The Ex Killer Series

by Bridget Bundy

  “By the time I’m done whipping your ass, you will!”

  We grabbed each other at the same time, and Olivia pushed me against the closet door and began hitting me in the face. I wanted to hit back, but I was trying to protect myself. I couldn’t see, and I couldn’t get away from her. She didn’t pause for a moment as she lit into me. Pritchard ran in at some point, put a strong arm around her neck and dragged her out of the room. He never said a word, but Olivia screamed and cussed my name. Oh my God, she was not my sister! This was not the same, sweet person I grew up with!

  I was dizzy, and I slid to the floor, out of breath and sick to my stomach. I closed my eyes and prayed for the world to stop spinning. When I finally did regain my balance, I stood and staggered over to the closed bedroom door. When did Pritchard close the door? It didn’t matter. I had to get the hell out of there. My head was pounding hard. I opened the door only to find Pritchard standing on the right side of the hallway with his hands on his hips and his back to the bathroom door, which was closed. I heard Olivia in the bathroom slamming things and cussing. I conceded I got my ass handed to me in the battle this time. I needed to leave with whatever dignity I had left, but the fucking war wasn’t over.

  Pritchard asked me, “What’s wrong with you two? Where are you going?”

  I wanted to say something smart, but I was hurting way too much. I walked into the living room and out the front door. Andrea was still asleep in that same position on the living room floor. I wish I had a whole new family. I hated my sisters.

  Tanie wasn’t laughing when I came out of the apartment. She came to me, looking at me with concern. Obviously, she heard the altercation. Evident more by my torn black dress, and I know I had bruises on my face. I could feel my lip stinging. Tanie asked, “Angela, what the hell happened in there?”

  I didn’t answer. My bottom lip started quivering and I started crying. Tanie hugged me and helped me to the car. She made Jimmy get in the back seat and told Milton to go home. He lived in the same apartment complex I lived in. So, his walk would be quick. Jimmy was dropped off at home within five minutes.

  I wished the night had gone totally different, but there I was. My sister had slept with my boyfriend and whipped my ass all in one night. Olivia has never been able to beat me like that before. What changed in her? And for her to sleep with someone I dated was beyond her. She was one of the good girls. I guess I was wrong. I was so confused by the whole thing. Was this her way of showing me I had no control over her anymore? I know she was graduating from high school later on that day, but this was no way to celebrate.

  I have to stop fooling myself. I have to be honest about Jason. He isn’t my boyfriend anymore. We stopped dating during the summer after my sophomore year at Colum High School, around three years ago. Jason knew he was going to do great things one day being a star basketball player, and I was just unwanted baggage. He’s in college now just like he planned, playing for a major university. I hated him because I knew he would leave me behind. I hated him for other reasons, too, but I won’t get into that right now.

  As soon as we got to Tanie’s apartment, I started vomiting in the parking lot. I was in so much pain. My head was throbbing, and the world was still spinning. I mumbled, “When I get myself together, I’m going to...” I couldn’t even finish speaking. I was just dry heaving.

  Tanie was trying to stop laughing, but she wasn’t good at it. If I was in the right mind and body, I would whip her, too. I was no longer in the mood for giggling or games or for that matter, people in general.

  The next time I see Olivia, I will remind her there are consequences to her actions. There was no way in the world she was going to get away with what she did. She was younger than me, and she had to be put in her place. Olivia was in the same boat as Andrea now. Both of them are just disgusting. I knew one thing for sure. This was all going to be handled later when I sobered up.

