Aerie's Fire

I hope you enjoy, Feed back please this is my first story, T. Scharf

Chapter 1

Life had grown dull since she lost her job, and then broke her ankle. She was living off her collage savings, at the moment, and due to acquired anxieties over her present situation, was too nervous to find another job.

She used to work in a small clothing store that made custom t-shirts for people. During boxing-day there was a large crowd in the tiny store and from out of nowhere it seemed, was a fire. The owner of the store had confronted her on his suspicions that she was stealing from the till, then the fire was conveniently started the next day near the end of her last shift.


He may have lost everything he worked so hard to start, but he was getting ready for retirement anyway, and the money from the insurance was more than enough to settle down comfortably on.

Aerie tried to take legal action to get her job back, but given her sketchy past, and the lack of a store to work at, it was dismissed.

She was broke, living with her older brother; too weak to limp around with her crutches, giving out resumes. She came to accept that she needed to rest her body and clear her mind before finding a new job and moving back into a crappy bachelor apartment. In the mean time her brother was making more than enough money for the two of them as a sues-chef , and occasionally selling over-priced liquor to minors through the rear door of the bar he worked at.

Jacko was fine with his sister staying there- he figured if anything he’d be a good influence- maybe she’d get her act together and just go to school and do something she likes.

When the two of them were younger, their parents disappeared, and Jacko- unlike his sister Aerie- actually knew why. While it really defined Aerie into the negative groove in which she lived her life, Jacko knew that if his sister were to find out, that things could only get worse. While Jacko loved his sister, he never would have took her in if it weren’t for the fire that happened to her.

Aerie was watching TV, all repeats- all the time. So she called her grandmother and invited her over. No one was as entertaining as that woman. She was always talking about when she and her husband ran the old ‘family businesses’. How she taught her son to roll his first joint, and then smoked it with him.

While she used to grow more illegal substances, these days she would grow fresh herbs and spices and teas then sell them in the food market, she would also submit recipes she created a minor news paper every second weekend.

For The first time in her life she found herself watching Opera, a guilty obsession that made her feel better about her unemployment. Today was about a woman with synaesthesia- she could see sound as colour- and everyone was bringing home a new set of lawn chairs designed by some singer that Aerie never heard of. Aerie limped over to the kitchen to grab a soda, downed the can, and headed back to the living area of the two bedroom apartment.

The Program consisted of Opera commenting this woman on her amazing abilities, saying that less than a thousand people in the world right now are known to have this condition, what a pleasure it is to have her on the show, and ‘coming up next’ segments. Aerie got up slowly grabbed one of her laminated wooden crutches, and shuffled over to the balcony to let Jay-her brother’s dog- into the apartment, her brother had cleverly created a place for his dog to use the bathroom, it was a kiddie-pool filled with soil, and decorated with a fire hydrant. Normally in the summer, the pool would be full of grass, but it was now winter and all it looked to be filled with was yellow snow.

Jay was a border collie, chow-chow mix; and always bared the dumbest facial expressions. All He ever did was eat and make a fool of himself until someone was laughing, then he would snuggle up to the person who laughed first- while Jay was a sweet companion- he was a dumbass.

Jay went after his snail-shaped tail and started to naw on it, as Aerial made her way to the bathroom. She closed the door, splashed her face with water, and sat down on the toilet. She stared at the assortment of magazines and her brothers torn down the middle, five dollar Sudoku mag, when- pants around ankles- she heard the door bell.
“Just a minute mum!” She yelled, clearly her grandmother failed to hear her because she rang again.

Aerie finished, whipped, rinsed her hands; and then limped at lightning speed to the door. “Hi Mum.”

“Air head, what took you so long?” Her grandma playfully hissed.

Aerie opened the door and offered her grandmother a drink; she refused, but then said the water would be great, hinting at aerie to limp back into the kitchen.
“So sweetie, how’s your love life?”

“Nonexistent.” Aerie sighed. “You know, or at least should have assumed- seeing as I am living with my brother, and not my ‘lover’.” Aerie looked out the window and then at Jay, who, was chewing his balls in the middle of the room for all to see.
“You know Aerie, if you want something to do; I’ll give you my old telescope,”

“Mum, you don’t have a telescope.”

