7 - Nickel and Dime

Roxxi caught up with the three she had been chasing at the top of the hill. They were waiting for the light to cross to the apartment building he had entered the last time she had seen him. She almost spoke. She stood too close. He smelled like sex. He smelled like Liz the waitress. Roxxi bit her lip until it was white.

“Oh shit! Where’d you come from?” The guy had been talking to the big tittied brown haired girl and when he tossed his head and swayed back in laughter from his own joke he elbowed Roxxi.

“I, uh, I was, uh. My name is, uh...”

“Roxanne?” He shook his head. “Roxxi? Janny, I think she was looking to, uh, supplement your income from the cafe.”

“Huh?” The green haired girl turned and looked Roxxi up and down. “I’ve got some molly, but if you’re looking for anything ... She doesn’t want drugs.”

“No, I’ve never, I...”

“Really?” The brunette asked. All she saw was goth leather, dyed electric blue hair, and facial piercings. “I guess you’re only like 13, huh?”

“No! Shut up!” Roxxi shouted. “I’m--”

“This guy again?” Another girl, taller but still short, had two tone hair. The right side of her mane was silvery white, the left pitch black. Her tattoos were visible between the cuffs of her winter coat and the rim of her gloves.

“Me again? I’m sorry, where have I seen you girls before?” He asked. “I’m, uh, Owen. Janice, Tamara.”

“Rosalyn,” Zera spoke for Roxxi.

“No, I’m Roxxi.” Roxxi interrupted. “She’s Zera. We see you sometimes at the bar.”

“Restaurant, it’s not even a pub. They just have a couple of tvs and beer on tap.” Zera said. “How do you know Roxxi?”

“I don’t. This is the second time she’s ambushed me here.” Owen admitted. He gestured and the five of them crossed the street. “What can I do for you?”

“You’re the guy!” Roxxi blurted out.

“I don’t know what that means.” He said. Janice was grinning.

“Aren’t you guys shitty tippers?” Janice grinned. She was elbowing the hell out of Tamara.

“What?” Tamara grumbled.

“I’ve heard this one,” she pointed to Roxxi, “call Darlene out for fucking up a who had the milkshake and who had the tea. It was brutal. ‘Bitch is so dumb, I think she’s going to flush our bills and bring back her used toilet paper next.’”

Owen and Tamara looked disgusted at Roxxi. Zera was sad that that was the legend of Roxxi. When the girl was showing off, she was unforgettable. It was kinda nice seeing her so demure. She hadn’t been that since the septum piercing and electric blue hair dye.

“OK so, bye?” Owen said. Zera nodded and reached for Roxxi’s hand but Janice leapt forward and grabbed Roxxi’s other and Owen’s hand.

“I think this girl may have an enemy!” The singsong of the thought turned Zera’s confused and exasperated face into a scowl.

“Let’s go, Roxxi.”

“I...” She looked to Owen. “Do I go?”

“Maybe you’re right, Janny.” Owen said. “What about you?”

Zera met Owen’s questioning gaze. “Roxxi’s 19. She can make her own decisions.” Zera looked down the hill to the restaurant. “Still I don’t like leaving her. I have to say, I am more interested in what’s going on in her whacko head than getting my drink order mixed up.”

“You gotta come up!” Janice clapped her hands. “You gotta.”

“We don’t even know these girls, right?” Tamara looked to Owen.

“I’ve got questions,” Janice declared. “I’m sure he’ll want the answers.”

“I’m fucking hungry.” Zera said.

“I’ve got snacks. Cheetos, potato chips, and beer--”

“You are going up, aren’t you Roxxi?” Zera looked over the shorter girl. “Ah, fuck it. I’ve got questions too. This is the first time that I’ve seen this one go for anything. And, if you guys are as boring as you look, it’s like four blocks back to the girls.”

Owen grinned. Janice grinned. Tamara deflated. Roxxi’s hand was transferred to Owen. Owen scowled at Janice.

“What’s the endgame?”

“It’s that Avengers movie.” Janice quipped. “It wasn’t as good as Infinity War.”

Owen sighed and the quintet headed into the building and onto the elevator. Zera watched the brunette blush as the doors closed. Maybe not as boring as they looked. Guy was fucking green haired loudmouth and tits for brains, Zera surmised. Roxxi was ready to jump on his dick too. That made sense, the girl was a lesbian because Roxxi had been pushed around by the bigger girls and had been too agreeable to say no. Maybe not. Roxxi was more attention seeking people pleaser than she was straight or gay.

Zera knew what she liked. It wasn’t men. It wasn’t women. The green haired girl might have it, but none of the others did. Still, what Zera wanted, was bad for Roxxi. Zera planned to hitch the girl to a new wagon and then go back to join her clique.

