Yup, just started the week and it is already half gone. I love the three day weekends but Monday holidays always throw me for a loop. Still we are here and chugging along so lets see what the morning prompt kicks up. Timers set and off we go.
Oh something bad is about to happen at that house. No idea what, but something bad.
Wednesday, January 21st: He was clearly annoyed.
He was clearly annoyed. I could hear his feet stomping across the floor above. We all could. I was pretty sure that was the point. Walt looked up at the ceiling and chewed his lip. I could see he was having second thoughts.
“Look,” I said. “We’ve let him skate on rent for three months now. We can’t keep covering him.”
Walt looked at me. “Perhaps now is not a good time,” he said.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “It wasn’t a good time last month either,” I pointed out. “In fact the week before the rent is due he always comes home so annoyed that he stomps and we always decide to talk to him some other time. I can’t afford to keep paying for him.”
“I know but,” Walt started.
I looked to Michael. He was looking at his book and pretending the conversation wasn’t happening. His eyes weren’t moving and the pages weren’t turning so I knew it wasn’t for show. Michael hated any form of confrontation and always let others handle it. Usually it was me. But I was done.
“I already turned my rent in to the landlord,” I said. “My share only. If you want to pay for Greg then be my guest, but I won’t be chipping in this month.”
I stood up as Walt blinked at me, mouth already half open. Michael even looked up from his book.
“I can only barely pay a third,” Michael said. “I can’t pay more than that.”
“Then I suggest one of you talk to him,” I said. “I have other things I need to do.”
I picked up my laptop case and slung the strap over my shoulder. I had deadlines coming up and no extra time to spare.
“But you can’t…” Walt sputtered. “Whose going to talk to him?”
“I leave it to you two,” I said. With that I checked that I had my wallet, keys and cell phone and I left. The other two would either talk to Greg about the need to pay his own rent or they would scrape together the funds to cover him. I was done covering for him.
I allowed myself to fume a little as I walked down the path to the street and to my parked car. This was hardly the first time this happened. We lived together for four years at this point. The number of months Greg was a little short far outstripped the number of months where he paid his rent in full. He always had money for other things, but the basic necessities always seemed to catch him out.
As I was saving for a place of my own I kept track of all my expenses, putting funds aside each month. Living with the guys helped me keep my expenses at rock bottom so the bulk could go into savings, but having to help Greg out cut into those savings each month and I was done. I knew I would never see a penny of the cash back either.
You didn’t loan money to Greg, you made a gift of it.
But I was done. I went to the landlord that morning not only to pay my share but to let him know this was the last month I would be on the lease. Our lease was a month to month so leaving incurred no penalties. Mr. Danforth thanked me for letting him know and I knew he was expecting the others to either tell him they had someone to take my place or tell him he could fill the vacancy. I knew there were plenty to take my place so I didn’t worry. I knew I had to have a talk with the others about my leaving as well, but I was waiting until they handled Greg.
Ten til Midnight 