“I just bought one for you; it’s used, therefore old. My neighbours’ cat has been urinating in my herb-garden and I would like you to watch it while I’m away.” Aerie would have questioned her grandmother, only she knew the real reason her grandmother got her a telescope. Aerie raised an eyebrow. “Hey- when in need, watching is the spice of life.” She joked, sending a wink Aeries way. She tried to hold Aeries hand lovingly, and give her a good look in the eyes, but her attention was snagged away, and she flashed Jay a soul-stealing look of disapproval. Jay instantly got up and moved into the kitchen with his tail between his legs.
“Mum, I can’t watch people, it’s weird.”
 
“Then watch that damned cat. Either way, it’s getting delivered here latter on this week, possibly tonight. Here’s two twenties, give them to the delivery boys.” Grandma got up, and headed to the door. “I have an appointment in about an hour, so I must be off.”

“Um, thanks then I guess... Bye?”

Aerie watched her grandma curiously. That woman’s brain was fried from her drug use as a young adult, there was never any doubt about that. She buttoned up her wool coat and slipped on her suede slippers, then opened the door looked back at her grand-daughter and said, “Aerie for the love of god, just go get some.”

The door closed and Aerie frowned. While her grandmothers intentions were always to make people happy, that old woman’s mind was lodged in the gutter so deep, that it may as well be mouldy leaves.

Jay came out of the kitchen, and rested his snout on Aeries lap. “Hey boy,” She said. She stared out the window and scratched behind Jay’s ear. “...I have been doing nothing but watching daytime TV, maybe watching the outside world will be good for me.”
Jay looked up at Aerie, who tapped her hand on the cushion beside her signalling Jay to sit there. Jay wagged his tail and he hopped onto the couch and sat beside her proudly. He moaned and placed a paw on her leg.

“You’re a cute little bastard,” She laughed and took a deep breath in, “I need a drink.”

She got up, grabbed her crutch and limped away to the kitchen, searching for her brother’s vodka, and a shot glass through the mess that was a sues chef’s kitchen. She held up the vodka in one hand, and the cupboard door-handle in the other, as she looked down at Jay. “Do you think I’ll really use the glass?”

Jay lay down and covered his face with his paws.

“I think so too.” She closed the cupboard door and limped out of the kitchen, bottle in hand- it was time to watch some more talk shows.

*

Jacko Stuck his key in the door- waking Jay instantly; his ears perked upright and he ran to the door waiting for Jacko to open the door. Jacko Cursed and knocked on his own door, “Aerie, my key broke, you want to let me in?”

“No.” Aerie replied jokingly. She used her crutch as leverage to help her get up off the couch, then slowly made her way to the door leaning on the wall for extra support; throwing out the empty blue vodka bottle in the kitchen, on her way there. She tripped lightly but caught herself on the wall, banging her foot loudly in the process.

“Mother fucker!” she yelled.

“You ok?” Jacko said with less of a concern and more of a curiosity.

Aerie replied that she was fine as she fiddled with that tricky- simply turn to the left lock. Aerie guided herself along the wall to move with greater speed to get out of the way of the door. When Jacko opened the door he looked at his sister and gave her a hug as Jay’s Tail wagged and he begged for attention.

“Ohmygod, she is the greatest woman in the world!” He boasted and he pranced light-footedly. “She met me after work, we went for coffee then we went back to her place and she showed me her stud-“

“Did you get laid? She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“None of your business,” Jacko sighed, “It’s not always about sex Aerie- and this girl is just... so vibrant!”

Aerie sat down in the dining room, resting her elbows on the table and her face in her hands. “Describe her.”

“Well... She has orange hair. She makes a living selling her art- her originals! She came here from the US two years ago, she drives a Dark Green Benz. She has grey eyes and a fancy-“

“What kinda Benz?” Aerie interrupted, she had more interest in the car than her brother’s happiness right now.

“CLK350. It’s pretty.”

