Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood Ch. 04

I make it quick, and I run home quickly to grab some sweats and a swear shirt.

When I return I toss my change of clothes on the desk chair and return to the bathroom to see her staring at the wall with the tub about half full.

I stop the water and she looks at me.

"Did you call me a bitch?" The displeased look she wears is so cute!

"I was making a joke." I said then pull off my shirt. It's starting to dry, but dry doesn't make clean.

When I can see again, I see her staring at my chest. I feel happy, not like the piece of meat I feel to be when ogled in public. "See something you like?" Her eyes get bigger when I unsnap my bra and let it fall to the floor.

She nods then looks at her own bosom. Her hands cover her and she frowns.

"I'm small."

I was a little late coming in, and I was jealous for a while, so I remember the feeling. "I like them!" I shuck my pants and step in behind her.

I can see her wide eyes reflected in the chrome faucet.

"Hopefully I can play with them when you're ready."

She reddens a bit more but nods.

"Here, I'll wash your back."

Soft skin, I can feel muscle and bone as well. I also listen to how she is trying to put on weight, again, and that she doesn't feel pretty, which is new.

I let her pour her heart out while I wash her.

Before I realize it I am washing her stomach and am dangerously close to her breasts.

She is also fidgeting some. The water is rippling, I can't say sloshing as it isn't making noise, as she clenches and relaxes her thighs. I also notice that she has her hands resting on my right wrist and left knee respectively.

"Hey!" I get her to stop putting herself down. "We just gotta to find a diet that is good for ya." I slip into my less formal way of talking. "You're very pretty, so stop that talk. Or I'll spank you!" I am joking but she grows really quiet and clenches her thighs together tightly.

"Hey, we're getting wrinkly. Let's finish up and see what your ma made for breakfast." She nods. "Ya need some... alone time?" I put emphasis on alone she shakes her head no.

"So all that washing didn't turn you on?" I tease.

"I... I came." It was so quiet I barely heard it. I hadn't even done anything naughty with her.

I leave it at that and help her from the tub. I dry her and take care with her back while she tends to her front side.

"Coffee." She says suddenly, and loudly, and startles me.

We manage to get her dressed in a black, slip on, ankle length number. I convince her to let me do her hair.

I choose decorative braids and all the while we sit quietly and I listen to her sipping her coffee. Once she wakes up some more I help her to the bed, freshly made, and we cuddle and watch Ren & Stimpy, just enjoying the show. Both of us singing along with Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy and the Log theme song when they come on.

At the end of the day she bites the bullet and looks me dead in the eye with apprehension. "When I peed on you..."

"Tuyet," I rarely use her first name, well I guess over this past couple weeks I have. "You are hurt, I can forgive you for something you couldn't help."

"Well, thank you for that, but I thought you said you liked it." She happens to be looking off to the side thoughtfully, so she doesn't see the face I make, then she starts to laugh.

Now I am confused.

"I really do hear some weird stuff when I first wake up!" She pauses and looks at me. "I wonder what that says about me."

I smile, give her a gentle hug and welcome home Mrs. Cinders with her before I head back to my house.

I had spent all day yesterday busting my ass so it would look decent. The bug spray smell still lingers, as expected, but I am angry and disappointed.

Cigarette butts put out on the table next to an over flowing ash tray. Spilled cereal on the floor and the broken bowl still in the middle of it.

The first thing I hear from Karen on the couch is. "Got a mess for you to clean up. Going to have company tonight."

"Fuck you." It is all I can manage as I start to my room. I really don't want to look at her.

"What did you say you ungrateful, whore!?" Karen practically hopped over the couch from where she was sitting and got in my face, grabbing the front of my shirt as she did so. My eyes stinging from the rancid smell coming out of her mouth.

"First," I pull her hand off me. "My bastard father isn't here, so don't think you can touch me." I say stepping up at my full height and pressing her against the railing of the stairs. "Second, I know you and that bastard stole the money to get this place from my savings account." I fought the smell and pressed my forehead to hers. "Can you say 'grand theft'? Because I can say lawsuit!" I grin as I step back. "So go sit down and think about that one, pig, after you clean up your fucking mess."

I get upstairs and Kenneth looks like a deer caught in the headlights with a butter knife in the jam of my bedroom door. I think he can sense a change in me as he does the smartest thing I have ever seen him do.

He drops the knife and goes straight to his room. The slamming of his bedroom door is a satisfying sound.

I lock myself in my room, get comfortable and bring up anything having to do with bank fraud and real-estate fraud on my laptop.

"They really need to learn about webcams." I say to myself as I think about the recording that shows Karen and Bob, I am through calling him dad, discussing the houses they wanted.

Much of this stolen money was from a trust set up by my mother when she learned that she was pregnant. I guess she didn't trust Bob.

The allowance from when Ming lived with us, plus gifts from her family. I miss them all.

I sold my drawings and paintings.

I even sold out and did commissions for years that I will not admit to having done. Some of the sick people out there, you wouldn't believe. You won't find those on my DA account!

I saved everything I got on the side from lawn work, to washing cars, to cashing in recyclables. I dug in garbage for those bottles and cans!

Worse yet, I even resorted to walking dogs, and I hate dogs ever since I saw one of the only other people who have treated me like family get mauled.

Poor girl still has a nasty scar and walks with a limp. How her mother and she are related to Karen I will never know, but I bet they wonder the same about Bob and I.

All that money and those selfish turds blew it all on a house that I didn't want and left me with literally pennies.

Though I must say that there is one thing I am grateful for, finally admitting how I feel for a certain schoolmate and the way that turned out.

I pause my actions and strip down.

I select a skimpier pair of panties I own, olive green with pink stitching, and open my curtains.

Tuyet happens to look over, so I blow her a kiss and give her a wave. She turns in her seat, forgetting what she was doing and waves back.

I love the effect I have on her. I see her inch closer to the window and she props her elbows on the ledge to watch me. So I turn, bend at the waist and find something to pick up, I swear I hear a fox whistle. I turn back and she has a huge grin on her face. I pop the window open. "Like what you see, hon?"

"I'd like to get a picture!" She calls back. She looks around, residual paranoia I guess, then takes her dress off. With a bit of effort.

"I'd like one too!" I call back. 'Must have taken her medicine.' I'm thinking. I'm also thinking. 'I should stop her undressing.' But hormones win out.

"You know I would like one of the both of you." We both look down and her mom is in the garden. "Clothed, preferably, so I can show my friends." There is playful humor in her words but we're both embarrassed now.

"Ah... okay... okay..." I falter in how to respond to that. Tuyet has moved back from the window and I see she looks red all over.

"I still want a picture!" I call, wanting to see how red I can make her. She tells me I'm as bad as her mom then motions for me to spin.

Who am I to argue, when I am facing the window again she has her phone out and she is grinning. She blows me a kiss and I see her fade from view.

I get a message on my phone. It is a video from her point of view. The caption says "You're beautiful!" and I have to admit, I never really looked at myself that way before.

I send her back one asking for a video of her.

She replies "After my owchies are gone." And a quick follow up. "They are awful!" with a pouty face.

I ask for one of her beautiful smile and I quickly get one. I sigh and send her one of me smiling. Adding. "Sorry it isn't all there."

"It's perfect!" is the reply with little kissy lips this time.

I send her some kisses back and get back to my laptop but not before I set her picture as the screensaver and background on my phone. I look at it on and off through the night while I seek out what I need.