Good Times

So with the twins planning to go off and doing their own thing and me finishing high school, I knew it was time for me and Laurie to get our show on the road. I held back every snarky remark I thought of and I tried to seem supportive even though the thought of them traveling the world playing stupid music annoyed me for some reason.

It was time for me and Laurie to find our own place and start our lives. I let Laurie decide everything. This was, after all, her plan. We didn’t have a ton of money saved up but my mom helped us out a little. I couldn’t tell if she was being motherly or if she was ready for me to leave the house, but I got my answer when she smiled at the both of us and thanked Laurie for “all her help”. I bit my tongue once again. I had already told Laurie numerous times how much it irritated me that people thought she could change me. She never could. The best I could do was act the part.

The day we moved into our house was pretty fun. I got into the car with Laurie and the drive was quiet. She took care of the decorating. I didn’t care about that anyway. I hung up my plaque from school right next to her’s. She’d gotten Most Popular. I got “Most Likely to Take Over the World”. I couldn’t help but smile. Our stupid classmates were definitely on to something.

The next day I woke up to a loud alarm at six in the morning.

“Wha..” I muttered. Speaking was hard at six in the morning. Functioning was hard at six in the morning… I hadn’t woken up before ten in years.

“Rise and shine!” Laurie said cheerfully. “I’m going to make breakfast, but we need to go over a few things.”

I let out a string of expletives, but Laurie ignored me and closed the door. I stayed in bed for another twenty minutes until the smell of food woke me up for good. I walked into our kitchen. It seemed like something from a sitcom. Leave it to Little Miss Perfect to decorate the house like this. Laurie hovered over a plate of waffles that looked delectable. They would even give my mother’s a run for their money.

“Sit down, I need to discuss some really important things with you,” Laurie commanded.

I drenched my waffles in syrup before joining her at the table. They tasted as good as they looked.

“So, I’ve pretty much secured a position at the city hall. I assist the politicians before they do big speeches, and sometimes I get to help them prepare for things.”

“Oh boy, sounds neat-o!” I replied sarcastically.

Laurie looked up at me, but decided to ignore my faux enthusiasm. She cleared her throat.

“Anyway… I’ve found a job for you as well. One that I know you’ll like. There’s a guy waiting on you named Benny. He doesn’t give out his last name so don’t ask. He’ll explain everything to you when you get there. He’s the guy who will show you the ropes. When I truly get my foot in the door in politics, you’ll need to remember everything he teaches you. And sometimes he’ll be a little rough. I told him you’d be there at ten.”

“Yea, Laurie, but it’s freaking 9:30!” Just then I heard an impatient honking outside. The look on Laurie’s face let me know that the car was for me. How long had it been out there?

I got up as quickly as I could and rushed out of the door.

“Remember! This is the kind of work you’ll like. So enjoy yourself!” Laurie said before I made it in the car just in time.

It turned out that I had enjoyed myself a little too much, and I got in trouble with the law on my very first day. It brought me back to my teenage days, but I wondered how this would go over for Laurie. I contacted her, but she seemed to have it all together.

“I have friends in high places,” she bragged. Apparently, she had done some volunteer work at the science lab, and she was in good graces with one of the researchers. The researcher happened to be the brother of the police chief where I was, and before I knew it, I was free to go. Laurie teased me a good bit, but she seemed unconcerned for our image, and I was surprised about that.

“Everyone has secrets and makes mistakes. You’d be surprised about who has done what in their past here,” was her only comment on the matter. “Just work out all your mistakes in the beginning.”

Right now, Benny was mostly into working out. He insisted that he needed strong guys who could run fast and lift things. There would be more to learn later, he said. While I worked out, Laurie would spend every waking moment that she wasn’t at her job chatting with people around town. A lot of people already knew her and liked her. It seemed like she had been doing favors for people and improving her resume for an entire lifetime. She was so ready to prepare for her place in politics. We got a dog named Bella. She said it would make us look like a young, hip family.

So, being with her was a little adventure on its own. I liked being consumed in my own life. I must admit, I felt like I fit in. I mean, getting paid to assist with crimes… amazing. And I didn’t judge Laurie’s calculating ways. She didn’t judge me for being a diabolical piece of shit. I know we’re an odd couple. But… dare I say it…. I was really happy.