Mischief

Chapter Six

Luella

She's dead. My mother is dead. And my father is out of prison. He called me himself last night. It turns out he sounds a lot different than he used to. I can't believe I didn't know it was him on the phone. I haven't seen my mother in 4 years and it's eating me alive knowing that we left on terrible terms. And now there is no way to make it up. Although my mother was a piece of shit and couldn't have cared less about me, she's still the woman that gave birth to me, and raised me for half of my life. Johnny and Xander are driving me to the hospital that my dad told me to meet him at, it's only about 30 minutes away.

***

"You gonna be okay Lu?" Xander's voice is soft and soothing.

"Yeah. Thank you."

"Alright. We love you. Call us when you want picking up."

"Okay. Thank you. I love you."

"Love you too." They drive off hesitantly and I'm left in the parking lot of the hospital, my mother's lifeless body inside.

I walk slowly towards the entrance and as soon as I walk inside I'm met with a strong smell of chemicals and cleanliness. I'm about to approach the front desk with an old looking woman behind it when large hands wrap around my arms tugging me backwards. 

"What the f-" I stare into my father's eyes. Blue. The complete opposite of mine.

"Luella." I look behind him when he shifts himself and I see a small, skeletal frame. My mother.

"Hi Lu." Her voice is ragged and scratchy. You can tell she's been using.

"What the fuck!" I get a few scolds and looks from patients in the waiting room but I couldn't give a shit right now. "Why did you lie to me? How long have you been out? How long have you been back?" I have so many questions, it hurts my head.

"Well, we have something to tell you, but I know you wouldn't meet me if I didn't tell you something serious happened." I wouldn't have met with him. He is a fucking psycho. "I've been out for 2 months."

"2 months!"

"Yes."

"How long have you been back?" I turn to the woman I thought was dead 5 minutes ago.

"3 months?"

"Oh my god. You two are sick."

"We need to tell you something honey, but you've got to listen to us okay? Come sit down." The three of us sit down in a separate waiting area and my mother tries to take my hands in hers but I snatch them away.

"This better be good."

"Oh, Lu it is. It really is amazing news."

"So what is it?" I can't possibly think of one thing that could be so good that they had to fake my own mother's death to tell me it.

"Well...I'm pregnant." No. Absolutely not. That can't be true. This can not be happening.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant Lu! I just found out an hour ago. You're gonna be a big sister! Isn't it exciting?" There's going to be another replica of my parents in this world in nine months.

"It's yours?" I'm speaking to my dad now, my throat closing up.

"Yep." Oh god. I don't want another repeat of what happened when I was young. This poor child can't go through that. I think I'm going to be sick.

"We want to be a family again Lu." I wish she would stop calling me that. "Come home."

"Home? We don't have a home mom."

"Well, me and your father we thinking we could come to stay with you."

"Fuck no. That's my place, not yours. I pay for it with the money I work hard for, not you."

"You're in a bike gang Luella, that's hardly working for money."

"I've got a job, actually."

"You are such an ungrateful little bit-"

"Steven! Don't speak to her like that." Where was this protective behaviour when I was getting beaten half to death all those years ago?

"You two are idiots if you think I'm having anything to do with either of you. And mom?"

"Yes?"

"If you have even half a brain, don't have this baby. You're just gonna fuck it up like you do everything else." I feel a tear fall down my cheek as I walk out of the building. My hands shake when I find Xander's contact. He picks up immediately, reminding me exactly why I love him so much.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. Can you pick me up please?"

"Yeah, I'm driving around anyways so I'll be like 5 minutes."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you too." I hang up and silence engulfs me.

"Lu?" I spin around and see Joseph.

"Joe? What are you doing here?"

"It's my girlfriend. She's sick."

"Oh I'm sorry. Is it bad?"

"Don't know. They're still running tests to see what her illness is. Why are you here?"

"My mom's pregnant."

"What? Damn. That's gonna be one hell of a baby."

"Yep." A car arrives beside me and Joseph, Xander at the wheel with a pair of sunglasses on his face.

"Oh hey JoJo, what's up?"

"Mandy. She's sick."

"Oh. Tell her she can't die. I can't deal with your grumpy ass all the time. Mandy cuts it down."

"Will do. See ya."

"Bye." I climb inside Xander's car, which is actually his mom's.

"So what happened?"

"I'm gonna be a sister." The look on Xander's face is priceless and if I wasn't in such a bad mood right now I would appreciate it more.

"Fuck. No. Is it Steven's?"

"That's what he said. Who knows though, I mean my mom was back a month before he got out of prison, so it's possible it's someone else's."

"You going home?"

"I'm already home. There's no way I'm living with them."

"Good. Just don't let them find out where you live."

"Of course not. I'm not a total idiot."

"Debatable."

"Shut the fuck up." This is one of the worst days I've had in a long time.