Essay/Term paper: A slice of life

Essay, term paper, research paper:  English Literature Essays

A Slice of Life


Thump!Thump! There was a loud noise at the door, "Alright hold on, I'm
coming." Tim yelled. Tim was in his early twenties, he had a blue mowhawk,
always dressed shabby, and addicted to heroin. Tim walked to the door and opened
it, "Yes." he said sarcastically.

The man at the door asked if Gwen was home, "Are you Gwen's new boyfriend" Tim
asked him. "Yes I am, my name is Tony" he replied. "Nice to meet you" Tim said.
"No, Gwen is not here right now. I think she is still trying to get the job at
that bar on 6th street" Tim replied.
"Oh, well tell her that I came by and just to give me a call, OK?" Tony said.
"One problem" Tim said. "Oh, and what's that?" Tony replied. "Didn't Gwen tell
you?" Tim said "we don't have a phone, or a T.V or any other appliances, we are
gutterpunks. Why do you think we live in this shed?" "Well I guess I will
just come back later" Tony said with a strange look on his face.

"Tim! Wakeup! " Gwen yelled. "Huh?" Tim replied. "Wakeup!," she yelled
back. "Oh, OK" Tim yelled back. "That boy, Tony came by, looking for you, he
thought we had a phone." Tim said chuckling. "You didn't tell him that we
don't have a phone or the other stuff did you?!" Gwen yelled. "Um, well kinda
yeah, why?" Tim questioned. " Why?" she yelled and stormed off. Gwen was the
type of girl who didn't care what people thought of her, but she didn't like it
when people would find out that she was poor. She had blonde hair, and was very
thin. She wore sequined pants, and these funny looking shirts most of the time,
unless she went out.
"Gwen?, Mike, and Shirley are home. Look I'm sorry I told Tony." Tim
said. "Send Shirley in." Gwen yelled back. "Shirley, Gwen wants you." Tim said.
" I'll be right in" she yelled back. Shirley was an Irish girl whose parents
had both died, and she was sent to America to live with her aunt, she ran away
and met Mike. Shirley had red hair, and was also a weird dresser, she had a job
at a library filing books. The pay was bad but she would accept anything, that
would keep them alive.
"I'm outside Gwen, come on out and we will talk." Shirley yelled into
the shed. "What's wrong with her?" Mike asked. "Tim told her new boyfreind we
were poor," Shirley replied. "So, what's wrong with being poor?" Mike asked, "
We have a place to sleep and we're happy." "Yeah, but you know how Gwen is
about these things." Shirley said. "Yeah, I guess," Mike replied. Mike had
brown hair, worked in a music store that paid him almost nothing. He plays the
guitar really well, and has tried out to be in local bands so he could earn
money but hadn't been lucky. He is the only one of the group that knew about
Tim's heroin problem.
Gwen walked out of the shack and apologized to Tim for storming off, and
told Shirley that she was OK, and didn't need to talk anymore. "So, Tim, when
are you gonna go look for a job?" Mike asked. "Ugh.....me work!?" Tim replied
sarcastically. "Yes you." Mike said. "I will start first thing tomorrow,
looking for one, I promise." Tim said. "Well I don't know about you guys but I'm
going for a walk."Tim said. "Bye" they all said. "Maybe I should go with him,"
Mike thought to himself. "I'll be back in a minute," Mike told the girls. He
ran to catch up with Tim, "Tim!" he yelled "Wait up!" "What do you want?" Tim
asked. "Do you have any heroin with you?" Mike asked " Oh, so you know I'm
hooked?" Tim questioned. "No! I am just making sure you don't, so you won't mess
yourself up." Mike said "Mike, just leave me alone, I don't need you telling me
what to do!" Tim yelled at Mike. "Fine but don't think about coming back to the
house unless you quit right now!" Mike yelled back. "Fine then, tell gwen and
shirley that it was nice knowing them." Tim said.
"I wonder where they are?" Gwen said. "I am sure they will be home
soon." Shirley said. Clang! The door of the shed opened, Mike walked in but no
Tim, he explained the whole thing to them about Tim being addicted to heroin.
Both of the girls were shocked, and insisted that they go and find Tim.
Mike said " I'm sure he'll be back, lets just wait." "I sure hope so," Shirley
said.
The next day Mike, and Shirley went to work and Gwen stayed home.
Gwen was cleaning the house, when a policeman came by. He said that Tim had
been found dead in an alley. She asked how he had found out where Tim lived, he
said that he had seen, him walking over here many times. Gwen informed everyone
of the news, they all cried and were sad.
Mike thought that they should all forget about it and go on with their lives,
they all agreed. Gwen got a job working in a bar, Mike still worked at the
record store which was becoming more and more popular, and Shirley still worked
at the library. So all together they made a pretty good amount of money.

"Maybe we could get an apartment?" Gwen asked the other two. "Yeah!"
Shirley said "What do you think, Mike?" "I think that would be pretty good, we
would have our own showers and stuff, I think that's a great idea." Mike agreed.
So the next day they went looking for an apartment, they went to three housing
developments and finally found one with three bedrooms, a phone and one shower
for one-hundred-fifty dollars a month. They decided to take it. They moved in
the next day, and were settled. They all liked the apartment, and everyone was
happy. Everyone continued their jobs and they gradually raised enough money to
buy a car.
One night they were walking down the street, and Mike saw an ad for
tryouts for a band, "Should I try out for that?" he asked the girls, "Sure go
for it, Mike." Gwen said. The next day Mike went to the tryout and was
picked over many guitarists. The band told him that he would start playing the
next day, and that they were going to tour in a few weeks. Mike thought this was
the greatest thing ever. "Can you believe this!?" Mike screamed with joy, "I
have never been so happy." "Well what are you going to do about your job?"
Shirley asked. "I don't know, do you think I should quit? Because the band said
we were going to tour," Mike replied. "Yea well what happens if you guys break
up then what are you going to do?" Shirley said. "Well hopefully I will have
enough money from touring that I won't need to worry for awhile." Mike replied.
"Oh well do whatever you want," Shirley said.
After a few days, Mike came home and told the girls that that he was
going to leave for awhile to go and do some shows. They asked when he would be
back and he said he didn't know. Mike went on touring and Gwen and Shirley kept
doing what they were doing. Gwen continued seeing Tony, and they finally
decided to get married, it was ironic that Tony's family was a very wealthy
family. When Gwen broke the news to Shirley, Shirley was happy and sad. She was
happy that Gwen was getting married, but she was sad because she would have no
one to live with. "Oh, Shirley, I am so sorry but I really want to get married
and get away from this type of living and this apartment." Gwen sobbed " I know,
I would too if I could but you go ahead, and get married, live a happy life."
Shirley replied. "Thank you" Gwen said hugging Shirley.
A month later Gwen and Tony were married and moved to Orange County,
California. Shirley still resided in Berkeley, and seemed happy living alone,
she had gotten a smaller apartment that wasn't so expensive.