PUPPY

CHAPTER 25

"Amalia, what are you wearing?" My mother shouted at me.

Neil stepped in front of her view zone and said: "Mrs Taylor, that's none of your business."

Suddenly my mother sneaked past Neil and lashed toward me. "Casandra told me everything!" I put my hands in front of my face for some kind of protection. She extended her hand and pulled me by my hair. I let out a scream of pain. "You SLUT!" she shouted.

The next moment Neil was standing by our sides. He grabbed the hand of my mother and freed my hair. He pushed me behind himself.

"How dare you!?" my mother shouted.

My eyes started to tear up.

What's going on?

I heard my mother shout again: "Move away, so I can take her home, where she belongs!!"

I grabbed Neil's hoodie and squeezed it.

I'm scared.

"Get out," Neil calmly said.

"Stop acting like a good guy, you're a scumbag! Casandra told me all! She became an even bigger freak because of you! She developed another retarded illness because of you! She's a disgrace! A disgusting freak! Do you hear me, Amalia? You're DISGUSTING!"

The room got quiet when a slap resonated through the front room. I slowly peeked from around Neil to see my mother holding her hand over her left cheek. She looked shocked. I looked up at Neil. He licked his teeth while his mouth was still closed.

He does that when he's really mad.

My brother was standing in the same spot as before, calmly waiting. He's a loyal dog that doesn't move unless my mother says differently.

I was scared for Neil.

"You little-"

Neil's voice cut like a warm knife through butter: "I won't say it again. Get. Out."

"You hit me! How dare you hit me! I'll call the police! I have witnesses! You'll go to jail for assaulting a woman! A woman!" my mother shouted at Neil's face. Then she started rummaging through her purse to find her phone.

Neil let out a long sigh of annoyance. Then he let out a short laugh.

My mother's thin eyebrows furrowed in anger as she looked at him. "What's so funny?!"

"I find it funny that you talk so big about respect toward women. And then treat your own daughter like she's an object that you can use however you like. You're the one that should go to jail."

"I'm her mother!!"

"Being her mother doesn't give you permission to give her a permanent scar!"

I wouldn't say I like where this is going. I pulled the sleeve of Neil's hoodie. He immediately looked back at me.

"Please, stop," I whispered.

He fully turned around and cupped my cheek. "Tell me."

I put my hand over his and said: "Stop. Please, stop."

"Listen to me, you freak!" my mother said as she tried to pull Neil by his hoodie. He moved so that he got my mother off his back.

When she was face to face with Neil, she shouted: "You're at fault here. You're just as retarded as she is. You use force like every other primitive caveman to get what you want! You're a freaking lunatic! You're-"

"Stop it!" I shouted.

She can say whatever she wants about me, but she can't say anything about Neil. I won't allow it. He's the only reason that I'm still alive. He was the only one that placed me back together.

"What did you say!"

"Stop it! You're the only one that hurts people around her. You made me what I am, mother, only you. You're the reason why I play with the pendant! You're the reason that Frank is like this! You're the reason why dad left us! You're the only freak around here! I can't believe that dad could love or even start a family with a narcissistic self-centred bitch like you! You're the worst! Just get out of our life already!"

I was on the brink of tears, but my heart felt light.

My mother was looking at me in shock. In my whole life, she never looked like that. Her jaw was on the floor, her eyes opened wide and her eyebrows almost connected with her hairline.

Neil put his hand on the small of my back. That made me catch my breath. I looked up into his eyes. They were radiating pride.

After a long silence, my mother composed herself. She turned around and walked into my apartment. I waited for her at the front door. When she came back, I looked at her. She let out a deep sigh before speaking: "Amalia, mark my words. No one will love you. Ever!" Then they walked away.

I guess that this is the end of another fight, but as opposed to other times, I think that this time I won. At least I like to think that way.

I feel a sense of happiness wash over me.

I relaxed. My eyes became waterfalls. I smiled through my tears while thinking of this victorious moment.

Neil leaned down and hugged me.

I did win.