I am the Skeleton in the Closet

A Fifteen Dollar Air Conditioner

Alex had started making some real personal progress. I was proud of him, I really was. He had been seemingly self sufficient as of late. He was getting along with his first long term boyfriend, had gotten several tattoos, and even had numerous pets that he shared a responsibility over with Derrick. They had a hedgehog, at least eight rats, and a couple cats. I hadn't heard him  complain about purchasing food in months and while I knew it may have been too good to be true, it was real and it was happening. He may not have gotten a job, but with the way he was acting he must have been bringing in money somehow. If I'm to be honest, jealous is a good word for what I had started feeling towards him. Not jealous because of what he had or who he was, I was envious of how hard he was working to get it in comparison to how hard I was. Sure he was siphoning from the parents, but they had given me that option too and I was kicking myself for not accepting it. Clearly Alex had grown a bunch from taking out of their pocket and clearly he didn't work nearly as hard as I did, yet we were just about at the same financial status and I was the only one with a job. Sure he was living off of disability pay for part of it, but clearly they were either over paying him or he had stolen Stevens credit card again because anything he wanted he went out and got. I felt it was unfair and that he needed to change somehow to become the responsible adult I knew he could be. I knew that if he really applied himself, he could probably do almost anything he wanted. I was still holding out hope that he would see that for himself and make the necessary changes to bring it about.

Alex must have felt the same towards me in a sense. Sure I had worked my ass of for everything I did, but when he looked at me I think he saw everything he wanted to be, everything he had promised us he would be when he was little, making bets on who would get a PhD first. I was winning that battle as I fought my way through conflicting work and school schedules. He must have seen a sense of responsibility that he didn't have but wanted to obtain. So he took notes and it wasn't long before he confronted the parents about wanting to try school again. Fortunately I wasn't there for the argument, but shortly afterwards there was a knock on my door. It was Alex.

"You know what she told me?" Alex was up in arms after having explained his thoughts on going back to school.

"What?" 

"Apparently Dawn took my money for college and dissolved it into a retirement fund." He paused to let it sink in, tapping his foot angrily.

"She took it and put it away? Why?" I inquired. That was his way out. His way to get better. Why would she just dissolve it like that? I mean she's done some fucked up things, but she wouldn't just tell him that if there wasn't a reason. Steven's not dumb, if that had been what happened he would have come up with a better excuse for why he couldn't go. He wouldn't just tell him the truth that they dissolved it into a retirement account.  

"Hell if I know! But that was my money. They said they'd pay for it, and now they aren't?" He put his hands out and shook his head. "But I guess that's my bad, for ever thinking that she could do one thing for another person." He sighed heavily and touched his forehead. "I mean what goes through her head?"

"I mean if they put it away can't they get it back?" I wondered aloud. There's gotta be a way out.

"Nope, she said they can't. So I'm just screwed." He threw his hands down to his sides.

"Damn. I know my work offers tuition assistance. Super easy job too." I started. But that would mean you need to get a job and that would mess up your disability pay. 

"No, I don't want a job. I just want my money." He rolled his eyes.

"Well never mind then." I ended. "I don't know how to help." I confessed. That was the only other option. Well he could go into debt, but he's not gonna be able to get himself out of that on his own.