Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
This is the problem with having a smart friend. She’s hard to lie to.
“Okay, I’m not on drugs. I just… I slept with someone I probably shouldn’t have, and now I’m trying to clear my head. But the second you started talking about talking, I realized I’m not actually up for talking.”
“I get it,” she says. “But I am worried about you. You’ve been strange lately. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“Oh? About what?”
“Lately you’ve been talking about some disturbing things. The obsession with corrupt rich people. It’s become a fixation, and it won’t lead anywhere good. You should go back to school, finish your degree, and get a job.”
I bite my lower lip. I wasn’t going to tell her about Marcus Waterstone anyway, but now I’m extra doubly not going to do that. I know in the past I’ve probably sounded a little unhinged in some of my social media stories, but that’s the point of having them, isn’t it?
“What’s the worst that will happen?”
“The worst that will happen is everybody will think you’re obsessed and stop talking to you, and you’ll never have any romantic experiences that last any longer than you starting to talk about your favorite subject. Everybody knows rich people are bad. It’s not interesting. I’m saying this because I love you, and because people are starting to talk. Mandy is saying she might not have you in the bridal party.”
That last piece of news really catches me off-guard. “I might not be at her wedding?”
“Not if you don’t stop talking about capitalism every two seconds.”
“I haven’t mentioned capitalism this whole conversation.”
“No. You haven’t, and that’s weird too. For you.”
“Listen, I’m sorry. I know we need to catch up properly. I have so much to tell you. Some of it might even be interesting to you.”
Sasha smirks. “I love you, Charlie, but you have to get your life together. We all wanted to be revolutionaries once upon a time, but that’s not how the world works.”
She’s baiting me to go into an absolute fucking tirade about how the world works, and why it works that way. I avoid that conversational bear-trap though.
“If anybody comes looking for me, just tell them you didn’t see me.”
“Why would anybody come looking for you? What have you been doing, Charlie? Are the cops looking for you? We always said you’d end up in jail. I can’t believe we were right.”
“Who is we?”
“Me and the girls. You know. You were there. Maybe you were too drunk or high to remember. You’re always on something, or doing something. It’s time to grow out of that.”
Sasha was cooler back before she decided to take herself seriously and go back to school to become… whatever it is she’s becoming. She’s convinced she knows what is best for everyone, including me.
“The police aren’t looking for me, but I do have a bit of a stalker at the moment, so like I said, you haven’t seen me if anybody asks, okay? I’m going to go back down the fire escape, if that’s alright with you.”
I can tell it is. Sasha can’t wait for me to go so she can get on her phone and tell our scattered friend group what I am up to. We used to be close in college, but now half of us are in different cities, and others of us are married, and some even have kids. Gossip is the only thing that keeps the gang together.
“Okay, I’ll see you again soon.”
“Okay, Charlie. Be safe, please.”
“I will be. Don’t worry.”
I proceed to drop onto the fire escape and fall off it. One moment I’m clinging to the rusty railing, the next the railing has given way. I’m tumbling through the air, trying to land on my feet the way a cat does.
So this is how I die. Stupidly, and right on the cusp of being the richest I’ve ever been. My body is panicking, but there’s part of my brain dedicated just to berating me about how stupid I’ve been, even with the last bits of consciousness I’ll ever experience.
“Oof!”
I am caught in a strong, capable pair of arms. I look up and into the eyes of Marcus Waterstone.
“Charlie!? Are you okay?” Sasha is leaning out her window.
“Fine!” I wave up at her. “I’m okay.”
“You are not okay. You are in a tremendous amount of trouble. You snuck out of the house, and then went on a crime spree,” Marcus growls down at me.
“I don’t think I did.”
“I thought you might be disobedient, but I didn’t think I’d have to intervene to stop you from dying in a spectacularly stupid way. I’m going to assume that building has internal stairs.”
“Why, are you going to buy it?”
His eyes narrow at me. “Now is not the time for cheek,” he says. “You’ve been a very bad little pet, and you are going to suffer the consequences. You could have been a little lap dog, being spoiled and petted and given treats. But you’ve decided to act more like a scruffy mutt who runs off, gets into trouble, and has to be collected from the pound. Don’t worry, Charlie. I know how to tame and train a pet. You won’t be trouble for much longer.”