Aerie stared at the dog. “How does an independent artist afford such a car? Is she also a drug dealer- Hmm?”

Jacko went searching through his wine cupboard. “Like we’re ones to talk- but she isn’t a dealer no.”

“Are you sure about that Jacko? Wait, of course! Daddy’s just loaded. I see now.”

Jacko rolled his eyes at her, searching through his cupboard still, until coming to a realization- checking the garbage, and sure enough he pulls out the empty, clear-blue bottle. He shook his head, knowing there was nothing to be done about it- she’s a good person, just down on her luck. Taking a deep breath he took a wine glass off the shelf and poured himself a small glass, sucking it down in a few seconds. He put the glass in the sink and headed for the bathroom; He opened the door, but paused, “And Aerie, I did get laid last night: In her car- before the coffee.”

Aerie’s eyes narrowed towards him.

“And she’s a total freak-“

“Enough description, go take a shower you filthy bastard!”

Jacko was once engaged to a girl who had a child with her high-school sweetheart, while in high school. They broke up shortly after the birth of their son, and that’s when she met Jacko. They had a one year romance, and a three-year engagement, then she decided to move to Wales with her son to start of life fresh, they haven’t spoken since, except an email from her son.

Jacko closed the door. Aerie could hear him turn on the water. Jay rested his head on Aeries lap, and she rubbed him behind the ears, tail wagging high, licking Aeries knee. She sat there for a few minutes thinking, when she heard a knock at the door. She got up slowly and, without use of the crutch, used the wall to guide herself to the door to open it.

There were two young men, with a large heavy box. “Delivery for an Aerie-“

“That’s me, just put it in the living room, please.”

The black haired boy picked up the tripod and moved it into the living space, and the blond haired boy followed with the telescope. They set it up by the window, Aerie geve them the money her grandmother had left for them, thanked them and they were on their way. The two boys lingered in the hall way for a while, but they were quiet, and they
weren’t stealing from them, so it didn’t overly matter.

Aerie stared at the telescope, the collection of different lenses. She attached the lowest number to the body of the telescope, pointed it towards the street looking at the people. On one side of the street she could see a tall dark haired man smoking a cigarillo; he wore an old grey fedora, with a maroon ribbon around the circumference. He had a black trench coat. Wore high platform leather boots and had a serious look on his face. Talking to him was a tall thin man with dark blond, tight curly hair, falling just above the halfway point on his back. His eyes were a shocking, highly vivid hazel. He wore a long black coat an undone neck tied and a white, collared shirt. He was a messy sort of handsome.

Across the street was a girl with a purple Mohawk, looking at kittens through a pet shop window. There was an older lady, crying on a bus-stop bench. Standing at the same bus stop, were the two boys who dropped off the telescope, holding hands, the blonde one kissed the darker-haired one’s lips and walked in the other direction.

Aerie decided that that was enough spying and aimed the telescope parallel to her floor. Her brother stepped out of the bathroom, hair still wet. Still grinning dumbly, he stepped lightly towards the phone. Dialled a number then waited. “Hello Zoë?... Hi it’s Jacko. Yeah. Yeah. Um.. No I haven’t... um, Thanks I guess?... I’d definitely do that again... how bout on the bed next time... he he... Kinky... How about dinner... No that’s dessert... yeah. Oh jeeze, I was joking... No thanks, I’m opening the pub tomorrow, if you wanna give me a visit, I’ll cook you breakfast... I don’t see why not, I did last night. Ok, I’ll go walk Jay then meet you... you wanna meet my dog? Ok then, We’ll go past your place then... The park? Ok then, see you there. Bye Zoë.”

Aerie lay on the couch looking at her brother. Eyes wide she managed, “Ewe! Hell oh hell. Gross.”

“Aerie, fix your leg, get a job, get off my couch and go get some. C’mon Jay.” Jacko put on his jacket and his shoes. Jay trotted up to him waiting for him to put on his leash. “Jay and I may not be back tonight, I’ll walk him back in the morning, then I’m going to work.”

Jacko put Jay’s leash on and looked at his sister, “Don’t drink all my booze.”

And closed the door.