  Tanie set me up in her guest bedroom. I slowly crawled under the sheets with all of my clothes on. I closed my eyes, hoping the sleep would take over. Instead, that’s all I saw was images of Olivia and Jason. He had that intense look, and she was moaning again. Pissed me off! I felt like fighting even as I lay in bed with no one else around. The whole thing was just mind boggling crazy! It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Fish stickers were staring back at me from the ceiling when I opened my eyes. Compared to the rest of Tanie’s perfectly neat, yet perfectly boring apartment the colorful fishes and the blue circles that represented bubbles seemed kind of crazy. I’ve slept in her guest bedroom before, and the fish weren’t there. I turned over to see the digital clock showing 10 a.m., and I had to be at work by 12 p.m. I didn’t feel like going to work, but I really didn’t have a choice. The little bit of money that I made helped with the bills. If I didn’t work, my sisters and I would probably be homeless.

  When I finally got into the bathroom, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I only had swelling around the cut on my top lip. That was a miracle considering how bad Olivia tore into me. I was still mad at her and more so towards Jason. I bet he talked her into sleeping with him. I bet it was sickening the things he said to her. Olivia could have been easily fooled into bed with him, but I don’t know. She seemed pretty confident last night. She knew what she was doing and she didn’t apologize or try to set things right between us.

  I hated Jason. I can’t say it enough. I hated everything about him, and it goes back to when we were in high school together. This little town made him important only because he was the best at playing basketball. He’s a point guard on his college team now, and I hear his name mentioned sometimes at my job by the elderly who keeps up with college basketball. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of notoriety, where your name is mentioned on national television after you led your team in scoring and rebound. I wished people looked up to me and gave me everything I ever wanted. It’s not fair. I was just as good as he was, maybe even better.

  I was tired of thinking about him. A hot shower was what I needed to get that loser off my mind. I threw my torn dress in the garbage, and hopped into the shower. Tanie’s apartment had the best water pressure, and the hot water always felt good on my back. After I was done, I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that I left at her apartment a couple of weeks ago, and I made up the bed not wanting to leave the room a mess.

  Tanie was standing at the sliding door that led to the balcony looking out unto the morning sipping on coffee and holding a half piece of toast in her other hand. I smelled bacon, and I saw several pieces setting on a plate on the counter between the kitchen and dining room. I was so hungry, and the bacon smelled so good. I sat on the stool on the other side of the counter in the dining room, and I grabbed a piece. Any food I can get was heaven, and I closed my eyes as I chewed slowly trying to think away the pain on my lip.

  Tanie asked as she moseyed into the kitchen, “You want toast?”

  “Yes, thanks.” I answered.

  She put two pieces of bread in the toaster and came back over to the counter. Tanie widened her eyes at me trying to get me to talk about last night. I stuffed more bacon in my mouth.

  Tanie saw I wasn’t budging. She remarked, “You shouldn’t have hit Milton like that.”

  I wasn’t expecting her to say anything about Milton. I defended myself, “He shouldn’t have tried to put his hand up my skirt. I told him no.”

  “You didn’t say anything to him, Angela. You just hit him.”

  “It’s your fault anyway.”

  “Why is it my fault?” Her voice heightened, surprised by my accusations.

  I calmly stated, “I told you to leave him at the party. I told you I wasn’t going to date him, sleep with him, kiss him, none of that, but yet and still, you let him get in the car. You had him thinking we were going to sleep together.”

  “No, I didn’t. You got a temper, and you need to get it under control. He could have hurt you, Angela. People like him don’t k
now their own strength.”

  I wasn’t worried about Milton. I turned a little in my chair and closed my eyes to enjoy my piece of bacon. She knew that was the end. I wasn’t going to talk about Milton anymore. That subject was done.

  “Okay fine.” She sipped her coffee again and set down the cup. She then asked, “What happened last night with Jason? Why did he come running out of your apartment naked?”

  I knew she was going to mention Jason. I was hesitant, but I answered her question. I changed one detail and left out other details. I lied and told her that I beat up Olivia. I was really ashamed of Olivia getting the upper hand. Usually, it’s the other way around. Last night, she didn’t back down like I thought she would, like she did anytime I came at her. Olivia seemed fearless, like she didn’t care what I thought or said.

  Tanie said, “I’m so glad I don’t have any sisters. You two are always fighting.”

