Theo

The irretrievable need to dig out all the earwax that has made a name for itself in my ear becomes all the more deeper with this brutal knowledge I just came into. I couldn't possibly be hearing right.

"Together? As in together? Or just slept together a couple of times?" I question, my shock factor reaching no return.

"I don't know if they're together right now, but I know for definite that they were in a relationship whilst him and Eliza were in a relationship. Not just sleeping together."

"That son of a bitch. But... How do you know?"

"When he came here alone, and he got drunk... All sorts of stuff started to slip out."

"So why the hell is he with Eliza?"

"Probably because that's the only way he can have a relationship with her mom. But look man, that's all I know."

I stay silent for a moment, contemplating the next move I am going to make. I feel my bones getting weaker as I vicariously feel Eliza's pain, but that doesn't stop my fingers tingling with the excitement of knowing this piece of information and what I can do with it.

"Today's the day that all ends," I speak my thoughts aloud, without actually having a plan on how that would come to be.

"You're not going to tell Eliza are you?" Carl's voice sounds out, interrupting my thoughts. "Because... No offence or anything, but from what you've told me, she basically hates you right now. You have to think of the possible outcomes. If you tell her and she believes you, she'll lose her boyfriend, her mom, and she'll hate you for doing that to her. And if you tell her and she doesn't believe you, she'll still hate you. You've got to think of another way."

I take in his words and realise that they are correct. No matter whether she believes me or not, she'll still see me as trying to ruin her life and break up her relationships. But I can't let that stop me from thinking of another approach to take. I take my last few sips of my drink and place the cup back on the table, standing up. "Listen, man... One day, I'll pay you back. I promise."

"Nah it's cool, man."

"No, I'm serious. I owe you one."

"Whatever you say. Good luck with the girl."

"Thanks. I'm going to need it," I admit, and reach in for a mini handshake before I leave. The fresh wind that harasses me when I step outside embraces me with a fresh mindset, and swiftly I realise what I need to do.

I press the doorbell for the third time and wait impatiently on the doorstep, my body still not welcoming the chilly breeze that hounds it. Finally, I hear some voices and the rattling of the door before it opens. Rosanne's lackadaisical face stands before me, blocking me from entering and from searching past her. That doesn't block my vision of Cooper placed on a sofa in the living room putting on his shoes. Rosanne's shirt is buttoned completely incorrectly, and her lips look smudged as if there was a tiny bit of lipstick on it to begin with.

"Why didn't you ask for a key?" She asks, with one hand against her side.

"I forgot."

"Well maybe I should just forget to let you in."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I can do whatever I want, because it's my house, Theo. I know you don't have the privilege of being able to say that, but--" Her condescending speech is interrupted by Cooper coming up behind her.

"Um, I think I'm going to take off now, Miss Parker."

"Oh please, Cooper, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rosanne? You're practically family." He smiles, as she lets him pass, but his smile soon fades once he realises that I am in his view.

"The trash can's over there." He points to an actual trash can, and my blood that has already caused burn marks in my body now steams up even hotter.

"Good, so get in it," I respond bitterly, and then move out of his way. He walks away and I turn back to Rosanne to realise that she is still not budging. I suddenly realise that she is no longer looking at me, but a small sneaky smile sits on her face, pointed in the direction Cooper is walking in. Now is the time, I say to myself.

"You know," I begin which brings her attention back to me, as she rolls her eyes. "When you look down your nose at me as a trashy, rotten, beggarly loser that has no house of my own, how would you compare that to you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know... Sleeping with your daughter's boyfriend and everything." Her eyes instantly fall out of their sockets, but then immediately return back to normal, as the realization probably hits her that she has just blown her cover. "I think that would put you about roughly on the same scale as me on things that are wrong with society today," I continue.

"What?" She breathes softly. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh, cut the act, Rosanne. You're a nurse, not Julia Roberts. Let me in," I order firmly, piercing my disapproving eyes into hers.

She looks up to the ceiling for a moment, before moving from the door and allowing me room to enter. I head into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge, sitting down on the stool to notice Rosanne looking as sheepish as ever.

"Please. Sit." I smile to her, but she stays still and scolds me with her eyes. "Is Eliza in?"

"No. She's gone to Olivia's house."

"Of course. That's why you two just had sex."

"What? Look, I don't know what sick thoughts you've been having in your head to lead you to come to this disgusting conclusion, but you are wrong. Okay?"

"Am I?"

"Yes. How dare you suggest that I am sleeping with my daughter's boyfriend. Are you insane?"

"Are you? That's a very naughty thing to do, Rosanne."

