n followed by what sounds like running water. "Hey Ally, can I call you back? Something is going on in the kitchen." I hang up the phone before hearing her response and run to where the sound is coming from.
"Shit!" There is water pouring from the ceiling all over the place. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"
I have only lived here a couple weeks and don't know where the shut off valve is. I quickly dial Brian's number. "Hello?"
"BRIAN! THERE IS WATER SPRAYING EVERYWHERE! WHERE IS THE SHUT OFF VALVE?"
"What? What do you mean there is water sprayi-"
"BRIAN THE VALVE!"
"Sorry the valve is in the laundry room closet. Down on the right wall."
I hang up the phone and run to the closet and turn it all off. Once the water stops spraying, I can see that it looks like some pipes burst in the ceiling. I look at the huge mess and mumble "You have got to be kidding me." Not that Brian's place was ever the nicest in the world, but looking at the damage, I know it is going to take a while to fix. I call Brian back and explain what happened. He said he's on his way back and will call the landlord on the way. Great. Just great.
Chapter 2
I am still trying to mop up the worst of the water and have wet towels everywhere from where I was trying to sop it all up when Brian walks in the door.
"Shit" he says as he steps in the apartment and takes a look around.
"Shit is right. Did your landlord say how long it was going to take to fix?"
Brian looks up at the ceiling and blows out a breath. "The cleaning company will be here tomorrow to get the water cleared out, but the soonest a plumber can be out is next week. She said based on what you told her happened they estimate it would take about two weeks to finish replacing all the pipes and then another two weeks to repair all the damage that was done."
My mouth drops open "That's over a month!"
“I know. Trust me. I know.” He blows out another breath and looks at me. “She said we can move back in once they replace the pipes but we wouldn't be able to use the kitchen for the two weeks they are repairing everything and you’d have workers in and out all throughout the day.”
Now it’s my turn to blow out a frustrated breath. I finally am able to save money on rent by staying with my boyfriend and now we can’t even stay here.
“I’d rather not be here with random guys walking in and out. What do we do then? Do they have another apartment we can stay in?”
Brian shakes his head. “They are all occupied. She isn’t charging us for the 10 days we were here this month and then we won’t owe rent until we are back in, but they don’t pay for us to stay anywhere else.”
“That’s crazy! A hotel is going to cost way more than rent. Do you think we can find an apartment on this short notice for only one month?”
I am getting more upset and Brian can tell. I was finally able to catch a break in my bills and was going to be debt free by the time I was done with my classes. This is going to put me way behind even if I split the bill with Brian.
Brian comes closer and puts his hands on both of my shoulders to comfort me. “I thought we could stay with my dad for the month.”
I look back at him confused. I have never met Brian’s dad and from what I gathered from him they are not very close. “Your dad?”
“Yeah his place is only 20 minutes away, and he’s got 3 bedrooms. It’s not like he needs that many since it’s only ever just him.”
I am even more shocked to hear his dad is only 20 minutes away and I have never even met him. From what Brian told me, his mom got pregnant in high school, but his parents were not together after he was born. His dad wasn’t a bad parent but his mom didn’t really want to ever see him, so Brian only spent Holidays and occasionally a couple weeks in the summer with his dad, which was just fine with his dad according to Brian since he was only a teenager and didn’t understand what being a parent even meant at the time. I think Brian and him grab dinner ever now and then but I am not really sure. He doesn’t really mention him much.
“How is your dad only 20 minutes away and I haven’t even met him yet?”
Brian just shrugs his shoulders. “We don’t talk that much.”
“And he will be okay with us staying with him?”
Brian shrugs again and gives me a small smirk. “Yeah, he pretty much does anything I ask him to. Trying to make up for not being involved in my life and all. Makes him feel less guilty. Not to mention, he works all the time, so it’s not like we’ll be in his way. He is barely ever home anyway.”
Brian steps back from me and I look at him more seriously. “Are you sure he’d be okay with it? When was the last time you talked to him?”
Brian laughs at my doubt in the situation. Shaking his head like he can’t believe I don’t trust what he just said, he answers “I already asked him on my way back home. Well, technically I asked him for money to stay in a hotel, but even though he is loaded, he said he isn’t going to waste money on a hotel when we can just stay with him for free.”