Little Black Book

I went through my lockbox doing a tally on how much I had saved. My mom and her boyfriend were fighting in the next room about something trivial, I’m sure. I returned to counting and was pleased to know by my next paycheck I will have enough money to leave this living hell.

I have been saving money since I started high school. This was when mom met Bruce, I knew he would be like every other guy she met, and I made it my goal to get out of this house as fast as possible. I worked hard at school and managed to convince my counselor to fast track me to graduate early, by the end of my second year in high school I had graduated with honors. Since then, I found a full-time job at a local publishing company.

In my first year of high school, I started my notebook with my plans to leave, how much I needed to save for rent, furniture and anything else I may need, let alone saving for college. I don’t turn eighteen for another month, so I was unable to apply early for student aid without parental sign off.

I smiled to myself and locked my box up and hid it back under my bed, not much longer now. I laid out my outfit for work and got my bag together. I peeked out my bedroom door to see if I would be spotted going for a shower in mid argument. I tipped toe to the bathroom and showered quickly.

After I was dressed, I looked myself in the mirror satisfied when there was knock on my door. My mom stood in the doorway with a weak smile.

“Can we talk Emily?” she asked quietly as I saw Bruce looming behind her in the hall almost out of sight.

I forced a smile “Of course what do you need?”

She entered my room and sat on my bed leaving the door ajar, she flattened a wrinkle in my blanket before continuing.

“We are behind on bills, and we need you to start pitching in.” she wouldn’t look at me in the face.

“How much do you need?” My face flattened.

“We need at least a thousand to get caught up... and going forward we will be expecting 200 a week for rent since you’re out of school now” I didn’t have any doubts this is what her and Bruce were arguing about earlier.

I thought on my response for a minute “I can help you catch up.” I choose to leave out the moving out part until I found a place to rent.

Mom visibly relaxed and smiled at me “Thank you honey” She got up and kissed my cheek. I returned her smile and told her I had to leave for work. When I passed Bruce in the hallway, he smirked at me, knowing he had got what he wanted again.

____________________________________________________

When I left work, I was walking downtown searching for a place to eat since I skipped lunch. I went to the deli by my bus and ordered a clubhouse sandwich. I sat down at a small table in the corner and ate in silence watching the people make their way home at the end of their days. I pulled out my phone to check my emails. I had a reply from a rental for a basement suite I had looked at last week.

I remember loving the place, it was clean, and the rent was a fair price with utilities included. The landlord was apprehensive to rent to a minor, when I offered work references and pay stubs, he agreed to consider me as a potential tenant. I smiled reading the email, he agreed to rent to me and offered a date later this week to sign the lease.

I was elated leaving the deli I didn’t see the lady in front of me, when I bumped into her, I quickly apologized. She smiled at me and said it was alright, I noticed she dropped a little black book. When I leaned down to pick it up and give it to her, she was already gone.

I opened to the front page, inside was written ‘If found please call or text’ with her number scrawled underneath. I quickly sent her a text letting her know she dropped her book and wanted to return it. When I didn’t get a reply, I tucked the book into my bag and figured I would try to call her later.

I unlocked the front door, the house was quite for once, I sighed in relief and walked to the kitchen to grab an apple to snack on. When I got to my room, I dropped everything in shock to see it ripped apart. Panic strangled my breathing as I rushed to my bed and dropped to my knees to look for my lock box. I found it busted open and everything I had saved had been taken.

“Thanks, kiddo, for the cash” Bruce's voice sent ice down my spine.

I stood up and turned to face him, he had always scared me I never bothered to confront him in the past, but now he has taken my only way out. I didn’t respond right away.

He chuckled “When you agreed to pay the late bills it confirmed what I thought, you had a stash of money and was keeping it all to yourself, such a selfish girl.”

“Give it back!” I shouted.

He cocked his head back and laughed “What could you possibly need all this money for?” he held the envelope of money up taunting me with it.

I charged at him to get what was mine back. He back handed me sending me to the floor. I hit the floor hard enough to be winded. He got on top of me and grabbed my hair pulling my head back.

“Not a word about this to anyone you hear me? Or you won't like what happens next.” He spat into my ear and shoved me back on to the floor and slammed my door as he left.

I curled into a ball on my floor and placed a hand on my cheek where he hit me, tears stung as they streamed down my face. I just lost everything; will I ever leave this place?

My phone buzzed in my bag I wiped my eyes wincing at the pain and checked the screen. I had a reply from the stranger who dropped her book.

Thank you for reaching out I was wondering where I lost it! Can you meet me tomorrow afternoon?

I got up and looked in the mirror a bruise already forming, it would be much worse tomorrow, I suppose I could cover it with makeup.

Yes, absolutely my lunch break is at 1 pm.

I gave her my work address, changed into my pajamas and crawled into my bed wanting to sleep until the next day. My mom came to check in on me later in the evening. She asked if something was wrong, I peeked up from under my blanket and saw Bruce standing behind her. I told her I had a long day at work and was tired. I turned my back to her letting her know I was done with the conversation. When I heard the door close, I slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The next day came, I evaluated my face, it was ugly purple and swollen. I applied my make up to cover it up as much as I could and packed my bag for the day. I decided I would call my sister after work to help me get out of the house. There was no way I would be returning home unless it was to get my things. As I was leaving the house Bruce sat in the living room drinking his tea, I didn’t give him the satisfaction to see my face as I put my boots on.

I was getting looks all morning from my coworkers, but no one said a thing, apparently, I didn’t do a good enough job at covering up the nasty bruise on my face. When lunch came around, I left my office to meet up with the lady to return her book. She was waiting outside my office in front of a black car. I took the book out and handed it to her.

“I believe this belongs to you” I didn’t meet her eyes wanting to limit how my face looked.

Her hands were cold as she tipped my chin up to look at me.

“What happened here?” She asked with concern in her voice.

Remembering Bruce’s warning I gave her the lie I have known all too well.

“I slipped and fell in the shower.”

When I looked at her, she looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite put a name to her face.

“Well thank you for returning my book, this is for you” She handed me an envelope.

I tried to decline it “It was my fault your book was lost; I don’t need this.”

She shook her head and placed it into my hand. “Please take it, I insist.”

I awkwardly thanked and opened the envelope, inside was a check for 20,000$. I gapped at it.

“I can’t take this!” I exclaimed.

“My dear” She smiled. “Most people would have either kept the book or threw it away, but not you.”

“But this is too much, I was just trying to do the right thing.” I tried to hand the check back to her.

She refused “Did you read what was in my book?”

Shock flooded my face “Absolutely not! I just looked at the first page to see if your contact information was in it.”

She flipped open her book and showed me pages of notes “You see, this book has all my future novels ideas in it. If I lost this well that would mean losing millions of stories never written, let alone the money that comes with those novels.” She chuckled.

It hit me there, standing in front of me was Jaqueline Mayer, my offices top published author. She took my silence as acceptance of the generous amount. She placed her book back into her bag and turned to get back into her car.

“One more thing...”

“Emily” I replied.

“Emily, believe it or not, but I have been where you are once upon a time. Don’t ever let anyone silence you.”

“I won't” I promised.

____________________________________________________

I cashed the check into my bank account and called my sister after work. I told her everything that had happened with mom and Bruce. She picked me up after work with her husband and drove me home to pack my things. When we arrived two police officers met us to escort Bruce out in handcuffs.

My mom cried in the living room as the last box was moved to the truck.

“Why would you do this?” she sobbed.

“Because mom, it was the right thing to do.”