Despite her mother's bluff, Julie had been thinking of getting her own apartment again. She'd left home when she turned eighteen for college and had grown used to the independence a place of her own could provide. Although she followed Michael as he went to college and after when he found work, she had always had her own apartment (moving in was always referred to in the vague-not-too-distant future over the last four years). Within a week of her first solo drinking binge in years, she had lined up a new place, local to her family but far enough away for comfort. As she never unpacked her belongings from her car, moving took no time at all. Unluckily, the new apartment did not come furnished and the complex was rather dingy and populated.
Julie dipped into her savings and hit most of the local secondhand stores in the area before she procured the necessary chairs, tables, and of course her bed. A day or two later, the place was adequately set up with a large majority of her bank account intact.
About two weeks later she even had a job. She had become interested in many things in college and could not really find a specific job listing which fit properly – so she chose the job she knew the best, a waitress.
The little diner was a remnant of the 50s when a tirade of little silver restaurants first littered all over the country. Margie's Diner had survived somehow, a favorite of the community. Julie had been interviewed under five minutes when Franky gave her a job. The 50 year-old had a good judgment where people were concerned and she took to Julie immediately.
Things were going well for Julie; she spent her time either working tirelessly at Margie's or sleeping. The constant activity and exhaustion offered the sanctuary idleness at her family's home could not hope to supply.
At night darkness came and swept her away.
***
"What do you need?"
Apparently my penitent face isn't cutting it anymore,
thought Matthew. It was now four months since his birthday and he had only managed a brief e-mail to his sister saying he would stop by soon.
I guess a month and a half is a little too much notice for a visit.
"I don't need anything. I'm supposed to take you out, aren't I? Let it never be said that Matthew Barton forsakes his promises." A jaunty tip of his Sox cap and smile later, he looked at the gradually softening glare of his younger sibling.
Julie sighed. "You never do anything that is a uni-task. Promise or not, what do you want?" Matthew always asked for help when he needed it and it was usually his sister that he asked.
"Can I come in first? It's colder than a witch's tit out here."
