Never Been Kissed by M.C. Cerny

Never Been Kissed by M.C. Cerny

Author:M.C. Cerny [Cerny, M.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-14T18:30:00+00:00


11

Laurel

Marley barks up a storm that’s going to get us kicked out despite the non-eviction notices. Our scruffy little dog is named after my mother’s favorite brand of smokes. The damn dog is lucky if he weighs a pound, but he packs a mean ankle bite if you aren’t careful. Our biggest family secret is that Marley is a fake emotional support animal. When our neighbor down the hall, Mr. Totter complained to our super, Ma forced me to use my graphic design skills to design a convincing certificate instead of taking the tiny beast to actual classes we couldn’t afford anyway. The little snapper was going to be my undoing with his constant barking. I figured he sort of owed me some kind of allegiance or a pass considering my handy artwork saved his scruffy ass.

“Ugh, I’m coming, you tiny terror.” I crawl out of bed and fumble for joggers and shoes.

“Laurel!”

“Coming Ma.” Despite it being the four of us, the place felt like Grand Central station trying to navigate all of us home. My only reprieve was taking Marley out for his walk which was more of a jog between sidewalk trees and garbage cans to pee.

“Can you?”

“Got it.” I grab his leash and watch my hands hooking it to his harness. Lavender barely gives me a glance but she’s been pissed at me since our fight because she went on that date. No one has gotten symptoms yet, but the party she went to also got broken up by the police early on. I figure she’ll be mad until this stay-at-home situation relents and that’s on her.

I slip my phone into my pocket and make my way outside adjusting my mask. I don’t have any spare gloves so I’m careful opening our apartment building door and head outside. With so many less people milling about and commuting to work, the streets are clear. The garbage smell seems more bearable and there’s noticeably less trash except for the addition of gloves someone carelessly dumped missing the can. It’s aggravating, but I take my wins where I can and tug Marley away from trying to smell them.

It’s a lucky thing that the sun is shining. The past week felt like never ending gloom of grey skies and damp rain. I heard a neighbor joke we were experiencing a London spring and I tried to take heart in that, but it’s hard when you can’t go anywhere and it all seems like a bad dream.

Turning around the corner of our building, a chirping clicking sound has me straining my neck to glance up. Mickey the squirrel sits on our fire escape beady eyes cast my way and an accusing glare I’m with the dog. “Sorry buddy, I’ll be back in a bit.”

I don’t know if it’s weird I’m talking to squirrels but it’s better than my sister’s grunts and Hannah’s whining. I’ll have to find something to toss Mickey’s way. Marley keeps pace and we cross the street to a small, empty park.



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