  The toast popped up, and Tanie carefully put it on a plate and put it in front of me. She handed me a knife and the tub of butter from the refrigerator. She said, “I don’t have jelly.”

  “This is fine, but you should leave the butter out. You can spread it easier when it’s not cold.”

  Tanie ignored what I said and remarked, “I see Olivia got your lip real good. I got ointment for that.”

  “No, I’m good. What you got going today?” It was time to move on from that subject too, before I had to lie about something else.

  “I have to go to work, and then I’m coming back home. Jimmy and I didn’t finish what we started last night.” Tanie smiled. When Tanie says she’s going to work that meant Roscoe. She didn’t have an ordinary job. She made money the wrong way in my opinion, but I didn’t share my thoughts with Tanie. It was her business. It was her life.

  I stated, “I have to go to work at noon. Sherrie scheduled me for the afternoon shift. I guess she’s trying to do favors for the other ladies that work there.”

  “Why you waste your time working at that place? You only get paid minimum wage, and you’re cleaning up shit from old folks. I could never work there.”

  “It pays the bills.” I knew my statement wasn’t going to validate my job or make her understand, but as lame as it sounded, that’s all I could come up with.

  “You know, Roscoe is looking for another girl. You can get a lot more money, and you can move out of your sister’s place. You won’t have to deal with Pritchard, Olivia, or Andrea.”

  I didn’t want to hear her job proposal. I didn’t want to do what she was doing. I would like to move out of my sister’s apartment, but I didn’t want it like that. I asked Tanie, “Can you take me home?”

  “Sure I can. I have to get my car keys.”

  Tanie quickly put away the bacon in the refrigerator and threw our toast in the garbage. She rushed into the living room to get her purse and keys, and we were on the way to my apartment in no time.

  I asked Tanie while we were in the car, “What’s up with the fish on the ceiling?”

  “Oh, I forgot about those things. I put those fish up there for my niece. She came over last weekend for a sleep over, and she had a nightmare. So, I put fish on the ceiling. I nearly broke my neck trying to put those fish up there. They glow in the dark.”

  “Did she sleep better with the glow in the dark fish?” I started laughing, knowing it wasn’t really funny.

  “Yes, she did. She has a fish tank at home. I thought it would be cool to put fish stickers above the bed where she slept. She thinks I’m the best aunt in the whole world, you know.”

  “Where did you get fish stickers anyway?” I asked.

  Tanie answered, “I found them in my computer desk. I got all kinds of stuff in that one room.”

  I asked, “Will you pick me up for the graduation ceremony later?”

  “You know I will. Do you need a ride home after work?”

  “No, Andrea is home. I’ll probably use her car instead.”

  Tanie remarked, “If that doesn’t work out, you know how to find me.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  I live in Covington Point Projects, and it is the worse place to live in Colum. I stay in the front row apartments. There are three rows of them. Each building has twenty units, and each apartment is very small and has the same basic layout. The front door opens to the living room. The hallway is sandwiched and begins between the living room and the kitchen. The kitchen is the same size as the living room, and the back door is located in the back of the kitchen to the left side out of sight of the front door. If you step into the hallway and turn right, the only bathroom is on the left just after the kitchen. The first bedroom is across from the bathroom, and a second bedroom is located at the end. I share the second room with my sister, Olivia, and we are crammed in there.

  The apartments are old, and there is no upkeep. Many of the windows are boarded up, and there is garbage everywhere. In some places the walls are tagged with graffiti and some apartments has a horrid smell that gets worse during the summer months. I hate living in Covington Point, but it’s all we could afford.

  When I went inside, Andrea and Pritchard were sitting at the round kitchen table, and the smoke from her cigarette rose around her face making her squint. She saw me the moment I walked in because her chair is in plain view of the front door. Andrea wasn’t dressed for work. So, that meant she wasn’t going to work. This was no surprise to me. She had other things in mind to do other than getting paid and helping with the bills. It pisses me off just to think about it or talk about it.

