Percival Chapter One Part Eight

“Why?” She turned her head and looked at him.

Percival searched for the right words, something witty but nothing sounded right and just before the silence became awkward he said, “I have some money. “

“You do, do you?” She sauntered over to him, sniffling blood.

“Come on in.” He switched the light on and opened the door, searching his jean pocket for his wallet. He had forty-two dollars crumpled in his hand. She came in but left the door cracked, her hand still on the knob. She scanned the room taking in the pictures on the wall and bookshelf.

“You live here?”

“Yea. Almost a year now. What’s your name? I’m Percival.” He sat on the bed trying his best not to intimidate her.

“I’m Candi,” she said.

She let go of the doorknob and walked into the center of the room checking things out, touching a black and white photograph of his mother, a typical high school shot and the only thing he had from her.

“This your mom?” She said.

“Yes. She’s dead now.” He stood up and she eyed him with an arched brow as he moved to open the fridge. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I need a Kleenex. I think I bled on your rug. You should clean that up before it dries,” she said, pointing to a dotted trail that ran from the door to where she stood.

“Sure,” he said but he kicked himself for not suggesting to help her earlier. He felt like an ass. He ran into the bathroom and pulled out a fistful of toilet paper and handed it to her. She held it against her nose. “Sorry I should of known.”

“I’m not a…You know…I’m a dancer,” she said. She tilted her head back.

“Oh. That’s cool.” He wanted the words back as soon as he said them. “I mean that’s better then being a prostitute.”

She stared at him and smiled. “I could use some cash though.”

“I have forty-two dollars.”

“We could work something out.”

Percival could feel the heat rise to his head. “Umm you just take it. You need it.”

She laughed. “You got to be kidding?”

“No. Go ahead really. You look like you need it more then I do.”

“Oh this,” she said and held out the bloody toilet paper. “He’s not really that mean of a guy. I kind of deserved it.”

“No one deserves that,” he said.

“You don’t understand,” she said and then changed the subject. “You’re just going to give me this cash for nothing?”

“Well you could stick around and hang out. I don’t care. Watch some television.” Percival picked up the remote and started changing the channel. She didn’t respond and continued to investigate his room. She stopped at his bookshelf.

“You must read a lot . Do you go to school or something? Biology, Chemistry, British literature….” She ran her finger along the books on his shelf.

“I go to Summerset Community College.” Percival felt butterflies in his stomach. This was the first time a woman has been in his room and he tried to act natural about it.