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This started as a chapter to take care of some loose ends - which generated a few more by the time that it was done. Ah well.
Max gets a little more comfortable around other people and strangers every day. She just doesn't expect to get as close as she does to one of them.
I reveal a little more about someone from a past chapter, a different side that Bobbi was sadly expecting but didn't think that it was her business to interfere over.
I also introduce a couple of new characters in this, one who ought to just bite the bullet and get himself a new sound system for his car, and one who shares an odd connection with Su-jin.
And then ... there's Susan. Sweet, lovely ash blonde Susan.
Ok, don't get confused by the appearance of the two guys, it's just that ... how the heck to explain this?
Let's just say that they kind of figure in with Su-jin's uh, evolutionary/anthropological theories.
Sadly, there are some tears in this, so fasten your seatbelts.
No, uh, tighter.
Sorry for the bumps in the road.
And again, this is a completely fictional piece. The people in it exist only in my little head hopefully, and no resemblance to anyone living, dead, or even slightly ill with sniffles on any part of the globe at all is intended.
0_o
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Jodi looked up in surprise as the door opened and Su-jin walked in. It was the middle of the morning.
"You take my phone again, "Su-jin said, "I said you shouldn't do it. You stealing from Bobbi."
"Fuck off," Jodi snarled, "Bobbi's loaded. She can afford it."
Su-jin shook her head and pointed through one wall, "She is not loaded. She live in smaller house than we do. She is trying to grow her business. Many people depend on her success. I depend on her success."
"I don't give a rat's ass," Jodi said.
"What the matter with you?" Su-jin asked, "You not the same anymore since you calling your mother. You go to work – sometimes, less and less. You losing customers since you never show up.
I go to work too – every day.
I come home, get Tyler, play with him and feed him. I do his washing. I do YOUR washing. I make dinner for you.
You come home, yell at me when I say hi. What I do wrong THIS time, huh? Bother you while you busy using MY phone?"
Bobbi walked in and grabbed the phone in Jodi's hand.
"HEY! I'm on the freakin' PHONE here alright??" Jodi yelled, "Let go!"
"It's not your phone," Bobbi said, "It's mine and I pay for it."
Bobbi twisted her hand and Jodi gave up with a cry. "I'll call the cops."
"Ok," Bobbi nodded, "you'll just have to use somebody else's phone to do it with, that's all.
Actually, how about I call them for you? Rose is missing a lot of her things from just about the time that you lived on their kindness. You think I let you live here out of MY kind heart?
My father and Rose asked me to so they could lock you out of the house.
I got Su-jin the phone for business purposes. You seem to think that everybody just owes you something for nothing."
She leaned down a little, "You cost me FORTY-SIX HOURS in straight long-distance charges this past month. All calls were placed to one number in Beaumont, Texas, registered to a person with your last name. And all of them were billed in daylight premium-charge time during weekdays.
Oh, you WERE going to pay me back, weren't you? I can total up the charges for you, if you'd like. So when EXACTLY can I expect to get the funds back?
Hearing no reply, but seeing one in Jodi's eyes, she pressed the disconnect button and looked up, "This was your last chance. You're out on your ass now."
Su-jin stared in shock, "You steal from everybody!
Better find way to make next payment on your truck. I gave you my first two paychecks. I give you nothing now."
"This is all YOUR fault! My son talks fucking Korean because of you!" Jodi shouted as she jumped up and stomped toward Su-jin, "I'll tear your head off, you slant-eyed bitch!"
She looked up from the floor a moment later, wondering how she'd gotten there. Her ass hurt and her arm hurt more. Su-jin's face had changed subtly and her voice was low and thick.
"Tyler knows only one word in Korean. You never talk to him anymore – like you never talk to me. You never play with him.
You want to hit me? You really are stupid. Come and do it. I let you hit me one time, Jodi.
You will only hit me once.
Then it MY turn. Is this what you want?"
Jodi didn't say a word.
"You spend Bobbi's money, talk on phone to shithead who raise you. You listen to HER now? You not worth my time.
Tell yourself you have sexy fantasies. You lie to me. You even lie to yourself.
Here," she said as she took the phone from Bobbi and slipped it into her pocket, "let me give you another one. This one take a lot of imagination – is TOTAL fantasy for you."
She gritted her teeth, "Pretend you have someone who loves you."