Family Story - 009

"Huh?"

The next day at work, after me and AJ's conversation, she came up and spoke to me. I had expected her to ignore me, or at the very least, avoid talking to me where possible, but she came straight up to me, with a look of conviction on her face. And she said something that was much more surprising than anything else that she could've said to me.

"After work finishes, you're coming over to my house."

"Huh?"

"I said, when our shift finishes, you're coming over to my house."

"Yeah, I heard you, but… huh? Why?"

"Just, wait for me after work. You owe me for last night."

"What?" I replied, "I owe you?"

"Yes. You shouldn't say things like that. I'm a delicate girl after all, I can't believe you'd hurt my feelings."

You don't seem all that delicate, I thought, but decided it would be best not to say.

"Could you tell me what we're going to be doing? I've got plans tomorrow, so I want to get a good night's sleep."

"Don't worry, you're not staying over at my place, or anything. I'm just borrowing you for a few hours, then you can go home."

"Like I'm saying, could you tell me what you want to do?"

"I'll tell you after work, just hear me out at least."

I sigh. I have no clue what she's on about. But I guess it won't hurt to at least hear her out. I mean, if I hear her out and then change my mind, there's no way that she can force me to go with her.

"Fine, I'll hear you out of work."

"Okay, wait for me outside when we're done."

Though I still had some misgivings, I waited outside the restaurant when it closed for AJ, like I'd agreed to. I had thought about not showing up, but I had promised. It's just she's crazy. It honestly scares me a little bit, but at the same time I can't help but be worried about her.

Funny, right? I don't know her at all, and yet… well, I don't want to leave her alone. It feels like she might do something dangerous if there isn't someone around to make sure she doesn't go off the rails. Or at least that's what it seems like to me, based on last night.

Maybe she was just a bit angry last night, because of the argument she had with her brother.

AJ walked out of the restaurant's back door perhaps just a minute after me. We were both finishing at closing time, so it wasn't like I had to wait for her to finish a later shift. Which was good. I might've refused to do this otherwise.

"So? Are you going to tell me what we're doing now?"

"Don't be in a rush, will you?"

AJ continued to walk, so I fell into line half a pace behind her.

"Sorry, but you did ask me to stay after work, so I want to know what we're doing."

"We're meeting with the dealer."

"Sorry, what?"

"The dealer. Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"Of course."

"I mean my brother's dealer. I managed to set up a meeting with him."

"Huh? How? Or rather, why? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yep. That's why I'm bringing you along."

"Me? Sorry to admit, but I'm not going to be much help if your worried he'll try to hurt you."

"No, I don't think it'll end up in violence, but I thought it'd be better to go in numbers, and I'd rather no one I cared about got hurt."

"So, I'm dispensable…."

"Yes, exactly."

"I see. Glad to know where I stand."

She says some extremely harsh things without a moment's pause. But I don't think I can fault her for her reasoning in bringing me along. I wouldn't want to take someone I cared about with me if I was her. Though, I don't imagine I would get a stranger involved either. That seems quite despicable to me, really.

Quite a strange value setting, too. She doesn't want to get anyone she knows involved, but it's fine for a bystander like me to get caught in her crossfire. For most people, I think that's not a line you would cross.

"Couldn't you have brought someone along with you who was a bit more intimidating if that's the case? I don't think that I look all that menacing or scary."

"What do you mean? I thought you'd want to come because you said you were worried about what this dealing had being doing."

True, I had said that, hadn't I? Still I wasn't expecting that that would lead to this situation: where I was getting dragged along to a meeting between this maniac and the shady drug dealer. Somehow, I feel like I couldn't have had a worse possible deal.

"What? Are you not interested anymore?"

AJ genuinely sounds disappointed. Not just worried that if I don't come, she'll have to go alone? Maybe she has some sort of ulterior motive for bringing me along? I can't think what it would be though. Perhaps, she's interested in me?

No, no, no. That can't be right. Surely that's not the case.

Still, it does seem a little weird.

Though I have plenty of reasons to turn her down, it wouldn't feel right doing so. Sending a lone young girl to deal with some shady drug dealer, isn't something I want to feel any responsibility or guilt over. Even if I come with her, AJ said she doesn't expect it to turn ugly. Hopefully she's right about that.

"No, I'll come with you. Like you said, it shouldn't turn out bad anyway, right? We'll be fine."

"Yeah, well… that's the plan at least."

"Huh?"