I had done that days chores and was heading to walk Beanie. Once i had him on his leash we went out to the road. "Hey you!" I heard Devins voice behind me. I turned around. "Oh hi. How're you?" I asked as Beanie pulled on the leash. "I'm good. I was just about to come see you." He said. "Well then lucky we ran into each other out here." I said smiling.

                 "Right? So i'm sick of talking about how screwed up we are. I just want to have a light conversation." He said. "OK favorite band?" I asked. "Easy Fall Out Boy." My eyes widened. "No way! That's my favorite band." I said. "OK whats your favorite song?" He asked. "Oh that's a tough question." "I know." He said smiling. "Well right now i'm liking twenty dollar nose bleed." I said. Then i started singing it at the same time he did. "Have you ever wanted to disappear...." We both started laughing. "Good stuff." He nodded.

                    "OK favorite movie?" He asked. "Out cold." I said. "I've never seen that one." He said. "Zach Galifianakis...need i say more?" I asked. "No way he's hilarious. Which leads me to...anchorman." He said. "First one or second one?" I asked. "First one....is that even a question?" He asked. "Not even, i was so so disappointed!" I said. "Me to, it was almost like they were trying to hard." "That's exactly what i said!" We had reached the end of the street and turned around. 

                  We had made three or four trips up and down our street. We talked about everything from favorite colors to favorite foods. I knew everything about it. It felt nice to be so close to somebody again. I knew all the good things and the bad things to. I felt so safe around him, and like i could say anything. "Were back." I said nodding. "Ok, it was nice talking with you." Devin said. "Yea you to. I'll see you around." I said waving. "Bye." He said waving back. I locked Beanie back into the fenced in back yard. He crawled into his dog house and immediatly fell asleep. I cleaned the poop that i saw and filled his bowl. 

                    When i came inside my Aunt was waiting for me. "Where were you?" She spat. "I told you walking Beanie." "Well you sure took long enough, you think Beanie is training for a marathon?" She asked. "Well i thought so for a minute. He got out of the leash." I said. "That's because you're weak. Always have been. If you weren't so lazy. I swear." I bit my tongue. I was anything but lazy. All i did was work for her and i was exhausted. Not that she would know anything about that. "Well i'm back now." I said. "I see that, but what i don't see is my food being fixed." "You're right, i'm sorry i'll get right on it."

                    She didn't say thank you. She never did. I didn't mind pulling my weight but doing everything was getting ridiculous. And i don't even know where she got all this money to go out to the casino every night. I mean she didn't work. I overheard my mom talking to her one day. She said something about she killed her husband. It wouldn't surprise me, she really wasn't a very nice person. And she wasn't even very good looking for sixty she had a lot of wrinkles and she was one of those people you could tell smoked. It was kind of gross actually. She had red hair that she put into a perm and she wore this fifties green cat eye glasses. She even had a chain. It was kind of silly really. 

                    I fixed her some lunch and started to sit on the couch. "Guess again sweetie." She slapped a list down on the coffee table and i got up my back sore from working so hard. At this rate school starting again would be a treat. And that was so sad. I picked the list up and sighed. This list had some of the same chores for me to do again. It seemed it was less about making the house clean and more about making me miserable. I really knew i should tell someone, well at least i thought i should. Growing up when things were good i never had a lot of chores. Sure i helped out. But it was nothing compared to being here.

                    Aunt Ruby was right about one thing. I had no where else to go. I just had to make the best of the situation until school started maybe then i won't have so much work to once i get home and until the time she goes to the casino. I headed outside to get started on the list.