Maybe You Can't Handle Yourself. (Jaime Preciado FanFic)

Chapter Two

I woke up and began to stretch, wincing at the pain, and suddenly remembering the events of last night.

Standing up, I walked into my bathroom and looked into the mirror, flinching at my purple swollen face and busted lip. I guess I can't go to school tomorrow.

Sighing, I walk out of the bathroom, and can't help but notice that not only is my lock gone, but the whole door has been taken of the heinges.

Just great....

I poke my head out the door and see that Evan is passed out on the couch.

Great! I smile. That gives me private time

No screaming. No chores.

I walk back to the bathroom and twist the nob that turns the shower on. Closing the door, I strip of my clothes and step into the steaming water.

Ow, ow, ow! While the warm water feels nice on the sore spots, it burns badly on most of the cuts.

* * *

Stepping out, I grab a towel and wrap it around me, folding the top layer in, under the bottom layer to make it stay up.

I walk out of the bathroom and once again poke my head out the door frame.

Still out cold. : )

Walking to my bed, I pick up the bag I filled with clothes last night.

Picking out a neon orange crop tee and some firetruck red skinny jeans, I get dressed and walk out to fulfill my morning chores.

1. Grab two six-packs and put them into Evan's minifridge by the couch.

2. Pick up all the beer bottles from last night and recycle them.

3. Make him breakfast.

Its a short, simple list. Not very glamorous.

* * *

Once I'm done, I go into the laundry room to check the calendar. February 19th... hey! It's my birthday! I'm finally seventeen, only one more year in this hell hole.

Ugh... 9:35... I have work at ten. Ah! But the bruises! And my car! Sh×t!

I run to my bedroom and grab my cover-up. After my face is an artificial beige color, I grab my phone and type in a friends number.

"Hello?" A familiar voice asks.

"Hey Tianna! Umm... we're working the same shift today... Could you take me to work?

"Sure... but what happened to your car?" Tianna curiously asks.

"I... I got in a car accident. I had the door open and a truck drove by and ripped the door off!"

"Oh damn! That really sucks! I'll be over in about ten minutes."

"Thank you so much!"

I hang up the phone. And remember when the drinking began.

*Flashback*

"Honey... I think it's time you learn why Mommy's here," I listen intently while I watch my mom lay in a hospital bed, "You see... in your body, there are millions of little cells, that make you. And... well, your cells die and new ones are produced and sometimes..." she pause and mumbles something I don't hear, "Well, sometimes something bad attacks the cell and makes it bad. Then, it infects the other cells and your body begins reproducing that same bad cell, called a cancerous cell. And people who have those cells have cancer. And you can get cancer anywhere on your body-"

I stop her and start pointing to parts of my body asking if you can get cancer there. All the anwsers are yes.

"Okay... anyways, cancer kills people, and there aren't any cures for it yet. And..." I watch closely as tears fill her eyes, "I have cancer."

I cry out and hot tears begin streaming down my face as I hug her tight. She pulls me up into her bed and starts gently "petting" my hair comfortingly.

I whispered, "I love you, mommy..." and I hear her whisper it back, kissing my head.

I sob into her shoulder and fall asleep curled up with her.

In the morning she didn't wake up. I tried so hard to wake her up. I screamed and shook her violently. Someone came in and pulled me off her. Setting me on the floor I cried out for my mother. I sat, clutching my knees to my chest as I tried to bury my head into my knees as I cried and cried and cried until I couldn't anymore.

When someone came in for the body I latched myself onto her. Kicking and screaming at anyone who dared to come near me. Like the night before, I slept curled up with her. This time she wasn't warm and she didn't soothe me. She didn't move her chest up and down with breath. She was just a shell.

That night I awoke in my own bed, at home. I got up screaming for my mother, flailing my arms like a mad woman. I stepped out and saw papa drinking something in a bottle. I layed with him, like I did with mom. He was warm, he attempted to soothe me, and his chest moved up and down with breath. But he seemed to be a shell too.