Don’t barge in. That was Frieda’s advice from mom. Don’t barge in. Frieda had listened for the last six months but why had never been stressed to her. Don’t barge in, Kirk is very affectionate when he gets home from a trip.

“Oh gross! Sorry!” Frieda slipped back out of the kitchen kicked her shoes off into porch and zipped down stairs. There’s dad’s butt ... At least I didn’t see his dick. Note to self, stop eating at the kitchen table.

“I guess--”

“Yeah, I guess.” Val frowned and dragged her bare thighs and reddened sex back off of her fiance. Weeks ago, when she had dropped Kirk off at the airport, if Frieda had barged in on them and hid herself in the basement rec room? Val’d have gotten her money’s worth to finish her fiance off. She rolled the taste around in her mouth and couldn’t tell the difference.

“Oh,” He sighed, kissed Val and went over the coffee machine that was still dripping. It would’ve been ready if they had finished. “I’ll talk to her but first I’d better shower.”

“Yeah, you smell like happy. No girl wants to smell happy on her father.” Val mussed up his hair. “Your coffee will be ready when you get out.”

“I am so-so-so sorry!” About thirty minutes later Frieda had taken off her headset and put down the Xbox controller to see her father. “Are you--Do you want me to head out and give you a couple of hours?”

Frieda was smiling brightly, holding her shoulders back. It both stuck out her tits and made her look smaller, a go to move for whichever subset of human males she was manipulating: Dad or the rest.

“No, I’ll take her out tonight.” Kirk said. “Sometimes you gotta take the girl out.”

“Oh, dinner tomorrow then?” Frieda beamed.

“What?” The unfinished fugue in his head missed the quip.

“Sometimes you gotta take the girl out.” Frieda said and gestured to herself.

“Sometimes you do. How was the last few weeks? Did I get you that for Christmas?” He asked of the ribbed sweater she was wearing. She pulled it down and looked.

“This one was from mom,” Frieda said. “I guess that means yes you did.”

“Ha!” Her father laughed. He grabbed her shoulder and thrust her down onto the couch. He collapsed down with her. “Tell me about Frieda.”

It was his, how are you? The words made Frieda light up like few other things. Maybe whatever new boy she was crazy for. Then the light in her face got brighter.

“School’s school, you know? Oh! I gotta show you the coin. I looked through the books you said. Yeah, and with the forums and stuff they say they should only be worth a couple hundred but they do match the coins Mr Carrie wants! I know there’s supposed to be thirty and Owen’s set is smaller than that, but--”

“Tell me about Owen.” He said with a smile. The name on the receipt was Owen MacKay not Owen Lahey. He was going to need to get in touch with one of his police contacts or that PI and her firm to trace the man back. Dammit if this doesn’t pay off.

“Oh he’s um...” Frieda was answering and fidgeting and smiling. She definitely had a crush.

“Cute?” Kirk raised a semi-serious eyebrow.

“I mean, he could be like 30, right?” Frieda blushed when she asked that. That raised Kirk’s eyebrow in a serious manner. “Or 40? I dunno. Old.”

“40’s old is it?” The forty eight year old man grabbed his daughter and they fought till they were both laughing.

“Yeah, most people don’t get undead like you.” Frieda was overcoming the laughter when she finally pushed her father off.

“OK, Kiddo. Dinner tomorrow and you can show me the coin and all the work you did.” He kissed her hair and put the gaming headset into her hands. “Um, word of advice, sweetie. Look at his left hand for a wedding ring.”

“Da-ad!” She shouted, threatened but didn’t throw a throw pillow at her father. “Beside’s Owen’s left ring finger was covered by his cast.”

“Oh, that means it doesn’t count as adultery.” Kirk rolled his eyes.

“Does it?” Frieda asked. “Well say the word anytime. I’ll break your fingers!”

“I’ll show you exactly what I mean!” Janice laughed. She thrust Zera down into the middle of the casting couch. Owen was pouring drinks with Roxxi on the counter to his left. Tamara hugged the armrest on Zera’s right. “I mean, I can do that, righty-O?”

“Like I can stop you.” Owen shook his head. Janice burned bright and dashed to the bookshelf. The old wooden box was left open with its red felt risers showing off seven more silver coins. Janice squatted in front of Zera.

“What’s that?”

“The McGuffin,” Janice said, “just tells the story and lets the narrative take right turns.”

“Uh ... Sure.” Zera frowned.

“So, I said this girl had enemies...” I was difficult to do overacting hand gestures pinning the coin to her palm with her right thumb. “Darlene the Pretty Terrible.”