  Andrea is a registered nurse. She has a college degree, but she doesn’t do any kind of nursing now. She’s so much a drunk and a drug addict, Dr. Jameson only lets her work the front desk, admitting patients; when Andrea does show up for work. She isn’t allowed to get basic vitals from patients, either. She makes more money an hour than I do when she does work, and when she does get paid, she spends very little on the bills and the rest of the money goes to her bad habits. Pritchard spends his earned money from the hardware store on Andrea’s bad habits, too, but he does help with utilities and the rent. I guess he’s good for something. My sisters and I would be homeless if he wasn’t around.

  Olivia doesn’t work, which is fine with me and Andrea. Olivia spent most of her time concentrating on school. Her goal was to get good grades, which were easy for her, and go to college. I have no idea how she plans on going to college. There was a time when we had money, but we don’t now.

  Our mom left money for us when she died, but Andrea spent it all. Every penny was gone within a couple of years. When Olivia found out, the tension hit a high in a split second and I had to get in between them. The fight started after a statement came in the mail from the bank. Olivia opened it, which she’s never done since the statements started coming. The piece of paper showed a zero balance. When Olivia saw that number, she lost her mind. The fight was the worse we ever had. When the pushing and hitting was done, Olivia and I were put out on the front porch the next day. Andrea had Pritchard change the locks on both doors, and we were homeless for a little while. Olivia stayed with her friend, Helen, and I stayed with Tanie. We were back home a couple of days later because Andrea called Olivia sobbing wanting her to come back and Olivia called me. She didn’t want to go back without me. I didn’t want to go back at all, but I had to. I couldn’t afford to live with Tanie, and she wasn’t going to let me live in her apartment for free.

  The same old bottles and cans were still all over the floor. The apartment needed a thorough cleaning, but I wasn’t going to try and do it today. I really didn’t have the time. She was listening to the radio that set beside her on the deep freezer. She was now holding her cigarette in her right fingers, and she was fidgeting with the pack in her left. When she wasn’t at ease and fidgeting like that, I knew she wanted a drink. She was missing her clutch real bad.

  I went directly to her not wanting to waste time. I wanted to get to work early, and then I could end my day early. Andrea looked up at me like she was tr
ying to read my expression. She kind of threw me off, and I stared back at her wondering what was going through her mind. Andrea chuckled under her breath, and she turned away to take a drag off of her cigarette.

  I knew I might regret asking this question, but I had to ask. “What is so funny?”

  “Did Olivia whip your ass last night?”

  I wasn’t going to entertain her. I ignored her question and asked, “Can I use your car today?”

  Andrea started laughing and bellowed, “It’s true. She finally got your ass!” She was laughing so loud that her entire body shook. “She’s sweet as a little puppy, and you’re meaner than a rattlesnake. I bet she was all over you. All those times you made her cry, and it all came back on you last night. How does that cut on your lip feel? I bet it hurts.” She busted out laughing again.

  Pritchard was looking down at his bowl of grits and toast. He was completely ignoring us and for good reason. He knew if he put his two cents in, he’ll get yelled at. He did not like confrontations at all and avoided it as much as possible.

  I waited until Andrea was done having her fun, having her laugh. I let her indulge in the fact that Olivia won her little battle last night. And when she was finished, I asked her again about using the car. She started laughing louder as an answer. I didn’t have time for this. I was going to be late for work.

  Before I turned to go to my bedroom, Andrea demanded, “You have to take me to the store first. I need for you to buy me gin.”

  “Andrea, I don’t have any money.” It was always about money or alcohol or drugs with her. I hated talking to her sometimes.

  “I know you got a couple of dollars on you. Gin doesn’t cost that much.”

  “I’m broke. I’m serious.”

  “I think I got enough for a small bottle.” Andrea started digging in her nightgown pockets.