because he lifts his brows.
“If you need cash, come on over.” He pats his lap. “I’d pay a grand to fuck your pussy. I bet that shit is tight.” I don’t even allow his words to truly penetrate my brain because then I’ll have to remember he said them.
“You’re disgusting.” I can’t stop the eye roll. “Go fuck yourself.” I turn to leave, knowing this is pointless. I’ll work the double shifts.
The door only opens a few inches before it slams shut on me. Rico's hand lands on the door right above my head. “What are you doing?”
His other hand comes to my hip as he thrusts his crotch into my ass.
“I think your mama still owes me, actually.” My blood runs cold. “And you’ll pay it off for her.” My heart is pounding so hard I’m surprised he can’t hear it.
“Okay,” I tell him, slowly turning. “A grand, you said?” A disgusting smile spreads across his face.
“More if you’re still a virgin.” Rico wraps a piece of my hair around his fingers. “Well, girl? Are you?”
“Yes,” I admit, trying to get him to give me space, thinking he might head back to the couch.
“I’m not stupid, Andy.” He lets go of my hair. Wrapping his hand around my throat, he gives a hard squeeze. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t bruise. “Don’t get any ideas.” I nod, and he lets go. I cough, sucking in a big gulp of air. “Take your clothes off.”
I drop my fingers to the bottom of my shirt. Rico takes a step back, wanting to watch. The second he does, I slam my palm into his nose as hard as I can.
He screams as blood explodes out of him. I let out a scream too as he stumbles back. I’m momentarily shocked by the amount of blood there is before I turn and run from his office, praying that no one tries to stop me.