"You know what? It's time for you to leave," she shouts, as she attempts to pick me up from the chair. "I will not allow you to poison this house anymore."

"Get your filthy hands off of me," I command, and to my surprise, she does. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh yes you are. Back to the cold streets of New York's finest corners. Off you go," she orders, her hands forming into a shooing motion, as if I am the stray cat from down the street that enjoys bustling into people's homes.

"I'll repeat: I'm not. Going. Anywhere."

"What are you planning on doing? Filling my daughter's head with your lies? I thought we've been over this, Theo. She would never believe anything you say over me, her mother."

"And what if I tell you I have proof?"

"I would tell you that it's impossible, because there is nothing going on between me and Cooper."

"So what were you two doing before I came? Why did I have to ring the doorbell three times for you to answer? More importantly... Your shirt is done up wrong," I laugh. She looks down and I see the horror on her face as she attempts to redo it, but eventually leaves it. She looks up to me. Her inner turmoil showcases perfectly on her face, and I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at finally see her lose her control.

"So what do you want? Money?" She finally speaks.

"Oh not at all. I don't want your money. Just something a little smaller."

"What?"

"Just your agreement that I can live here for as long as I want. And that means... I decide when I go. Nobody else."

She pauses for a moment, and nothing but dread washes over her face. "Fine."

"And--"

"What?"

"You will never speak to me like I'm a disgusting piece of shit ever again."

I can tell that this is killing her - the position she was in of an authoritative person with the most power has now been distastefully retracted from her. "Are we understood?"

"This is my house; I should be able to speak to you however I please."

"Yeah, and you should also be a good mother to your daughter, but that's another rule of life that didn't quite make the cut isn't it?"

No sound is detected from her which gives me the encouragement to continue. "So just wondering... Why do you even do it? Knowing it's wrong and all."

"We've made our deal. I don't have to answer any more questions about this."

"Fine. Nice doing business with you, Rosanne," I boast as I tap her shoulder and stand up. I see nothing but venom overtaking her eyes but my confidence overwhelms me as I head for the stairs, realizing that I finally managed to switch the tables on her. As I take my first step, a thought comes to my mind, and I turn around in an instant.

"Actually. There's one more thing I need you to do. Call Cooper, and tell him to come over here. And tell him to bring a suit."

"What for?"

"That doesn't matter. Just tell him."

"He might be busy."

"Never too busy to see his favourite woman though, huh? And I'm not talking about Eliza."

She looks down in defeat, and grabs out her phone from her purse that sits in front of her. She begins typing on the keypad, and I find it excruciatingly difficult to resist the opportunity to ridicule her for what I learnt today. "What are you going to end it with? Let me guess, a kiss? Two? Three?"

She slams her phone down on the table, and presents me with her same frustrated eyes. "It's done."

"Careful. You don't want to break it. Now, I was going to go upstairs, but I think I'll wait down here. It'll be funny to see how that ass acts around you once he realizes I'm here."

The humorously long wait proves endurable and enjoyable for me as opposed to Rosanne, as I take pleasure in filling her vision with an audacious smile, that I know she is bursting to smear off my face. After I reach into the fridge for a drink, the doorbell finally sounds out, and my smile manages to stretch as far as a rainbow. "You want to get that?" I direct to Rosanne.

She rolls her eyes before heading towards the door, and I gain a new-found steaming sense of elation due to the plan I have for Mr Hair Grease.

"Hey," I hear him say quietly at the door.

"Hi, Cooper," Rosanne responds nonchalantly, as if she really is just the mother of his girlfriend.

"Why did you want a suit?"

"Come in."

I see his feet stride in and lift up my gaze to see him carrying a duffle bag, which I assume is holding the suit. I notice his face screw him up like his nose has just caught a bad smell the moment he catches a glimpse of me.

"I see you didn't quite find your way to the trash can then," he comments as he walks into the kitchen, with Rosanne trailing slowly behind him.

"You know, I would really rethink referring to me as that if I were you."

"And why's that?"

A pause ensues. "Rosanne, don't you have somewhere to be? Work? Out with friends? Anywhere but here?" I speak.

"This is my house."

"So you must be tired of it. You can come back in about an hour."

"What the hell is going on?" Cooper questions, looking from both me to his secret lover, as Rosanne picks up her bag.

"I'll be back soon," she says aloud, but I know her words are directed more to Cooper.

I wait for the door to shut, and the second it does, I turn away from Cooper. "You know that suit she asked you to bring? I'm going to need that."

"What the hell for? If it's for you, then you can forget it. You've already tramp-stamped enough of my clothes."

The rage I felt when I discovered his infidelity comes rushing back and I don't think twice before standing up in an instant, and throwing him against the fridge by his collar.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," I growl.

