Chapter 63: Pitbull Makes You Want to Dance

*AMY'S POV*

It's been awhile since Zoey and Terry moved out...and AJ has made himself even more at home...if that was even possible.

Oh, it's possible.  

The man loves dancing around the house in his underwear...regardless of where I am or what I think about it.  We have argued about this over and over again...

Does that matter?  No.

Does he still do it?  Yup.

I think his motto is, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"Hey!  Dance with me mami!" He yells over the music as I approach him to politely ask that he 1) turns down the music to save my hearing and 2) please put some clothes on.

"Ma-what?  So you're what?  Spanish now?" I ask him with a chuckle.

He reaches for my hand and spins me around, which is fun when he's spinning me out, but I get a little too close to his underwear-only body when he spins me back and I throw up in my mouth a little.

I pull my arm out of his grasp and collect myself.

"Could you maybe consider putting some clothes on?  And turning down this noise?" I yell.

He hits the off button on the remote for the stereo, "Come on, it's Pitbull...you have to dance to Pitbull...he makes your body move."

"He makes me want to move out," I say sarcastically.

Thankfully I haven't been staying at home as much.  I don't see my sisters as much as I would like to, but I do get out and catch Rebecca's shows from time to time.

Other than that, whenever I call anyone I get their voicemail.  It seems like my phone just doesn't have the ability to make calls anymore.

My only solace is alcohol and even that isn't doing it for me anymore.  I'm entirely too old to be getting wasted every night...of course, that doesn't stop me from trying.

The company of strange men is another pointless endeavor...of course it gives me something to do...insert joke here.

Yes, life is pretty boring these days.

I try to call Zoey...voicemail.

"Hey Zo...it's Amy...just stalking you as usual...hope everything is going good in Butterfly Acres...just...wanting to chat.  Guess I'll talk to you later.  Bye."

Rebecca?  Strike two.

And Kelsey?  Yeah, voicemail there too.

By this time, I'm fed up.

"Well, I don't know what I need to start doing...camping outside your house or what, but I'm losing my mind...and I miss you all...so call me"

Geez, I'm losing it.

Curiously, right then I hear a crash coming from downstairs.

"For crap's sake...AJ, what did you break now?"

But when I go downstairs, he's nowhere to be found.

I head outside and see a young girl digging through my trash.

"Excuse me," I say.

She looks up, startled.  She's a beautiful girl, probably about sixteen.  She has dark black hair and blue eyes, but she looks sick or something.  Of course, rummaging through trash can do that to a person.

"I-I'm sorry..." she starts to back away.

"Wait, are you hungry?" I ask her.

She stops and looks around, as if she doesn't completely trust me.

"Why don't you come in, I'll fix you some breakfast, and we'll talk." I tell her and smile.  Hopefully she'll trust me.

When she comes in, I discover that her name is Randi and she recently got kicked out of her mother's house with her step-dad.  Apparently her step-dad was extremely abusive to both her and her mother and when Randi tried to stop it, got caught in the middle and thrown out by her mother.  

Unfortunately, it's a common story.  Either way, she dropped out of school and has been living on the streets ever since.

Hearing her story, I have an idea.  I know it's crazy, but I think this girl needs me.

"Randi, why don't you stay with me.  You can have your own room...and you can have a place to stay while you finish high school." I offer.

Randi looks concerned, "...but you don't even know me..."

I shrug, "What can I say?  I know how hard it is to try to make it on your own.  You should have seen this place when I first moved here."

"I can't put you out like this..." she continues.

"Please, it's nothing." I tell her.

After a few minutes of what I can only assume is soul searching, she agrees.

Having Randi here has been a welcome change.  I have even been teaching her how to drive.  It's been nice having someone to talk to that doesn't get on my every last nerve.

She's been eating so well that I think she's even been putting on some weight.

Well, that's what I think, but one morning she tells me she needs to talk to me.

"Sure sweetie, what's going on?" I ask her.

She fidgets and squirms for a bit.

I have come to think of her like another little sister and I hate to see her freaking out about something I don't even know anything about.

"Just spit it out, we'll deal with it, whatever it is," I tell her.

Nothing prepares me for what comes out of her mouth.

"Um...I'm pregnant."