It is so winter right now. And it’s so cold. And all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray, as usual. And I’m sick of it.

I wanted to go with him, I really did. But one thing led to another, as usual, and I was left behind in Gray Sky Chicago. Dred went to L.A. without me, I’m sure.

Maybe I should explain.

I am the most unlucky girl in the world. I mean, ever. And it’s partially my mother’s fault and partially my father’s fault.

Long story short: I was born on Friday the Thirteenth. You may think that’s not my mother’s fault, but she was induced, so yes, she chose my birthday. Then, it was raining on Sunday when we went home from the hospital, and my father wanted to keep me dry. So even though my mom tried to stop him, he opened the umbrella inside. I’d so rather have gotten wet.

I could tell you my unlucky sob story, with all the significant and insignificant details, like how I broke my leg while sleeping when I was 8 months old, how I broke every single plate in my mother’s china just by eating on it, how my folks died in a plane crash when I was twelve (yeah, how often does that happen?), how I went to live with my Wicked Step-Aunt, how my Wicked Step-Aunt kicked me out last year, how I lived with three different friends, and how they all turned out to be losers.

But I won’t; that’s just my luck. Bad things frequently happen to me. I’ll just try to explain why I didn’t go to L.A. with Dred.

I guess I’ll start at the beginning, as usual.

I met Dred last month after work.

Sheri had just told me that I had one week to get there on time or “you’re History.” I really didn’t want to be History for a third time in, like, a year, and I had my holiday bills to pay. But really, even though I know it’s my unlucky fault the bus always arrives at 10:05 a.m., how does Sheri expect me to be on time when she knows the bus schedule says 9:55? I’m always on that bus! Well, most days. But I’m getting off topic: Back to L.A. with Dred.

Anyways, because Sheri wanted to talk to me, I missed the 7:37 p.m. and got on the 7:54. As I sat, feeling sorry for myself, this guy sat next to me. He is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen! But besides that, he starts talking to me, right? And I’m just amazed that he’s telling me how cute my hair is and have we met before? I couldn’t believe it because I was sure I’d never seen him before. I’m sure I would have remembered him, he is so gorgeous.

Besides that, he was completely open with me, telling me his own sob story: how his friend had cheated him out of his savings and now he had to start over again. I didn’t make him tell me the whole story. It was so touching to see a man brought to tears, but I didn’t want to cause him more pain by asking him to re-live it all in telling me. Poor guy! I invited him right home to my studio and made him a cup of tea. I started thinking to myself, Wow! I need a New Year more often! Maybe this year my luck has changed!

That’s what I thought then. I had the most wonderfully lucky month. Until today. Today I was going to go to L.A. with Dred.

I have been looking forward to it since Sheri fired me two weeks ago. That night, I came home to my apartment, and Dred was there, as usual. He’s so good! I love having a man right there when I get home because then I have someone to listen to me! I was telling him how Sheri fired me: her right hand kept stabbing the air like she was trying to kill me. She was mad, too! But at least I stayed two weeks instead of the one. I was proud I’d been on time a whole week. But then, of course, just my luck that there was that snow storm.  I am so tired of these wintery days!

Anyway, as I talked, Dred was picking the fluff out of the couch again. That couch is the best example of just how unlucky I am: I have one piece of furniture and it’s this awful couch that Sandra dumped on me last November when she made me promise that I never come back to their place again. Yeah, I said she was a loser: she kicked me out!

I watched Dred pick the fluff in silence. It was so weird: one minute I was talking and then I was quiet. I usually don’t run out of things to say.

“Let’s go to L.A.,” he said, looking up at me. “You and me.”

I giggled. Dred was always saying random things. A few nights before, at my place of course, I had been telling about how bored I was and he suddenly interrupted me to tell me he was so in love with me and he was going to move in. I was so excited to hear that because really, he’s the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to me.

“Why?” I asked with a smile. See, I thought, just maybe, he was thinking of that little church in the movie we’d seen the night before. It was in Vegas and the couple eloped in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t have minded. My luck had changed because Dred was in my life. I wanted to keep him nearby.

“It’s cold outside, baby.”

