The players & locales

Me – 40, divorced. No kids, two adored dogs (now deceased). Constant disappointment to my mother and myself. Perpetually broke. Laid off in July 2010. Trying to overcome near emotional breakdown to find work. Would like to be out of the relationship, not sure why I’m still here, but economic factors certainly apply.

Bf – Short for boyfriend. Mid-40s, twice divorced. Three kids from first marriage, puppy dog. Often broke due to required child support payments and/or child support payments due to him. Works as armed security guard.

L. or La – Bf’s oldest, an 18-year-old girl. A high school junior. Thinks of herself as (and certainly dresses as) an Emo Chick. In long-term relationship with Y., a 19-year-old high-school dropout. Lives with us after Mom kicked her out because of said relationship. Currently in first lesbian relationship, with a genuinely nice girl, C. Unemployed high-school graduate. Not in school. Smokes a lot of pot. Idolizes Aunt Z, seems to be following in her footsteps.

O. & U. - Bf’s middle and youngest children, actually 15-year-old twins. In ninth grade. Boys. Rather clean for boys that age, but still kinda grubby. Live with us after Mom told them “I’m through being your Mama.” One lives with us, one lives with his mother after a juvenile court judge decreed they were not to live together. Both on probation after a fight at the local amusement park; both had priors on their records. The one who lives with us, O, also had a marijuana possession charge, and therefore also received four days in a juvenile detention facility.

Mom - Bf’s first wife. The kids lived with Mom until our story began. Apparently smokes a lot of weed, I’m told.

M. - Mom’s mother. Lives with Mom, thus lived with the kids. Not very healthy.

Aunt Z. – Mom’s sister. Generally a very helpful person. Lives Far Away in Arizona. Lives with Mom & M, et al. Doesn’t work. Apparently, a Wiccan pot-head.

P. – Bf’s adoptive father. 80ish. Very athletic, usually in motion.

Le. – Bf’s adoptive mother. Will not divulge her exact age, but is believed to be older than her husband. Incredibly tiny, incredibly energetic.

Aunt R. – Bf’s sister. A few weeks younger than me.

Y. – L’s 19-year-old high-school-dropout boyfriend. Has visions of being a hairdresser. Hasn’t got many fans in the family.

C. – L‘s first official girlfriend. It’s okay, we like her. Very polite, does more chores than the kids who live here do. No source of income, not in school, no ambition apparent. Edit: We don’t like her anymore. Currently doing 4-6 months in the state prison for (I think) theft.

V. – A 13-year-old 8th grader who was first U‘s girlfriend, but after about a month broke it off with him to date O. A little skank who has been having sex with O, and probably U, since she was 12. Comes from very professional household. Rarely shows emotion. Beautiful, though. Right now, as of last night, not dating O, or so I’ve been told. Haven’t had an update today. Oops, back on again. 

W. – V‘s mother. Has unique parenting philosophy: “Give ‘em whatever they want,” so you don’t have to put up with them whining or getting moody and grumpy. Often invited both boys over to stay the night; still invites O over quite a bit, apparently allows them to sleep together. Also likes to drive V to our house, allow V and O to make out in her car while she walks around smoking. Spends extraordinary amounts of money on O, at least $50 a week if we’ll let her, by taking him out to eat and to mall. We are trying to end this since the incarceration, but W is not above defying our wishes/pretending not to get texts/not answering our phone calls. (I say “our.” I don’t talk to her, so it’s really just Bf.)

N. – Bf‘s best friend.

S. – N‘s school-aged daughter. A bundle of energy who never sleeps or eats. Lived here, more or less, last summer. Now lives in Far Away Almost Canada with her mother. I miss them both.

Village or TinyTown – The small, declining town where Mom lives.

Big City – Where I live.