Episode 14: Connections
I woke up to find myself alone in the room. No Audrey in sight. Last night had been a strange one. I hadn't seen her most the day yesterday and got caught in a monster of a rainstorm, but yet all I got was the cold shoulder from her that night. She barely spoke to me. Just a bunch one-word responses. What gives? I know Audrey. Well, I know her well enough to know when she's mad at me. Had I done something wrong?
I got up feeling as stiff as a board. The chair I had used for sleeping was doing a number on my back. I stretched, took a long look out the window at the now sunny day, and made my way out into the hallway. There I found Tao and DJ goofing off. They look to be having a sword battle or something. I looked over at DJ who had a broom handle waving it around like a knight and then I looked over at Tao. I nearly choked. There he stood holding Audrey’s sword in both hands waving it around making lightsaber noises.
“Boy! Are you crazy? Give me that!” I yelled storming over to him. “That Audrey’s sword!”
Tao froze and smiled backing away from me. He stuttered, “I…I was just playing with it.”
“No, shit! Give it to me!”
I grabbed it from him taking the hilt in my hand and stored it back in the room. Tao looked mortified turning bright red and DJ came over equally embarrassed.
“Man, we were just borrowing it,” he said. “We’re sorry.”
“Yeah. We’re sorry.”
“To be honest with you it was Tao’s idea.”
“What? No way. It was…”
"Shut up both of you!" I snarled. They both jumped. I softened my tone. "I don't care who's idea it was. Audrey would flip if she saw you and it's certainly not something to play with. Someone could get hurt with this thing. Just don't do it again."
They both nodded and Lin appeared coming out a room to our left. She stared at the three of us curiously. Then zeroed in on Tao. She frowned. "What did you do?"
“Uh…um…”
“Nothing. He did nothing. Everything’s ok,” I said smirking at him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I did nothing,” he said laughing nervously.
“Well, you don’t mind coming with me then,” she said frowning. She grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him down the stairs. Tao pleading innocence with every step.
“I said I did nothing.”
“Yeah right!”
Hey. You’ve seen Audrey?“ I yelled down to her as she reached the last step.
"Yeah. Grace’s room,” she hollered back. She disappeared into the dining room with her brother in tow.
"Grace's room right here," DJ said pointing at the door Lin had just came out of.
I patted DJ on the back as he remained in the hallway as if waiting around for something. I knocked on the door and it suddenly swung open. There stood Mr. Jones. He smiled sensing someone presence.
“Well, hello. Good morning,” he said beaming.
“Hey there. Good morning.”
“Ah, Vince. How are you? Quite a storm last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Hopefully we’ll have the lights on for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, dinner to celebrate your arrival here. We did it for Matthew and his people. It’s only right we do it for you and Audrey.”
“That’s nice of you, but…”
“Don’t worry. You won’t even have to lift a finger. Everything should be ready for tonight. Well, as soon as DJ gets the generator back on.”
“Ok ok, old man. I heard you the first time”, I heard DJ shout behind me. He then mumbled, “God, I swear he’s faking it sometimes.”
“I heard that young man.”
“Vince. Meet me downstairs”, his grandson then said grinning at me. He stopped at the top of the stairs. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
“For what?”
“Well, I think I’ll go relax in my room, Mr. Martez. Hopefully, breakfast is tolerable today,” Jones said heading down the hall. “Oh and find something nice to wear tonight. I’m sure there’s some clothes left over from when my son stayed here in the room you’re occupying now. Take a look.”
He went into his room closing the door behind him and a few seconds later jazz music could be heard playing.
“Hi there sweetie,” I heard a woman say.
I turned my attention back to the room that was now wide open. I looked over to see what I assumed was Grace. She stood over Audrey doing her hair. As Grace brushed it, she flinched with every stroke.
I chuckled. “Be careful. Don’t want any more of her brains falling out.”
She turned her head meeting my eyes and a small smile spread across her face, but she went back to ignoring me. Not even greeting me.
I shrugged. “Well, I catch y'all later.”
I closed the door to a small sigh escaping my lips. I promptly headed downstairs and went into the kitchen. There I found DJ, Matthew, and Nathan. The brothers sat at the kitchen table. DJ stood by drinking something. I glanced over to see a plate of pancakes.
“I made them,” DJ boasted watching me. “Help yourself.”
