Hot Garbage

14

After putting away my clothes, I started to worry. How long would it be before someone noticed I was missing? Would they call the police? Would Joseph get in trouble for helping me?

I was eighteen, but I was still a high school student. What did that mean legally? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

I decided to put my worries aside and focus on the task of unpacking. As I unpacked, I thought about Joseph. He was so nice and so handsome.

This was no time to think of that. I groaned and covered my face with my hands. Was it whatever drug Gene and Matt had given me? Was that why I was feeling attracted to Joseph?

Not knowing the answer to that was driving me crazy. The only way to find out would be to confront Matt, but I couldn't do that. My head was a mess.

I headed out of the bedroom and into the hallway. I was hungry. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

"Joseph?" I called.

There was no response, so I headed downstairs. I heard some minor noises coming from the kitchen.

Joseph was cooking. He was standing at the stove, stirring something in a large pot. I leaned against the table, watching him. It was so quiet in the house I could hear the water.

"Hi, Roxy. I didn't hear you come in." Joseph said.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" I asked.

"It's fine. I just wasn't expecting you down so soon. I'm making spaghetti." He said.

"That's ok. I'm fine." I said.

"You're sure? I don't mind."

Spaghetti was one of my favorite dishes. I really wanted to accept, but he'd done so much for me already. Joseph turned and looked at me with a friendly expression.

"Ok," I said, then I smiled.

"You can sit at the table while I finish up. Let me know if you need anything. I have soda, water, or, uh, iced tea." He said.

"Tea would be nice," I said, then I sat down.

He poured a glass of iced tea and brought it over to me. I took a sip while I watched him cook. Joseph definitely knew his way around the kitchen.

"I didn't think people who had money and lived in houses like this cooked for themselves," I told him.

"I do. I enjoy it, but I don't do it very often." He said, then he smiled.

I shook my head and smiled back. "You're different. I don't mean that in a bad way."

"I know. I like to keep myself busy. I have a lot of hobbies. There's so much to do." He said.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters? Any family?" I asked.

"No. I'm an only child. My mother died when I was young, and my father was very strict. He wouldn't let me have any friends over or have sleepovers. He didn't even let me have a dog. I had a cat for a little while, but it died." He said, then he stopped and looked at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump that on you. How about you? Are you an only child? I mean, aside from your stepbrother."

"I am. My father died when I was fifteen. Drug overdose. That was when I moved in with my mom." I explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Joseph said. "My father was always very difficult to please. Nothing I ever did was good enough for him. He was always pushing me to be better, and do more. As a result, I've always been a bit of a workaholic."

"I can relate to that," I said. "My mom is always telling me I should be doing more with my life. She's always pushing me to get good grades and go to college."

"It sounds like we have a lot in common," Joseph said.

We continued talking as we ate dinner. Joseph told me about his hobbies and interests, and I found myself getting lost in his stories. He was so passionate about everything he did, and it was clear that he was extremely intelligent. We talked until well after midnight, then we both yawned and stretched.

"I think it's time for bed," Joseph said. "I'll make sure you get there safe."

I followed Joseph upstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. I was nervous, but I didn't know why. Joseph showed me to my room, then left to go to his own.

I crawled into bed, my mind racing. I thought about Joseph and how handsome he was. I also thought about the future and what it might hold for me. Would I be able to return to my old life? Or would I have to start over completely?

I was worried about being found out by my family, but I knew I had to stay hidden. I would have to find a way to contact them and let them know I was ok, but I couldn't risk coming out of hiding. For now, I had to focus on staying safe and keeping Joseph safe. He had been so kind to me, and I didn't want to cause him any trouble.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but think about Joseph. He was so handsome and so different from anyone I had ever met. I found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This was no time for that. I had bigger things to worry about than kissing boys. But even as I tried to push the thought away, I could feel myself getting more and more worked up.

It was going to be a long night.

