Dead Broke

Broke House, week 1: Brandi, Dustin, Beau and baby Marlon

Brandi: Well, it's not easy raising two kids alone, you know. Especially not when you hardly have any money! So after Skip died, I decided to get myself a job. I found one as a security guard that promised decent pay, and since it was a night time thing I figured Dustin could babysit and I wouldn't have to pay for a nanny. I mean, they'd be asleep most of the time. And we did need the money.

Then there was this old woman showing up on my doorstep, telling me she could set me up with the man of my dreams. I told her I'd met the man of my dreams, married him, and then he died - but she told me there were other men out there. I thought Why not? so I gave her some money. Apparently not enough, because she complained about it, but she knew I was poor, didn't she? She set me up with the mailman, and, well, it just wasn't meant to be. He's nice enough, but not the guy for me.


Well, I wasn't going to throw away more money on that gypsy, so once Dustin got home from school, I told him to look after Beau and took a little trip downtown. Just to check things out, you know? And that's when I saw him.


Mortimer Goth is HOT! And when I worked up the nerve to talk to him, he said the same thing about me. Yeah, so he's a bit older, but I don't mind that. He's a real gentleman, but he never made me feel like I'm only a foundation away from trailer trash (like some people say). Anyway, I had to get home to the boys, but we exchanged phone numbers, and I was feeling real hopeful.

Until I had to rush to the bathroom to throw up right after I came home. Oh man, another baby on the way. How am I going to afford to feed three kids?


Dustin: Yeah, so, my mom is like, desperate to find a new man. Doesn't she miss Dad at all? I do, all the time. He was just the greatest dad ever!

But I have Angela to keep my mind off things. Whenever I'm feeling down, I take her out on a date, and she makes it all better. It's nice to have someone to talk to, you know? I guess that's what I like about her. (Author's note: Dustin and Angela only have one bolt for each other, and he has red hair as a turn-off.)

But then this one time when we were sneaking out together at night, we got busted by the cops. I was real scared at first, thinking they'd clued in on what I do for a living, but I guess they're not smart enough for that. They just took us home and gave us a lecture. Mom, she didn't care much, she was too busy thinking the cop was hot. Jeez, she really goes for those geeky nerdy types... But then she did get a job as a cop herself, so maybe that's it?


I got promoted at work! Yay me! Then I went downtown to try to earn some extra cash by DJing. Well, let's just say I didn't exactly get the hippest people in town to get up on the dance floor... But I'll get better, you can be sure of that!


Sometimes it seems time just flies by, you know? Beau is in school already, and then Mom had the new baby. She named him Marlon - man, he's going to get more teased than I ever was. Mom has this thing for old movies, see... And the guys that star in them. Well, it could be worse. Anyway, Marlon is a toddler already, crawling around all over the place - I've got to teach him to walk - and of course I have to share my room with Beau. That's cool - we sold the pinball machine a long time ago, to help pay the bills.


Brandi: You'll never know how proud I am of Dustin for getting his act together! He's getting As now, brings home money, helps take care of his brothers... They both adore him. Sometimes I think they like him better than me!


I decided to cut my hair. I mean, if I'm going to be seeing a guy like Mortimer, I need to look a bit more sophisticated, don't you agree? It turned out pretty good, I think. Well, then I asked him out on a date. It was dreamy, except for that old bag Crumplebottom who went nuts when she saw us kissing. I wish she'd just take her bag and knock herself out with it! Well, then we had another date, and another, and another... We went bowling, we had dinner, we danced - you name it, we did it. (Giggle.) Yeah, that too! After we declared our love for each other, I invited him to my place and we snuck into my bedroom for some private time. Beau and Marlon were asleep, and Dustin was hanging out with some friend of his outside, so...


Oh, yeah, after one of our dates, Mortimer came by late at night to drop off a present for me. A big old statue! Now, what does he think I'm going to do with a statue, when I don't even have a couch or a desk in my house? Put it in a corner and look at it once in a while? Nah - I sold it, of course, and used the money to add a room to the house. We're going to need it - I've applied to adopt a child, and I was approved. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy, but finances aren't as bad as they were, and I really want a daughter... Of course, all that was before I started to suspect that Morty got me pregnant! So now I'm going to have five kids? Well, Dustin says he'll be going off to college, but still - I'll have to convince Morty to move in. I can't do it all alone. And it's his baby, anyway.


Dustin: Oh man oh man oh man, I just met the most amazing girl! Her name is Cara, I met her at work, and she is so incredibly pretty! I can't believe how wonderful she is! The very night we met, I asked her out on a date, and we spent the night just talking and flirting and kissing... At one point mom pulled me aside and told me Angela was ringing the doorbell, but I told her not to open the door. I mean, Angie's nice - but Cara! Oh man! I think I'm in love!

Maybe I can persuade her to come to college with me...


Born: Marlon Broke, Aries, 10/9/7/8/1