Nathan smirked. “Hopefully, your dinner is as good as your breakfast.”
“It will be.”
I scoffed. “What we having pancakes again or some stale crackers?
"No. Pot roast.”
“You kidding right?”
“Nah.”
I stared at him as if he was crazy. “Where do you find food like this?”
“I have my connections.”
“Connections that can get us gas and more supplies,” Matthew added. “If we can do that much, we won’t even have to hear Wade’s whining about us not getting any yesterday.”
“Wait. Connections? What kind of connections?”
“Let’s just say they are people I know. People willing to trade. Items. Information.” DJ said cutting his eye at me.
“Don’t worry he won’t tell us either,” Nate whined.
“They’re very private people and they would like to remain that way!”
“Fine, but what type of shit do you trade for a fucking smorgasbord?”
“The question is what do we need to trade for gas?” Matthew inquired furrowing his brow. “Did they say?”
“Yeah and that’s the problem. They want metal. Lots of it.”
“Like scrap metal?” I asked. “For what?”
“For armor and for building. That’s all they said.”
“How big is this community?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you that?”
“Oh, right. They’re mysterious and shit”, I scoffed sitting next to Nate. “Well, it looks like we’re going end up in a junkyard anyway. Thought it would be for my car, but I guess that’s my fucking luck.”
“You’re a ball of sunshine aren’t you?” Nate jested.
“What?”
“Nevermind.”
“Still doesn’t explain the food.”
“I told them about Jade and the possibility of her having a group. Told them they may pose a threat,” DJ said putting his cup in the sink. “I also called in a favor.”
“So they owe you?”
“Maybe. Let’s just say it’s a story for another time,” DJ said winking. “Now, I’m pretty sure Madison be walking in soon. She’s already really suspicious.”
“Yeah, I wonder why,” I said sarcastically glaring at Matthew.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m going to tell her. Just not now. If I tell her now, she’ll just freak out and dinner will be canceled. We need this. This peace. This normalcy.”
“Wait. How long have you been planning this dinner?”
“Since yesterday morning. Before we left for the gas station. Why?”
“Is this dinner shit the reason why you won’t tell her?”
DJ groaned. “I’m going to check on the generator and get it going again. I’ll be back.”
“Take me with you!” Nathan exclaimed jokingly.
Aaron then stormed into the room staring daggers at Nathan. He scowled, “Where’s my letter, Parker?! You promised!”
“Seriously, take me with you,” he shrilled. “I’m coming!”
“Parker!!!!”
I got up feeling as stiff as a board. The chair I had used for sleeping was doing a number on my back. I stretched, took a long look out the window at the now sunny day, and made my way out into the hallway. There I found Tao and DJ goofing off. They look to be having a sword battle or something. I looked over at DJ who had a broom handle waving it around like a knight and then I looked over at Tao. I nearly choked. There he stood holding Audrey’s sword in both hands waving it around making lightsaber noises.
Tao froze and smiled backing away from me. He stuttered, “I…I was just playing with it.”
“No, shit! Give it to me!”
I grabbed it from him taking the hilt in my hand and stored it back in the room. Tao looked mortified turning bright red and DJ came over equally embarrassed.
“Man, we were just borrowing it,” he said. “We’re sorry.”
“Yeah. We’re sorry.”
“To be honest with you it was Tao’s idea.”
“What? No way. It was…”
"Shut up both of you!" I snarled. They both jumped. I softened my tone. "I don't care who's idea it was. Audrey would flip if she saw you and it's certainly not something to play with. Someone could get hurt with this thing. Just don't do it again."
They both nodded and Lin appeared coming out a room to our left. She stared at the three of us curiously. Then zeroed in on Tao. She frowned. "What did you do?"
“Uh…um…”
“Nothing. He did nothing. Everything’s ok,” I said smirking at him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I did nothing,” he said laughing nervously.
“Well, you don’t mind coming with me then,” she said frowning. She grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him down the stairs. Tao pleading innocence with every step.
“I said I did nothing.”
“Yeah right!”
Hey. You’ve seen Audrey?“ I yelled down to her as she reached the last step.
"Yeah. Grace’s room,” she hollered back. She disappeared into the dining room with her brother in tow.
"Grace's room right here," DJ said pointing at the door Lin had just came out of.
