Rectify

7

Michael
8:34 p.m.
Nia's Apartment

"Hey Nia, I'm outside," I said. "Of where?" she asked. "Your apartment," I answered.

"My apartment? Oh, um, I'm at Johns," she said. "Meet me at that burger spot down the street," she
said.

* * *

Nia
9:00 p.m.
Cutters Bar & Grill

As soon as I got there Michael was waiting for me. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said. "No, it's okay," I said.

They sat us down and we started to look through the menu. We both ordered our drinks and meals and started to talk.

"I knocked on your door and this lady opened it, she said she was living there and she doesn't know you," Michael said.

"I lied Michael," I said. "What?" he said. "I was too embarrassed to tell you a lot of things," I said.

"Okay, tell me your side," he got real serious. "When you saw me that night, driving slow, it was because I had got in a car crash a few months prior, it was my first time driving since the crash," I said.

"They said I wasn't going to survive, tests showed I wasn't making any progress, so my agency dropped me," she said. "And I woke up, and sometimes I wish I hadn't, but I went on with life trying to live off what I had until another agency contacted me again," I continued.

"But, I got evicted and now I'm living with my half sister," I said.

"Nia, you know the one thing I asked from you-," he said. "Was to not lie to you, ever," I finished the statement.

"And I'm sorry, I didn't ever want to lie to you and I promise to never do it again in the future, but I'm still dealing with a lot of things mentally," I said.

"But you would have never met me," Michael said. "What?" I was confused. "You said that sometimes you wish you hadn't woke up, but you wouldn't have met me if you didn't wake up," he said.

I smiled at him. "My home is always open," he said. "Okay," I said. "If you want to stay with me you're always welcome, Chad moved out and I have two spare rooms," he said.

"Why?" she asked. "He said he had fulfilled his purpose and that I was ready to be on my own, I haven't seen him since," Michael said.

"Really?" Nia said. "Yeah, but It's fine, I know he's okay," Michael said.

The waiter cane and brought our food and we both dug in. "Why are you so nice to people?" I asked.

"My mom said being rude would never get you anywhere in life, and it's brought me this far," he said.

* * *

11:01 p.m.
Michael's Car

I had fallen asleep during the car ride and woke up to see I was still in the car. I looked over and Michael was there, watching me. "Creep," I laughed. "Good Morning," he chuckled. "Where are we?" I asked. "In front of my apartment," he said.

I panicked, "My sister is probably looking for me," I said. I opened my phone to se a text saying her and John were leaving Detroit. "I have nowhere to go, my parents are out of town too," I said. "You can always stay with me," he said.