How Much?

"How Much? Straight answer." I quickly typed back the text. I glanced at Charlotte who was looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"330.01 to get my car out of Impound. 297.01 for the Fine, which I also have to pay before they give me back my car. Plus whatever it costs to get a ride share to the courthouse and the lot."

"Seven Hundred Bucks?" I blurted aloud. I shook my head and typed back rapidly. "What did Callum Say?"

"Seven hundred? Did she spit on a cop or something?" Charlotte laughed. "I think I'm starting to like this girl."

"He said 'I told you so'. Don't make me beg."

Dad had decided, apparently, to be dad. I knew it would have to have been something just unlucky, but these things always had a way of cascading for Imogene. When she was a kid I remembered the time her bike broke, and dad had just insisted that he had warned her about riding it off road. Course he didn't help her fix it, or anything else. Just insisted that she solve her own problems.

"Can I pay the Fine from my phone?" I typed back. I hoped she at least had done a little homework before texting me.

"Something with her car. They towed it, and she needs a ride to pick it up and the fines paid." I mumbled, taking note of the two Links that Imogene had sent me. Yup, Local PD website. Let's see... scrolling through. Crap, In which pile of clothes is my wallet?

"Who?" The voice of my wife called my attention, and I noticed that she had just exited the bedroom, back in her nice warm bathrobe.

"It's Imogene. She got towed last night." I explained, spying my Hawaiian shirt. That's where I left my stuff, I remembered.

"Towed, oh dammit Brent, what did she and those stupid little friends of hers do now?" Kaila rolled her eyes, crossing her arms lowering her brow.

"I'm Looking." I scrolled through the citation page, noting Imogene's name, the description of her beat up beetle, and the charge. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" I shouted, my eyes on the item in question.

"What?" Charlotte asked, her eyes wide.

"Don't keep us in suspense." Helen's voice was present as she closed the bedroom door behind her, and I noticed that she had put on something that resembled actual clothing, as much as a big t-shirt and shorts can be considered actual clothing.

"Parking in a handicapped spot. Six Hundred and Twenty dollars." I closed my eyes tightly and pressed my fingers to my eyelids. This was just stupid.

"Let her fucking twist." Kaila's voice was sharp. "Seriously, I know she's your sister, but this is... she should have known better."

"That's what dad said." I remarked, showing Kaila the text.

"Yeah, well maybe he ISN'T wrong about everything." Kaila replied, her voice becoming angry.

My mouth opened and I wanted to angrily retort. That had been a low shot. If there was one thing that we had agreed on throughout our entire marriage...

"I'm sorry..." Kaila amended quickly. "I... I didn't mean it like that. Fuck, Brent. This is... every time. Every time this happens."

"I... Ok." I wanted to scream that it didn't matter how she had meant it, but I knew that if I did that it would lead to a fight. A big fight. The last thing I wanted to have today, especially after things had been going so well.