I patted DJ on the back as he remained in the hallway as if waiting around for something. I knocked on the door and it suddenly swung open. There stood Mr. Jones. He smiled sensing someone presence.
“Well, hello. Good morning,” he said beaming.
“Hey there. Good morning.”
“Ah, Vince. How are you? Quite a storm last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, dinner to celebrate your arrival here. We did it for Matthew and his people. It’s only right we do it for you and Audrey.”
“That’s nice of you, but…”
“Don’t worry. You won’t even have to lift a finger. Everything should be ready for tonight. Well, as soon as DJ gets the generator back on.”
“Ok ok, old man. I heard you the first time”, I heard DJ shout behind me. He then mumbled, “God, I swear he’s faking it sometimes.”
“I heard that young man.”
“Vince. Meet me downstairs”, his grandson then said grinning at me. He stopped at the top of the stairs. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
“For what?”
“Well, I think I’ll go relax in my room, Mr. Martez. Hopefully, breakfast is tolerable today,” Jones said heading down the hall. “Oh and find something nice to wear tonight. I’m sure there’s some clothes left over from when my son stayed here in the room you’re occupying now. Take a look.”
He went into his room closing the door behind him and a few seconds later jazz music could be heard playing.
“Hi there sweetie,” I heard a woman say.
I turned my attention back to the room that was now wide open. I looked over to see what I assumed was Grace. She stood over Audrey doing her hair. As Grace brushed it, she flinched with every stroke.
I chuckled. “Be careful. Don’t want any more of her brains falling out.”
She turned her head meeting my eyes and a small smile spread across her face, but she went back to ignoring me. Not even greeting me.
I closed the door to a small sigh escaping my lips. I promptly headed downstairs and went into the kitchen. There I found DJ, Matthew, and Nathan. The brothers sat at the kitchen table. DJ stood by drinking something. I glanced over to see a plate of pancakes.
“I made them,” DJ boasted watching me. “Help yourself.”
Nathan smirked. “Hopefully, your dinner is as good as your breakfast.”
“It will be.”
I scoffed. “What we having pancakes again or some stale crackers?
"No. Pot roast.”
“You kidding right?”
“Nah.”
I stared at him as if he was crazy. “Where do you find food like this?”
“I have my connections.”
“Connections that can get us gas and more supplies,” Matthew added. “If we can do that much, we won’t even have to hear Wade’s whining about us not getting any yesterday.”
“Wait. Connections? What kind of connections?”
“Let’s just say they are people I know. People willing to trade. Items. Information.” DJ said cutting his eye at me.
“Don’t worry he won’t tell us either,” Nate whined.
“They’re very private people and they would like to remain that way!”
“The question is what do we need to trade for gas?” Matthew inquired furrowing his brow. “Did they say?”
“Yeah and that’s the problem. They want metal. Lots of it.”
“Like scrap metal?” I asked. “For what?”
“For armor and for building. That’s all they said.”
“How big is this community?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you that?”
“Oh, right. They’re mysterious and shit”, I scoffed sitting next to Nate. “Well, it looks like we’re going end up in a junkyard anyway. Thought it would be for my car, but I guess that’s my fucking luck.”
“What?”
“Nevermind.”
“Still doesn’t explain the food.”
“I told them about Jade and the possibility of her having a group. Told them they may pose a threat,” DJ said putting his cup in the sink. “I also called in a favor.”
“So they owe you?”
“Maybe. Let’s just say it’s a story for another time,” DJ said winking. “Now, I’m pretty sure Madison be walking in soon. She’s already really suspicious.”
“Yeah, I wonder why,” I said sarcastically glaring at Matthew.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m going to tell her. Just not now. If I tell her now, she’ll just freak out and dinner will be canceled. We need this. This peace. This normalcy.”
“Wait. How long have you been planning this dinner?”
“Since yesterday morning. Before we left for the gas station. Why?”
“Is this dinner shit the reason why you won’t tell her?”
DJ groaned. “I’m going to check on the generator and get it going again. I’ll be back.”
“Take me with you!” Nathan exclaimed jokingly.
Aaron then stormed into the room staring daggers at Nathan. He scowled, “Where’s my letter, Parker?! You promised!”
“Parker!!!!”
The next episode is going reveal some stuff and will probably be hard to take shots for. Everyone is going to be in it. Most likely to be called “The Dinner.” Vince will also be narrating again as it’s sort of called for. ;)
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