Splunker’s The Cat Productions

Chapter 2 behind the cut!

The first ray of sunlight streamed through the window.  Julian stirred and blinked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the brightness.  The car was stifling already.  The lack of fresh air made it difficult to breathe, and he was drenched in sweat.  He sat up and winced in pain.  The trash bag full of clothes was a decent enough pillow, though it stuck to his face, but finding a comfortable position around the front seats and gearshift had been impossible.

Julian stepped out of the car and began stretching his cramped muscles, working out the kinks in the tissue and joints.  He wished he’d sprung for a motel room, but quickly reminded himself that the money he’d saved up needed to go towards acquiring a more permanent place of residence.

And food.  His stomach growled and his system screamed for its morning coffee.  After he worked out as much of the stiffness as he was able, he got back in the car and started the ignition.  He pulled out of the back alley of Mainstream Office Solutions, his place of employment and the only safe place he’d thought of to camp for the night.

The nearby McDonald’s was a semi-regular stop for Julian during the week.  He was a sucker for their breakfast when he had time and morning rush hour wasn’t too much of a nightmare.  He parked his car near the entrance closest to the restrooms and set the alarm as he got out.  He made a quick detour to the men’s room first, not only to answer the call of nature, but also to make himself as presentable as possible without a proper shower.  He splashed cold water on his face and silently thanked whatever deity might be listening that this particular restaurant still stocked paper towels rather than installing those pointless hot air blowers.  He gave himself as much of a sponge bath as he could without being indecent and cursed himself for forgetting to bring in his toothbrush.  When he was satisfied with his appearance, he exited the restroom and approached the counter.
“Egg McMuffin meal with coffee, please,” he ordered.

“Coffee’s out,” replied the teenaged girl working the register.

“I–huh?”  McDonald’s?  Out of coffee?  Had hell frozen over as well?

“Machine’s down,” said the cashier, obviously bored.  She’d probably explained this a hundred times already.  “Juice, soda, or tea?”

“Orange juice, I guess.”  An awful start to an awful day, Julian predicted.  He paid for his meal, which was ready by the time the transaction was finished, and sat down to eat.

Outside, a family of four dined. Julian watched them morosely, seeing a childhood he never knew.  The two children barely tasted their pancakes as they wolfed them down in their haste to get to the Playland, the real reason they’d begged their parents to come here.  The parents watched them lovingly as they ripped off their shoes and raced each other to the slide.  They would never dream of punishing their children for being born a certain way.  Julian suddenly felt sick at the sight of the happy family, so he quickly disposed of his trash and went back to the car.

He’d had plenty of time to work out a plan of action the previous night.  He’d visit the library and check the newspapers for available apartments.  Perhaps the internet as well, though Julian was hesitant about it.The library was just opening as Julian pulled into the parking lot.  Inside, he piled a stack of newspapers from the past week onto a table and spent the better part of the morning scouring the classifieds for apartments to rent.  Many were out of his price range even before figuring in utilities, and the ones he did call about had already been taken.

He carried the pile of papers back to the reference desk and threw them down in frustration.  It looked like he would spend at least one more uncomfortable night in his car in an alleyway like . . . like a homeless person.  That’s what you are, he thought.  Homeless.  The reality crashed down on him suddenly.  He leaned over the desk and buried his face in his arms.

The librarian regarded him sympathetically.  “Can I help you find what you’re looking for?” she asked.

“Not unless you happen to have a spare apartment in your back pocket,” he said, his voice muffled by his arms.

“Craigslist.”

Julian looked up.  “No,” he said emphatically.  “I’ve heard the horror stories.”

The librarian chuckled.  “It’s not all bad,” she said.  “There are a few strange ones there, but if you’re needing help that badly, you should be able to find someone looking for a roommate.”

Julian cringed inwardly.  He hadn’t considered the possibility of moving in with a total stranger.  A roommate made sense, of course, but he’d always been a loner, separated from others because of who his father was as well as simply preferring to keep to himself.  He sighed.  “Fine.  Sign me up for a computer.”

As lunchtime drew near, Julian was ready to give up hope yet again.  The few calls he’d made resulted in Julian politely saying, “Thank you for your time, but I don’t think I’d be a good fit.”  This met with swearing and threats on the other end of the line.

Just before his time ran out, something nagged at him to give the listings one last look.  He clicked the refresh button on the web browser.  A new listing appeared.  Last one, he thought as he clicked the link with some trepidation.

“Roommate wanted.  Small 2BR/1BA house.  Quiet neighborhood.  No excessive partying, drugs, or heavy drinking please.  $600/mo including utilities.”

This looked promising.  He scribbled down the phone number and logged off.  He thanked the librarian for her help, then went outside to the pay phone to make his last phone call of the day.  He deposited his change, dialed the humber, and held his breath as the line connected.