I knock on the door. I'm dizzy. My mom opened it. "Hey mom." I lean on her. "Where were you?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm home now."
"Who were you with?"
"Doesn't matter mom."
"Yes it does matter. Who gave you weed sweetheart?"
"No one. Look. Mom, I'm just following you. Like mother like daughter right?"
"No. You're not supposed to follow me. If you do, you'll end up with a baby at seventeen."
"A baby I can give to my mom so I can do more drugs! Woo!" I ran upstairs. "I can't wait to get pregnant and give my baby away." She came in. "Shanice. Sit down."
"No."
"Shanice! Sit down! Your dad's not here to save you."
"What's yelling gonna do!" She hit me with the belt. "Sit your ass down!" I sat down and she just started hitting me with the belt over and over. "You fucking get high again and I'll..."
"Madison!"
"Oh." She looked at me. "Sweetheart, stop crying,I'm sorry." I put my cover my head. He came in. "What's going on in here?"
"Nothing..."
"You take your pills?"
"No."
"Go take them."
"But-."
"Go." I hear the door close. "Peaches." He moved the cover. "What she do to you?"
"She just...hit me with the belt. I guess it's okay, I don't know."
"You need some water?"
"Please."
"Alright. Where's your phone?"
"Over there on the floor."
"I want you to call me whenever she gets weird. Whatever you feel uncomfortable with and I'm not here, you call me."
"Okay."
"I'll be back." He walked out. I like him. He's nice. My mom came back in. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry." I just looked at her. "Baby... forgive me...I can't control myself at times."
"You're crazy."
"I'm not crazy. "
"I can't tell if you're insane with or without me."
"Okay. I just want you to know I'm sorry. I just don't want you to be out there smoking, you're sixteen."
"I've been doing it."
"Your grandma didn't raise you like she raised me. When I got on drugs she left me to do things on my own and when I got pregnant, she immediately told me she was taking you away from me."
"So you lied to me."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"It does. You said you didn't want to keep me because of all the grown men I would be around but if grandma didn't claim me you would've kept me."
"What other choice would I have?"
"There's so many other choices mom." Her husband came in. "Get out of here."
"Okay."
"Here's some water and some chips."
"Thanks."
"No problem. Do you want to go to the mall tomorrow?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah sure."
"Okay. I'll make dinner soon."
~'~~~~~~~
The next day.
I go downstairs. "Hi sweetie. Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah." I open the door. Ariana came in. "Why is she here?"
"We're going shopping."
"Did you ask?"
"I'm taking them."
"Oh. Okay Frederick. Can you make sure she doesn't smoke."
"Sure. Let's go guys."
~~~~~~~~
Fredrick is so nice. We're done shopping now but now we're making out in the back of his car. I was surprised he let us. "You guys wanna smoke?"
"You serious?"
"Yeah. Madison won't know."
"Okay."
"I'll sneak you guys in later."
"Cool. Could we go to a hotel or something?"
"Sure." Ariana unbuttoned my jeans. "Not right now."
"He's driving." She slid her hand in. "Ari..."
"Alright I'll stop." She continued to kiss me.
~~~~~~~~~
A few days later
"Peaches.. wake up sweetie."
"Hm?"
"Wake up. It's your first day. I have your uniform."
"Uniform?"
"Mh."
"I'm not going."
"Sweetheart just see if you like the school."
"Fine."
~~~~~~~
She was driving me to the school. "Are you excited?"
"No especially if I have to wear a uniform."
"That's to prevent bullying."
"Bullying has never been a problem for me."
"Why is that?"
"I got in lot of fights."
"Hopefully that's changes." She stopped in front. "Probably not. Expect a phone call.z
"Okay." I open my door. "Go to the office first sweetheart. I'll see you at three."
"Yep."
"Have a good day."
"Thanks." I closed the door. I sigh. A school with uniforms and we can't use our phone like that. I don't really like this school. I go inside. "Good morning. Are you new? You look new follow me."
He rushed me to the office. "Good morning."
"Hey. I'm new."
"Shanice-?"
"I prefer Peaches but sure."
"Okay. I'll let your teachers know."
"Okay." I waited. "Here's your schedule. Zach would you nind-."
"No. Let's go girl." We walked out. "Hi my name is Zach. Thanks for coming to our school. We appreciate you."
"Ok."
"Wanna be friends?"
"No."
"Oh. Why?"
"Cause I don't want to."
"What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to be friends with you. Why can't you understand that?"
"Okay. I'm sorry."
"Just show me where my class is."
"Okay. You have physics first. What school do you come from?"
"Why is that your business?"
"Why are you being rude to me? What did I do?"
"I don't want to be here. That's not your fault but for some reason you're acting super happy and it's irritating me so just take me to my class and don't say anything else." He nodded and took me to my class. "Physics." I grab my schedule from him and went inside.
~~~~~~~~~
