Good Girl Gone Bad

~27~

TW: mentions of death and violence. 

Declan

"Mani, where are we going?" I asked. She looked over at me and slightly smiled. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time". What kind of cryptic message is that?

We are about thirty minutes from my house. She's still getting the hang of driving and every so often she would stop abruptly in the middle of the road. I trust her. She wouldn't have gotten behind the wheel if she couldn't drive well enough.

My mother was an impeccable driver. She taught me how to drive. In this exact car. It's one of the only things we've done together. She didn't teach Georgie how to drive. I had to. She treated him like crap compared to me. Yet he still loves her. He loved her. It just shows how much better he is than me.

"Are we almost there?" "Yes." She said plainly. Ding. My phone went off. "Come home now," Georgie said. I left him on read.

***

We stopped at a rusty-looking building. It was very large. From the outside, it looked like it could fit three hundred people. "Mani? Where are we? How do you know this place?" "Follow me." What's wrong with her today? Is this a stadium? Everything was dark and dusty. She took me up to the second floor and sat in the first row of seats. We sat in complete silence for a while. Then she spoke, "My sister died here. Right down there." She pointed to the very first row by the stage. "We were at a concert. My first. It was a local band. Not that many people. The drummer. He was drunk. Very drunk. He had brought a gun. He shot three people and killed two of them. Me, my sister, and the lead singer. They're both dead now. And after they closed the place down. I would come here and pretend she was with me." she said calmly.

"My mom is dead," I said, mocking her calm tone. She quickly turned to look at me.

"Declan. Why didn't you tell me? When?" "The same reason you didn't tell me. I found out earlier. My dad came home to tell us. Georgie and I." I let out a sigh. She wrapped her arms around me. "It's not a big deal. Don't stress" I shrugged it off like nothing. "Don't say that. I know she wasn't the best mother but at least she was alive and well. Plus if it didn't matter then you wouldn't have cried."

She is right. As always. Just like Georgie. "I don't get to be sad," I said into her shoulder. "Everyone gets to be sad". "Yea but I didn't treat her well enough to be sad. Dad and Georgie can be sad. But not me." I took a brief pause. "I'm not going to her funeral. I don't deserve to go."

"Declan stop. Even if you don't want to say it, you love her. She was and always will be your mother. And you looked up to her at one point in your life. You be as sad as you need to be. She loved you. Even if she never showed it." There was a long silence. "You are going to her funeral. This is the last chance you have to show her you love her. You are going." She needs to stop making valid points. She sat in the seat next to me. "I'll go". She perked up. "Only if you go with me." She slouched back down. "Declan, that's a private family moment. I don't want to intrude." She tried to decline. "I'm not going without you". A few more minutes of silence went by. "I'll go," she said. I was going with or without her. I just preferred to go with her.

I kissed her forehead lightly as a sign of thanks. A singular tear escaped my eye but I wiped it away before she saw it.

"We should go home" I say. The sun was finally starting to set. "Yea we probably should." She agrees but doesn't move. "Do you miss them?" I ask. "Every single damn day". Her choice of words slightly shocked me since she doesn't normally use that word. She finally stands up. "C'mon it's getting late".

We got in the car and we quickly pulled out of the parking lot. Now she seemed more sure of where to go. The nonexistent traffic caused us to get to my house much quicker. We decided on my house because "I need to be with Georgie".

When we pulled into the driveway my dad's car was missing. The door was unlocked and Georgie was sitting on the couch next to Harlow. "Where have you been?" I heard from my left. The kitchen. Dad. "He was with me. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I wasn't aware he had to be home by a certain time." Mani quickly spoke. Of course she was apologizing to home. "And you are," he said snobbily. "Madi Greene. Declan's urm.. Good friend". "I wasn't aware he had any good friends that were female." "What is that supposed to mean?" He is making me sound like a hoe.

"Nothing son." Is he drunk or something? Whatever. Mani walked towards Harlow and Georgie finally looked up. He stood up and walked into the hall so I followed. "I'm sorry." I told him. "I know. He's mad I think" he says referring to dad. "He probably is. Has he said what happened?" I don't want to know the answer to that. "They were in New York City and they got mugged and they shot her in the chest and broke his arm then ran off." He looked sick. I felt sick. "When? Yesterday?" I ask. "Yea. He told me the last time I texted you" his head hung. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't feel like dealing with him."

"You think I wanted to deal with him. No. I don't. I never will but guess what. I stayed. I stayed here because I needed to because it's my job." he shook his head. "Do you just not care? If this is how you act when something matters to you, if this is how you show you care then you must not care about Mani because you sure don't leave her when she needs you." "Georgie. You're my brother. I care of course I care. I'm really sorry that I left. Shouldn't have left you alone. I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say to him. "I know." He turns around and walks back to the girls.

My father starts mumbling profanities and cursing himself like a crazy person. "Why don't we go upstairs?" I ask but it's more like I'm telling them to go upstairs. Mani and Harlow give each other a look. Worry? Concern? Fear? I don't know but they get up and shuffle towards the stairs. 

Author's note:

I was going to write Mani's point of view but i'm kinda lazy right now ngl. But let me know if i should. This chapter was on the longer side but it's okay . Also I promise its gonna get a lot better!! Stay saucy.

-Day