Untitled part seven

Nobody was there when I finally made it home from work. I paced around the apartment until my mom called.

"Are you okay?"

"We're okay, we went to Joey's."

"What exactly happened?"

"Well, he was going to call the cops if we didn't leave so we just packed my stuff and left."

"Who was going to call the cops?"

"Roomies dad"

"He can't do that, he's not on the lease!"

"It's okay, we don't want to be any trouble."

"Any trouble! You practically paid the rent this month for the privilege of being thrown on the street in November with nine months pregnant BigD!!"

"Don't worry about that… what about you? Do you need a place to stay?"

"No! I pay rent here, my name is on the lease here, I'm not going anywhere! Listen I have to go, I think she just pulled up. I'll call you tomorrow."

Keys were jingling in the door and Roomie strolled in, studiously avoiding eye contact. She hung her coat in the closet and I walked over to stand in the hall, blocking her escape path. "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted my mom to leave?" she shrugged, her eyes focused somewhere behind me. "What happened here today is unforgivable, Roommate."

"Are you going to move so I can get by?"

"When I'm finished." I said "I want to be clear on this. I'm not leaving. I pay rent here, this is my home and I'm not going to be shoved out just because you've got a new boyfriend you want to live with. You don't want my mom staying here, fine. You could have just said so like a decent person instead of having your Daddy and your boyfriend do it while I was at work. It's unbelievable! My mom taught you to drive, she cut your hair, she's always been good to you! Your dad screamed and yelled at her, threatened to call the cops! She was crying!" she turned her head away, her eyes were glazed over "So you got what you wanted this time. You're right, my mom is not on the lease and if you would rather she didn't stay over, I respect that. But do not for one second think your dad or The Troll intimidate me. I share a lease with you and with you alone, you have a problem you come to me."

"Are you done?"

"Yeah. I'm done" I shifted to let her pass.

He called a few minutes later.

"Hey, are you okay? I didn't know if you'd even be there."

"Where else would I be, I live here."

"I heard about what happened with your mom, it really sucks… Is The Troll home yet?"

"No."

"Listen… I don't know what's going on there or if anything has happened yet….. I know you can hold your own with The Troll,  I've seen you do it and actually I like it a lot,  I just wanted to say.." he hesitated, wasn't sure if he was breaking some code of loyalty to his friend, The Troll.

"well?"

"I'm just sort of worried. I've seen him do things… to women. Maybe don't do anything until I get there."

"And if you were here? How exactly would you help?" I asked but  he knew I was wondering why he appeared to be backing me up over his long-time friend.

"He's wrong. And I don't want anything to happen to you. Just don't start anything with him."

"You think I would start something? I don't have anything to say to him. This is between me and Roommate." He didn't say anything but I could tell he wanted to convince me, could hear it in his breathing.

"I'll see you after work" he finally said.

"I'll be up." I mimicked his line and he chuckled into the phone.