Page 2 of Grumpy Player
“There’s no time, you need to leave,” she urges, and then she moves to touch me or maybe push me out of the way.
“If you lay a single finger on me or my art supplies, I’m calling the cops and then Annie will know exactly what went down in her room,” I warn.
She takes three steps back and crosses her arms over her chest.
I begin to pack up my brushes and paint. “I don’t need your eyes on me, Meagan. I know how to pack without you freaking watching me.” She huffs and turns out of the room.
This is so messed up. Why can’t anything ever go right for me? I roll my canvases and place them in a suitcase. When I have everything packed away, Meagan shrieks.
“Annie is in the Uber. You need to go.” She throws me my coat.
I look at her with my jaw dropped. My hair is a tangled mess on my head. I’m wearing a pajama set of navy-blue long pants in a cotton waffle material with a long sleeve matching shirt. It isn’t revealing but you can tell they are pajamas.
“You have to leave, I’m sorry,” she says and there is a hint of sorrow in her tone, but I don’t give a shit. She’s a heartless bitch for throwing me out like this in the middle of the night. She walks my two suitcases out into the hallway. When she reaches to touch one of my art bags, I snap.
“Don’t touch my art, Meagan,” I say pointedly. I walk the last two bags holding my art supplies into the hall. I turn to ask Meagan about the remaining rent money I gave her, but she slams the door in my face.
This has been my life the last number of years since I left college. My parents had supported me while I was in college, but after a falling out with my parents I walked away and they didn’t chase. It hurt that they didn’t care enough about me. That the business mattered more than my own happiness, but I’ve accepted my fate and know I’m better off. At least I have my nana, even though we don’t know how much longer she has to live.
The elevator arrives and I look at the glass half full. At least this building has an elevator. When the elevator door opens, I use my leg to hold the doors open and wheel my suitcases inside while I hold my art bags on each of my shoulders. I reach in my pocket instinctually to check for my phone and realize I left my cell in the apartment. Something tells me Meagan isn’t going to let me back inside.
When I reach the lobby, I slowly wheel my luggage out of the elevator. There’s a blond girl with two suitcases standing in front of the open doors waiting to enter the car.
“You off to vacation?” She smiles.
“Not exactly.” I wheel the rest of my luggage off the elevator. She’s nice enough to hold the door for me. “Thanks.” She must be Annie.
“Sure,” she says and then she enters the car. You know what? Hold up.
“Can I borrow your phone? I forgot mine in my apartment. I don’t want to leave my luggage unattended,” I explain.
“Of course.” She smiles. She looks to be about my age and much nicer than Meagan. She passes me her cell. If I call my phone, I don’t think Meagan will pick up but I’m betting that. . . I scroll through the blond girl’s recent calls to see Meagan’s name.Yes!!!She is Meagan’s roomie.
I make the call.
“Annie,” Meagan cheers through the phone.
“Actually, it’s Ellie,” I say.
“What?” Meagan asks with alarm.
“I forgot my phone and charger in your apartment. I’m using someone’s phone. Would you be nice enough to bring it down for me? I don’t want to leave my luggage here and risk having it stolen.”
“Um. . .yeah,” Meagan agrees, sounding maybe fearful that she’s going to get busted. “Be right down.”
“Thanks so much, Meagan,” I say on purpose. She wanted to be a bitch, well two can play that game. I pass blond girl, who I now know is Annie, the phone. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Her brows draw together. “Was that Meagan, as in my roommate?”
“Are you Annie?” I ask the girl, who nods with her lips pinched in a straight line.
“Then, yes, Meagan your roommate was on the phone. She rented me your room for three hundred bucks and then kicked me out midway. She doesn’t want to give me the remainder of my money back. She just fired me from my job because I was also her employee,” I splutter. I’m tired and angry and have no place to go.
“That’s super bitchy. I can’t believe she would just rent out my room without asking me and pocket the money. I was paying rent while I was gone,” Annie explains.
“That sucks. I’m sorry. Meagan doesn’t seem like the nicest person,” I say.
“I was actually going to give her my sixty days because I’m moving in with my boyfriend,” Annie explains.