It was hard for a Tel’ani to slam the door. Not due to mass, sure the average Tel’ani was smaller than the average human, but it was the long sinuous black tail that got in the way. Tel’ani children learned early on not to slam doors. Slamming doors caused a lot of pain. This was a good thing for Nickolette as the Apartment’s Entry door wasn’t hers to accidentally break just because she was pissed. She marched forward with a bag full of her clothes, green eyes focused on the parking lot and totally trying to ignore the sound of the second story window opening.
“Hey Bitch!” Jenna screamed.
Nickolette did not look back. She was going to walk out to her car and leave with as much dignity as she could muster.
“You forgot your stupid hoodie!”
Well shit… Nickolette turned just in time to see the balled up fabric of her favorite hoodie unfold mid-flight and drop into the hedges along the building. Jenna flashed Nickolette a double bird and slammed the window. Nickolette hung her head as she walked back to the building to fish her hoodie out of the bush. She threw the bag and hoodie in the back seat of the car and only after making sure her tail was securely inside the vehicle, slammed the car door with a satisfying thud. She angrily shoved the key into the ignition, an action that took a couple tries, and turned.
The car made a horrific grinding noise. “No, no, no, don’t do this to me now.” She begged as she turned the key again and winced at the horrible sound. “Please start, I need you to start.” She gave it to the count of ten and turned again. The car turned over and Nickolete rested her forehead on the steering wheel while patting the dashboard. “There’s a good girl.”
Nickolette put the car in reverse, looked behind her, and pushed on the gas only to lurch forward and into the wooded post that separated the parking lot from the grass. Nickolete grit her teeth, put the car in actual reverse, looked behind her, and carefully pulled out. It was a two minute drive to the parking lot of the local department store where she parked in a distant spot and screamed her frustrations into the steering wheel. She then pulled out her cellphone and navigated to her brother’s number.
Stolen story; please report.
“Hey. Jenna kicked me out again. Is your couch still available?”
He wouldn’t see it until his lunch break and she wasn’t fond of being a burden on him and his wife, but she was homeless again. Nickolette prepared herself for a good cry, but spent the first minute or so beating on the steering wheel in anger.
***
“Move.”
“Move? I can't move. I don't have the money.”
Sally gave Nickolette one of her “don't bullshit me” looks. “Seriously? Just apply somewhere else. Devil's Peak or something. You got a car. It's that or stay in this shit hole.”
“It's not that much of a shithole.” Nickolette protested.
“Oh yeah? Boss is coming, and someone thought it was a good idea to wear a skirt.”
“Oh shit.” Nickolette swore as she tried to push down the fabric of said garment. “That's not fair, I got kicked out this morning.”
“Mmmhmmm.” Said Sally.
“Nikki, babe.” Said Carl.
“Not your babe.” Nickolette said, putting a little annoyed heat in her tone.
“I'd like everything off the top shelf today.”
“And you’re going to hold the ladder.”
“Safety first.” Carl sang as he wandered past.
“This is sexual harassment.”
“Take it up with HR.” Carl, the entire humanoid resources department, called back.
“I hate him.” Nickolette said.
“Use your brother as a mailing address, get a gym membership for a shower, live in your car for a couple weeks. Or stay here and deal with this shit.”
Nickolette frowned.
“Hey! Nikki! You coming?”
***
Nickolette was stuck at a stoplight in Devil's Peak when she noticed a guy at the entrance road that lead to the supercenter, the building supply store, and a strip mall. He was holding a sign that started with “Starting over. Trying to get back on my feet. Need money or…” The light turned green and Nickolette stopped reading and started driving. “At least I'm not that guy.”