Motive

Zone

~Mary Jay~

So many questions clouded my head; what is he doing here, and why. And why is he in my room?

My palms were turning color from how hard I dug my nails into them. I couldn't even speak to him so I turned to Lilly who didn't seem surprised.

He's not an intruder.

My face was blank, "How long has he been here?"

"MJ, listen-"

"Lilly. Do not play with me right now," my voice was calm but she knew I wasn't. "How. Long."

"About a month."

A month. An entire month.

I've been gone for 3 months and come home to this? Him? That's the last thing I expected. Especially since I wasn't even aware. My Aunt, Lilly, and I have always promised to not keep things from one another.

I guess not anymore.

I opened my mouth to speak again but got interrupted by hearing the front door open. I pushed myself away from Lilly and walked past Josh, down the stairs.

In came stumbling Aunt Apple and my mom through the front door. They were leaning on eachother and giggling, obviously drunk. They didn't even realize I was standing there.

I looked at my mom first. She looked tired, and worse than I'd seen here before. Her eye bags were more prominent and her hair was cut shorter. My mom used to have long, wavy hair which reached past her mid-back. Her hazel colored eyes were dark now and she was much thinner than before.

She was the first to notice me, all laugher draining from her face.

Then it was Aunt Apple, "Mary Jay? What are you doing here?"

My eyes fumbled between the two. Between the entire situation unfolding in front of me. Josh and Lilly were now downstairs too.

I didn't answer her question, "What the hell is going on here."

"MJ-"

"Answer my question, dammit." My voice was slowly rising with my temper.

My Aunt walked towards me, "You should sit down-"

"Don't tell me to sit down! You mean to tell me that for the past month, Josh and mom have been living in my room and you haven't said a word? No wonder you've all been so distant."

"It's not like that-"

"Like hell it isn't! So what, does he live here now? Am I being evicted? I'm turning 18 soon, of course you'd wait until now."

Words were just spewing out of my mouth. I was upset. Aunt Apple knew how much I hated Josh. I didn't care that he was Lilly's father, no matter how selfish it seemed. He was never there for Lilly, and neither was mom. They were both in their own messed up world, and I knew sooner or later they would try to drag all of us into it. I cared for Lilly more than her own dad did.

My Aunt had sobered up now, obviously not as drunk as my mom. She was yelling.

"Of course not. Why would you even open your mouth to say that. You know I wouldn't do something like that to you."