"What, you finally grew some balls now?" He laughs.

"You don't have the right to speak. You think I don't know what you've been up to? What you've been doing? Or should I say who?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He replies as he attempts to grab me back, but I slam him viciously against the refrigerator again.

"What kind of a son of a bitch sleeps with the mother of his girlfriend? Huh? Are you that much of a freak for sex that you can't settle for it from just one person?"

"Are you on drugs?" He laughs again, causing me to slam him down again.

"No, but I tell you what will give me a high: kicking your smug little ass to the point where you're going to wish you were an unregrettable abortion."

"What, the abortion your mom wishes she had? I'm not sleeping with anybody," he says to me slowly.

"It's cute that you think I'm a--a hobo, a derelict, a vagabond. It really is. But one thing you can be assured that I'm not is stupid. I know that you're having an affair with Miss-oops I mean Rosanne."

"Yeah? And how can you be so sure?" This time he is smiling smugly at me, but I know the exact way to wipe that off.

"She admitted it to me." Now, I'm the one with the smile on my face as it automatically works. "Now here's what you're going to do," I say, pushing him down again. "First, you're going to give me that suit. What it's for is none of your business. Then, you're going to break up with Eliza. Tell her that it's just not working out; you realised that the long distance thing really isn't for the two of you. And then you're going to fly away to college, and never turn back. And if you do, it better just be for your family."

He smiles again. "Do you really think I'm going to listen to a piece of scum like you? You think I'm going to take advice from the definition of trash himself?"

"I don't care what you think. All I care about is what you do, and you're going to do what I say. Tell Eliza it's over. And then go back to college for good."

"Why do you care for me to break up with Eliza so much?" He asks, and I watch as his face slowly switches into the portrait of recognition. He laughs. "Oh, I get it. You've got a thing for her haven't you?"

I begin to lose my grip on him, which gives him the upper hand to grab me by my collar and spin me around so that I am now the one rammed against the fridge.

"Answer the question, tough boy. Do you have a thing for my girlfriend?"

"I got a thing for girls that waste their time with asses like you that don't deserve the slightest bit of them."

"What, and you do? How many showers have you had this year, bro? How much dirt has touched your body from the cold, hard streets of New York? How many smells capture your nose, apart from the one permanently indented in your body?"

"At least I don't reek of desperation. Cheating on your girlfriend's mother. That's a low blow."

"And you wanna save her? Well, guess what. You can't. And you won't. She's mine." He laughs again, sending me over the edge. I finally get rid of the weak streak and plough him onto the fridge once more. I watch as he carefully disguises the pain evident on his face with a calming expression.

"End it with her. Today," I finish.

"What are you going to do if I don't? Get one of your friends--oh wait you don't have any."

"I'll tell her," I bark.

"And you really think she's going to believe you? She hates you."

"You know, it's funny. You think I have no friends, but I know people that know your secret. You should really take lessons on how to be more discrete, ass."

I finally feel calm as I see him rendered speechless. "I'm not breaking up with her," he finally spits out.

"Then it looks like she is just going to have to break up with you. When she finds out the truth."

"I won't let you blackmail me. I will kick you out of this house myself."

"Then I'll come back. And I won't leave until Eliza knows what she's really dealing with."

"You know she'll never go for you right? She likes guys with good looks, a personality, style... Money. Long story short, you're not her type."

"Well, maybe she's had the wrong type all along."

A menacing, condescending laugh escapes out of his mouth one more time, causing my urge to attack him brutally to increase. I wait to see what garbage he's going to spout of this time, but the anticipation excites me knowing that I'm the one that's winning here. Finally, his mouth opens, and the words that come out if it are not what I was expecting any time soon.

"Fine, I was done with her whiny ass anyway."

"Of course you were," I say.

"You think I'm joking? I've been tired of her from the third month we were together. She's whiny, she's boring, and she's not that great in bed. That's why I went for her mother. You're welcome to her pathetic self," he finishes and I rage at the top of each of my fingers as I release him. I turn around to the bag and get the suit out of it, placing it on the table, and then in an instance I spin around quickly and deliver him my much anticipated blow to underneath his eye. The sight of him crouching his body and touching his face mixed with the sound of the connection of my fist against his face motivates me to hit him one more time, and I do, on his stomach, causing him to make a muffled sound of pain.

"If I ever hear you talking about her like that again, you're dead. Now get out of her house, or do I have to throw you out?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm going," he mutters, and paddles his way outside of the kitchen and to the door. I watch as he shuts the door behind him, and breathe a prosperous sigh of relief, before turning ambitiously to the suit laying on the table.