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"Mike, wait. I need your help with something later."
After dinner, Georgie, who was heading out with Mike and the others, stopped him.
"OK~"
As a friend, Mike didn't hesitate and agreed to the request.
Then, after watching Georgie and Mandy go to the garage and saying goodbye to Meemaw Connie and Paige, he walked to the gate of the yard to wait for Georgie.
Not long after, Georgie, having settled his girlfriend, also arrived at the yard gate.
"Why don't you move back into the house?"
Mike looked in the direction of the Cooper garage and asked curiously.
At the dinner table earlier, the Cooper family had discussed Georgie and Mandy's living arrangements. But in the end, the two still chose to live in the garage.
However, for a pregnant woman, a living environment with a bathroom and toilet would definitely be more comfortable than a garage with nothing.
No matter how big the garage was, the lack of living facilities made it worthy of being passed on.
"Mainly because Mandy and I want some independent living space, and we'll have our own house soon."
Georgie smiled and explained the reason, indicating that he already had plans to buy a house.
As a father-to-be, Georgie should indeed have a plan for his future small family.
"Alright, if that's the case, I suggest you rent an apartment first."
Mike reminded him.
Although Medford was a remote small town, buying a house here would still cost over a hundred thousand dollars.
Given Georgie's current financial situation, it would take at least a year to achieve the goal of buying a house.
He could wait, but pregnant Mandy might not be able to.
So, all things considered, renting first was Georgie's best choice.
"We'll talk about that later..."
Being poor stifles ambition. Georgie, who had just bought the arcade and was carrying a huge debt, didn't have the energy to fuss anymore.
"If it's a money issue, I can help. Interest-free."
Again, as a friend, Mike didn't mind giving Georgie a hand.
"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I can handle Mandy and my life."
Georgie, who still owed Mike two thousand dollars, was too embarrassed to bring up borrowing money again.
Moreover, holding an arcade in his hand, he was confident that with his own efforts, life would get better.
"As long as you have a plan..."
Offering help unsolicited isn't really helping. Mike, having stated his attitude, didn't interfere with the other's choice anymore.
"So tell me, what do you need me for this time?"
Mike brought the topic back.
"Actually, it's Mandy. She left some daily necessities in the apartment she rented before. I want you to drive me there to get them back."
Georgie explained his intention.
Turns out it was just being a driver for an errand.
Small matter~
Subsequently, Mike drove his Dodge pickup truck, taking Georgie towards Third Avenue.
The place Mandy lived before was in the city, belonging to a formal residential area.
Soon, guided by Georgie, the pickup truck stopped downstairs at a mixed-use building. The environment here was somewhat similar to the slum area Mia lived in before.
"Let's go, I'll go up with you to get things from the landlord."
After turning off the car, Mike prepared to go upstairs to help carry things.
"No, no need, just wait in the car."
Georgie stammered: "Actually, Mandy doesn't have much luggage, just some changes of clothes and cosmetics. And there's the rent issue..."
Okay, after Georgie's explanation, Mike understood the problem.
Because of lack of money, Mandy had lived here for more than two months and owed the landlord more than a month's rent.
Looking for Georgie this time was also because she was kicked out by the landlord for owing rent.
It could be said that all this was caused by lack of money.
"I heard you say Mandy put down a month's deposit here, which should just cover the account. So we don't need to be sneaky, right?"
Looking at Georgie acting like a thief, Mike spoke speechlessly.
If we really count it up, Mandy, who put down a month's deposit, didn't owe the landlord anything. At most, she stayed a few extra days, big deal, just pay a little extra.
Moreover, the rent here wasn't expensive, only over 200 dollars a month. There was no need to engage in shady operations for this little money.
"It's not about the money..."
Penniless Georgie blustered for a bit, then said: "Forget it, I can handle things here, you just wait in the car."
After Georgie finished speaking, he didn't give Mike a chance to refute. He quickly went downstairs, found a place with an external scaffold, and climbed up.
This kind of old residential building was no more than six stories high. And because of the residents' unauthorized modifications, climbing wasn't difficult.
It happened to be evening now, and Georgie, wearing a gray suit, had natural protective coloring.
Mike got out of the car to check the situation. Not to attract the attention of the residents here, he didn't voice his objection to stop Georgie.
On the other side, Georgie, who had been out in the world for nearly half a year, had developed good physical fitness.
In a short while, he climbed nimbly to the third floor, then squeezed in through a half-open window.
Click, click...
Just entering the room, before he had time to turn his head, Georgie judged from experience that this was the sound of a firearm.
"Wait, I'm not a thief, and I have no malicious intent..."
