Free Speed of Life by J.M. Kelly

now so she doesn’t get suspicious. “You look really, really tired,” I say. “And I’d have to drive you anyway.”
    She sighs. “Yeah, all right—​if you want to go, that’d be cool.”
    The only reason I’m volunteering is because I need to see if Jocelyn, the lady who runs the show, will write me a letter of recommendation. According to my to-do list, I need three references. Ms. Spellerman’s writing me one, and Jocelyn’s the only other adult I can think of to hit up besides Jimmy.
    â€œWhat’s the topic for tonight?” Amber asks me, since I went last week.
    I search my brain. I hadn’t really been paying attention. “Umm . . .” And then I remember. “Dealing with authority.”
    â€œWhat’s that mean?”
    What did Jocelyn tell us? Oh, yeah. “How to act when you get pulled over by the cops.”
    â€œYou already know that.”
    â€œAnd getting your utilities turned back on. Stuff like that.”
    â€œHuh,” Amber says, not looking up from her puzzle. “Maybe you should send Mom to that one.”
    â€œYeah, seriously.”
    Our phone gets shut off about four times a year. And last winter, our electricity was out for two weeks before she won enough at bingo to get it turned back on. The house was so fucking cold. I shiver now just thinking about it.
    â€œIf you really don’t mind going,” Amber says, “I’m beat.”
    â€œI know. It’s cool.”
    â€œBut don’t dig through the free stuff until you get home.”
    â€œI won’t. I promise.”
    At Forward Momentum they always give us a bunch of freebies for the baby, and at the first meeting of the month, the moms get a bag too. Natalie’s sack has boring but totally necessary stuff, like diapers, formula, zwieback, and sometimes a toy. But the bags for the moms are all fancy because they’re donated by rich ladies. In September, we got Godiva chocolates, nail polish, a set of towels, and a gift card to Safeway. In October there was an MP3 player. We had Han sell ours on eBay for fifty bucks.
    Tonight’s meeting isn’t too bad at first. Jocelyn’s brought her tall, lanky nephew to act like the bad guy. Before we start, she makes each of us draw a slip of paper with a problem on it. Travis is supposed to be the guy in power, and he sits behind a table like it’s a counter and we have to go up to him with our issue.
    My slip of paper says “Trouble with the landlord,” which makes me laugh. Isn’t that my life already? Mom and Gil are so far behind on the rent that we’d all be out on our asses if the place wasn’t such a hellhole. But no one else in their right mind would rent it, so I’m sure the landlord figures a few hundred bucks whenever Mom wins at bingo is better than nothing.
    The first girl who volunteers is one of the Haileys (there are three here tonight) and she really gets into it. Too into it, in fact.
    â€œMy electric’s out,” she says to Travis.
    â€œDo you know your account number?” He’s smiling at her and nodding his head, making his dreadlocks swing.
    Hailey looks at Jocelyn but gets no help there. “Uh . . . I guess not.”
    â€œWhat’s your name?”
    She tells him, and he pretends to type it into a computer. “Your account’s a hundred and twenty days past due,” he says. “It shows here that we issued a final notice for payment on the thirtieth of October.”
    She crosses her arms. “I didn’t get it.”
    â€œThere’s a note in my computer that says you called and promised to pay it in full the next day.”
    â€œI never got nothing.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œAre you calling me a liar?” Hailey demands.
    We all look around at one another, and a bunch of us are trying not to laugh. One of the other Haileys says, “Look out, Mr.