3 Living Arrangements

Kim looked at him, 'Homeless huh, you don't look homeless'. "Then are you also jobless?"- she spoke out without realizing. "I'm sorry.. for prying." She apologized.

"It's not something to apologise for. Yes, I wasn't homeless a couple of hours ago, but here we are. I ran into some problems and I lost everything." Carl said indifferently. He couldn't help but recall all that had happened to him, he wasn't really saddened by it. He had stopped expecting certain things from his family. He did not even feel the need to change anything or take revenge. He was only living because he was alive.

"Then, would you be open to living together but I must inform you, I'm three months behind on rent and I just lost my job, I could probably ask the landlady for extension, she's fond of me."

Carl looked up at her in disbelief. "Are you seriously opening your home to a stranger? What if I have bad intentions?" He questioned meekly.

"Well, take it as me repaying you for saving my life. I know if you hadn't intervened, I would be worse off than sharing my house with you." she replied solemnly.

He hadn't really being paying attention to her, but she looked pretty young 18? 19? He wasn't sure. 'Her face is cute, with a distinguishable mole between her eyebrows, huge, brown doe eyes, high nose and thin pink lips, she's probably 5'11.' He couldn't help but take a proper look at her, her straight black hair with bangs cascading down her back. Her firgure wasn't bad and it wasn't perfect either. She had this childish look on her face.

"You're legal." he stated, rather than ask.

"Yes, I'll be turning 19 by July." She replied with excitement in her eyes.

"And your parents? Surely they wouldn't agree to our little arrangement."

"I'm an orphan." She said flatly, hiding her disappointment.

"I'm sorry.. no guardian?" He questioned once more.

She paused for a bit, thinking, she didn't have any known relation. She was abandoned at the door of the orphanage a long time ago, with nothing but a blanket, "It's okay, I'm an adult, I don't need one."

"I see..." His gaze swept her again.

"We should head home, so you can take a look around." She said, walking away. After watching her back for a while, he reluctantly followed. He wasn't sure it was suitable, after all, they lived in a conservative society. People would probably talk about them.

...

"Welcome home!" She said, giving him a toothy grin.

Her action made him feel warm inside and immediately memories of his mother flooded his thoughts. His mother was the warmest and kindest person he knew. He had forgotten this feeling but here it was again.

"It's small, but we can make due, we'll both store our clothes in the closet but the bed is mine, the couch is yours, I can cook, but you'll have to do the cleaning from now on." she spoke enthusiastically.

Carl stared at her for a while then questioned, "You're sure you want to do this? I'm a man, that would be inappropriate, as a young girl, your reputation is important."

"How about I take you as my elder brother? That way you wouldn't feel awkward." Kim was ecstatic at the thought of having a family. She had been alone for too long, without friends, without anyone, this was good.

"If you say so..." He said with the same indifference.

"You should go take a bath." Kim chided.

Carl looked at himself, his shirt was ruffled and cold, his pants was no different. "If you'll excuse me then." He turned around heading to the bathroom.

On getting to the bathroom, he wasn't sure what to do, he only had a shirt, a pair of pants and a pair of underpants, not forgetting his flip-flops. He decided he would wear it, that was his only option, then he'll go look for a job.

On the other hand, Kim was squealing at the thought of seeing Carl shirtless. "Elder brother?" She scoffed, 'You wish! You're a man to me' she thought to herself.

She opened the fridge, 'It's time to go grocery shopping, I should make list and also look for a job, maybe in a restaurant'.

She picked up a pen and started writing. A few minutes later, Carl walked into the kitchen. "I'm going out.. to look for a job, I'll be back before 10." He said wantonly.

"Wait for me, I also want to do that, we should go together." Kim said, arranging the things she needed.

Thirty minutes later, they had gone their separate ways. Carl was searching for jobs that paid by the hour so he could get some necessities first. Kim was moving from restaurant to restaurant.

He came across a carwash and decided it was good enough for a start, the pay wasn't bad, 50 Dotas an hour, if he worked for 10 hours, that would amount to 500 Dotas. He would be able to afford some sets of clothes before anything else. He went in to apply.

Less than three hours later, a familiar car pulled in, out came his step brother, Ryan.