Georgie, breaking out in a cold sweat instantly, raised his arms sensibly, signaling that he was no threat.
You know, in the free country of America, getting shot for trespassing on private property can only be considered your own bad luck.
"Kid, turn around slowly, don't let me catch you making any extra moves."
A hoarse voice sounded in the room.
Only after Georgie turned around carefully did he see clearly that in the unlit room, an old man with completely white hair was lying in a recliner, with a flashy cartoon blanket covering his legs.
Of course, these weren't the main points; the main point was that the old man's face looked very ugly at this time, and he was holding a large-caliber long-barreled shotgun.
Barring accidents, this shotgun could take a life with one shot at close range.
"Kid, who are you? What is your purpose here?"
Similarly, seeing clearly that the intruder was a teenager, the old man's attitude softened a bit.
It's just that his aged face with a ferocious scar still gave a strong sense of oppression.
"I am Georgie Cooper, here to help my girlfriend get her luggage..."
Georgie, cursing his bad luck inwardly, explained the situation truthfully.
"You are the kid who got Mandy pregnant?"
Understanding Georgie's answer, the old man lowered the shotgun and said: "Mandy is a good girl; she shouldn't be let down."
Judging by the old man's reaction, Mandy must have had good relationships with the neighbors when she lived here.
"I am Mandy's boyfriend, of course I will take good care of her."
Georgie promised nervously.
At this moment, he just wanted to leave here quickly.
"Nice kid! But you came to the wrong place. Mandy doesn't live here; the room she rented is upstairs."
The old man looked at Georgie carefully and reminded him.
Turns out, the dim light in the evening made the guilty Georgie enter the wrong floor. Hence this mix-up.
"This..."
Understanding his mistake, Georgie asked awkwardly: "Um, may I leave now?"
"Go, kid. Don't come to the wrong place next time."
The old man waved his hand casually.
"Thank you~"
Georgie, feeling like he had been granted amnesty, thanked him politely and quickly climbed out of the window again.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, blown by the evening breeze, he felt chilly all over. And having been frightened, his hands and feet were soft like noodles at this time.
"Why are you sweating so much? And where is the luggage you took?"
Mike, responsible for the pickup, looked at Georgie sliding down the garbage chute and asked.
"Nothing, just a little hot after exercise."
Georgie, pale and in a bad state, pretended to be calm and said: "I just thought about it, you were right before, we shouldn't take things sneakily. So I decided to come back another time to help Mandy get her luggage."
Obviously, Georgie, badly frightened by the unexpected situation earlier, didn't go to "explore" Mandy's rented room again.
Mike saw something was wrong with him and continued to ask: "Which room does Mandy live in?"
"Fourth floor, unit two, why?"
Georgie blurted out.
Now Mike understood; if he remembered correctly, Georgie had just entered unit two on the third floor.
And looking at his appearance, he must have encountered something bad inside.
Of course, Mike couldn't comment much on this mix-up.
He only knew that since they were here, there was no reason not to handle Mandy's luggage matter cleanly.
"Rest in the car for a while, I'll go upstairs to check the situation again."
Mike, having made a decision, arranged their next move.
This time, Mike also didn't give Georgie much chance to refute. After stating the plan, he walked towards the unit door.
More than ten minutes later, under Georgie's surprised gaze, Mike, carrying two suitcases, was escorted downstairs by a landlady in her thirties.
If he remembered correctly, Georgie had met that landlady too.
More than two months ago, when he accompanied Mandy to rent the room, the other party's attitude wasn't this good.
When Mike put the suitcases in the trunk and sat in the driver's seat, Georgie finally couldn't help asking: "How did you do it?"
"Must be charm!"
Seeing Georgie deflated, Mike answered in a joking tone.
"I mean it, did you pay the back rent for Mandy? If so, I'll pay you back later."
Georgie made a guess.
Georgie, who had never received preferential treatment from strange women, really couldn't figure out how Mike handled the landlady.
"That landlady is very reasonable. I just mentioned Mandy's situation, and she agreed to the checkout. She didn't ask for extra money..."
Mike stated: "If you and Mandy still want to rent a place, I suggest you continue renting here."
Mike paid special attention when he went upstairs just now. although the room Mandy rented for two hundred dollars a month wasn't large, it had everything needed.
Bathroom, kitchen, everything was there. It was barely qualified for a temporary transition.
"Is that so?"
Hearing Mike's evaluation of the landlady, Georgie suspected he was hallucinating. Then, he shook his head and said: "Forget it, the environment here isn't very good. Even if I rent, I won't choose here."
Obviously, that "tough" old man living here had left a psychological shadow on Georgie.