In the morning I got up, showered, and dressed, but I didn't know what to do. Normally, I would be grabbing breakfast and doing my chores. I wondered if there was anything Joseph wanted me to do around the house.

It wasn't filthy, but there was a lot of dust, now that I was seeing it in the daylight. I headed down to the kitchen and dug around until I found some cereal and milk. There were a lot of things I could do to help out. Anything to take my mind off what was going on at home.

There was no way they didn't know I was gone. Gene would have come to check on me when he got up in the morning. If they were drunk enough last night, they might not have cared that I was sick and went to f**k me again.

Either way, they knew. Would they call my mom? Would they call the cops? I was eighteen. There was nothing they could really do.

I ate my cereal and thought about what I should do next. Joseph had said he liked to keep busy, so maybe he wouldn't mind if I started cleaning the house. It would give me something to do and take my mind off of things.

I started with the living room, dusting all of the surfaces and vacuuming the floor. It felt good to be doing something productive, and it was satisfying to see the room looking clean when I was done.

Next, I moved on to the kitchen. I washed the dishes that were in the sink and then started scrubbing the counters. They were pretty dirty, and it took a while to get them clean. But once they were shining, I felt proud of my work.

After the kitchen, I tackled the bathrooms. They were all in need of a good cleaning, and I didn't hold back. I scrubbed the toilets, sinks, and showers until they sparkled.

It was mid-afternoon by the time I finished cleaning the house. I was tired, but I felt good about what I had accomplished. I went to find Joseph to see if he needed any help with anything else.

I found him in the backyard, working on some sort of project. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, and his muscles were glistening with sweat. He looked up as I approached.

"Hey, there you are. I was starting to wonder where you ran off to." He said.

"I just thought I would help out around the house. There's a lot to be done." I explained.

"I appreciate that." He said. "But you don't have to do all of this by yourself. We can work together."

"That sounds good," I said, relieved that he wasn't going to make me do it all by myself.

We spent the rest of the afternoon working together around the house. Joseph showed me how to do some of the repairs he was working on and we talked as we worked. I felt good being able to help out and it took my mind off of my own problems for a while.

As the sun started to set, we both paused and looked at each other. I could feel the tension between us, and I knew he felt it too. But neither of us said anything.

Finally, Joseph broke the silence. "I think we should head inside." He said, his voice low and husky.

"Yes, I think that's probably a good idea," I replied, my heart racing.

Once we were in the house, it got awkward again. How was it that we were so comfortable while we were working closely together today, but now it was like we were kids with a crush? Maybe it was the effects of the stuff Gene and Matt gave me. Maybe he was picking up on it somehow.

"I'll grab something from the freezer to heat up. We can get cleaned up and meet back in the kitchen for dinner... if you're okay with that." Joseph offered.

I nodded. "Y-yeah, that sounds good."

Walking away as quickly as I could, I headed for my room. I needed a cold shower and clean clothes. I wouldn't let what they did to me ruin my friendship with Jo.

I took a quick shower and changed into some clean clothes. When I walked into the kitchen, Joseph was just putting some food on the table.

"Dig in." He said, gesturing to the food.

I sat down and started to eat. It was delicious, and I realized how hungry I was. We chatted as we ate, talking about our favorite books. It was nice to be able to forget about everything else for a while and just enjoy Joseph's company.

After we finished eating, Joseph helped me clean up the kitchen. Then he walked me to my bedroom door.

"Thank you for everything, Joseph," I said, genuinely meaning it.

"You're welcome." He replied, looking deep into my eyes. "Get some rest."

He lingered there for a moment, and I could feel the electricity between us. I wondered if he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to, but I was also scared.

Finally, he broke the tension and took a step back. "I'll see you in the morning, Roxy." He said, his voice husky.

"Goodnight," I replied, my heart racing.

I watched him walk away, wondering if anything would ever happen between us. Maybe one day we would kiss, but for now, I was just happy to have a friend like Joseph.