“Yeah, it is!” Dred hadn’t mentioned marriage, but I was starting to get excited anyway. It’s not like my Wicked Step-Aunt would had cared one way or another. Besides, I’d never been to L.A.  It was a plane trip away and I’d never had enough luck to risk such a venture; like mother, like daughter, they say. And since that was how my mother had gone, I wasn’t going to die that way too.

Dred started talking about his cousins’ friend who had this awesome video store that we could work at. His cousin’s friend was going open a new branch soon, yada yada, and needed him to come be the manager.

I realized then that Dred meant move there for good, and he wanted me with him! Wow. I could handle that! A fresh start with my good luck! No more “Sheri”s to clutter my resume! And going through it all with Dred by my side. I could totally handle that.

“I’d love to go!” How lucky it was that I’d lost my job! Now I could go to California and get a new start. We’d be safe and warm, together, me and Dred, in California. Oh, I was so excited! I clapped my hands and sat down on the couch beside him. I kept bouncing a little; I couldn’t help it, I was so excited.

“One problem: how do we get the dough?” Dred looked down at the couch again. I felt so bad for him again, thinking of those loser friends of his. I totally understand loser friends!

I knew what I had to do now: I had to get us to L.A. The next week, I wrote a check at the Greyhound station and we decided to wait for my last pay check, which came Thursday. Last night, we had a wonderful time reminiscing about Chicago and dreaming of California. We didn’t split ‘til nearly 3 a.m. Then Dred went to his cousin’s place to gather his things and I’d gone to sleep on my couch for one last time. I was so excited to leave, but I was so tired all the same!

This morning, my luck disappeared.

See, we were to meet at the Greyhound station for the 7:30 a.m. bus. Dred had the tickets and our money so we all had it in one place. It was the best way.

I had even set the alarm on my mobile phone to make sure I woke up in time. But the battery had died in the night. I thought I’d plugged it in! But I was so tired last night.

Anyway, I realized my luck ran out when I woke at 7:05 a.m. Then I realized it was snowing.

Then I couldn’t find my bus pass: it just wasn’t in my wallet! I needed a bus to get to the Greyhound station.

I ran to the Greyhound station, but I sprained my ankle in the slippery snow, of course. Nearly two miles in the snow with my bag, which is so heavy. I got to the train station at 8:25 a.m. The bus had left on time, and there weren’t any notes for me. Just my luck the attendant lost the note Dred must have written.

I walked back to my apartment, but I couldn’t get in, of course. I’d told the office that I was moving out and left the key in the apartment as part of standard checkout, of course.

So then I headed to Dred’s cousins’ place. I’ve actually never been there before, and I seriously couldn’t find apartment number 7. Just my luck it’s hard to find on a snowy morning.

I walked back to the Greyhound station.

Just my luck that I couldn’t find an outlet to plug my phone in to charge it.

“Could I please borrow your phone?” I asked this lady sitting on the bench. She gave me a dirty look and edged away. I asked about five people before someone gave me some coins for a payphone. I didn’t even know they had those things anymore! Just my luck the first one was out of order.

Dred’s phone rang and rang. Just my luck that he was probably stuck in the middle of Wyoming when I try to call.

Anyway, so here I am walking the streets, hating the brown leaves, the gray skies, and the snowy slush on the roads.

I guess it’s back to my Wicked Step-Aunt’s again for me. If I knew where my bus pass was, I wouldn’t have to walk. Just my luck. I wish I were on my way to L.A. with Dred.

Maybe someday my luck will change.

Fictional response to the following prompts (I’m very behind but I wanted to get these done because they’re great prompts):

Musical Musings: California Dreamin’ by the Mommas and Poppas

Write Anything Fiction Friday #59 Sketch out a character with bad luck

Writer’s Island: Superstition

3ww Frequent, Open, Someday

I didn’t do a lot of editing on this. I’m not very confident writing fiction, so I’d appreciate input as to what works, what doesn’t and how to make it more realistic for the reader.

Again, there is some truth in my fiction. When my sister was 14 or 15, she asked my mom if she could go to L.A. with this guy named Dred in her school. When my mom flipped out, my sister said she was kidding and asked if she could get her cartilage pierced. (Apparently, she was hoping the shock factor would make the second seem great and therefore get “Of course, go right ahead!” as the answer. I actually don’t know the outcome of the story.) Anyway,”Dred” was the inspiration for this story, although my sister is nothing like this narrator!

Related posts:

1. Just My Luck