“What about your animals?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“I’ve got a backup plan,” he replies. “But you two can’t stay here.”
I feel a lump rise in my throat. We’re being kicked out—banished, really. And while I understand why—Timmy’s behavior has been unhinged—I can’t help but feel humiliated. We’ve bent over backward to help, delayed our own lives, spent money on this trip when Steve promised to pay Timmy a decent amount for his labor, and this is how it ends?
Tears spill down my cheeks, a messy mix of anger, embarrassment, and exhaustion. It’s always me cleaning up the messes, bearing the brunt of Timmy’s chaos. And I get that Timmy’s behavior has been completely insane. I understand Steve has a family to protect.
But I didn’t threaten to kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anyone. I feel like I’m constantly in a position where I’m being punished for Timmy’s actions. Andworse, sometimes.
Because I’m the one who has to replace all the items he breaks. So his actions are costing me financially, mentally. And spiritually, too. I’m under a constant state of stress. It’s blocking me from being able to be creative, because I’m constantly worrying that he’s going to be upset, and all my energy is focused on him.
I pay for everything, I soothe everyone, and now, I’m being cast aside once again because of him. It’s not fair.
But fairness doesn’t seem to matter anymore.
“I get it,” I whisper. “We’ll leave.”
Timmy looks at me, his expression unreadable. I wonder if he understands what’s happening—or if he even cares. He wraps an arm around me, as if that will make everything better.
“We’ll be fine,” he murmurs. “We always are.”
I nod, but I’m not sure I believe him anymore. I feel like I’msinking—drowning in the chaos of his life, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep my head above water.
For over a week’s work,Steve gives Timmy about two hundred dollars.
Timmy and I are both shocked, livid.
When we get back to our local airport, I pull the car up at the cashier’s turnstile on the way out. The parking alone is more than what Timmy was paid by Steve for the entire week. Blood thumps in my temples and rings in my ears, my heart pounding in my chest, as I pay two hundred and forty dollars for the airport parking.
The trip ends up costing me personally around a thousand dollars.
This was meant to be a trip where Timmy helped his friend and made some money to help with our move-in costs. And it costme a grand. Right when I can’t afford it, and it’s put me way behind on my work.
Are you fucking kidding me?
This is disgusting. Regardless of Timmy’s behavior on the last night we were there, he worked for a week. We were both inconvenienced. The way Timmy is, there was no way I couldn’t accompany him. And it’s part of the fun of moving in together that you do it together.
Money I didn’t have, all wasted on a trip that was supposed to help us, not set us back.
Fury builds inside me, hot and unforgiving. “You promised this trip would help with our move-in costs,” I snap at Timmy. “Now we’re worse off than before.”
His face darkens, a storm brewing in his expression. “Steve screwed us over,” he mutters.
I shake my head, exhausted. “Well, you need to talk to him. Because this trip was a disaster.”
“He thinks he’s better than me,” snarls Timmy. “Better than bothof us. Always has. He’s always been a loser, though. Nobody liked him at school. I’m the reason he has any friends at all.”
“Well, you need to speak with him, Timmy. You promised to help with move-in costs based on this trip, and you’ve cost me at least a thousand dollars across parking and unnecessary groceries and wastage at home, because you insisted we do a massive grocery shop before we go. I’m going to have to replace everything in the fridge, basically.”
He frowns and sighs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He calls Steve, and the conversation quickly goes south. “Sorry, that’s all I’m prepared to pay,” says Steve. “I’ve spoken with my wife, and we’ve decided that’s what we’re able to offer and what we think is appropriate.”
“Well, it cost Margaux more than a thousand dollars.”
“Well, she didn’t have to come,” he replies, his tone snide and self-righteous. “You should be grateful, you both basically got a free vacation.”
“But it wasn’t free,” I say to Timmy, “and we didn’t need a place to stay for a week. We have a perfectly great apartment here. One that I would have loved to have been moving into, instead of being stranded hours away while you argued with your friend.”