Don't Talk To Daddy

Chapter Eight

Even though we both claimed to be tired, neither of us could sleep. Because Harmony was on the couch, Jake and I had to sleep on the floor. The floor was carpeted, but still just a little more comfortable than the seats on the train. We had given up on the possibility of falling asleep, so Jake and I were sitting up against the side of the couch, watching TV.

We weren't paying much attention to the TV though. At the moment we were both trying not to laugh at Harmony's snoring. For a little girl, she was really loud, and Jake and I found it hilarious. Trying to keep us from laughing, I ended up getting up to go get my iPod to drown out Harmony's snoring. What I didn't realize, was that I had never changed the song. I tried to ignore it and just turn it onto a song, but the images of my mom leaving me on the side of the highway came back into my mind.

We listened for a while, Jake muttering the lyrics. I just listened intently, still trying to shed the images out of my brain. Not long after though, I gave up. I turned the iPod off and slid it across the floor. 

"Sixteen," I muttered to myself, thinking Jake couldn't hear me.

"Sixteen? Worried about your family?" He asked me, apparently, he could hear me.

"A little," I said softly, "I just wish last year never happened. That's what started all of this."

"I know. It's ok, though. I promise," He said. I wish he would stop lying to me.

"My mom just had to go see him. She just had to go see him..." I was mostly talking to myself, but also to him.

"Aaron," He muttered. "Do you not like him cause of your mom, or is he really a bad dude?"

"He's horrible. A horrible, horrible, person. He's some broke crackhead. I don't want my mom around him. He is the most disturbing man. When I lived with him and my mom he would walk around everywhere talking about...." I stopped, not wanting to relive haunting memories.

"Talking about what?" Jake questioned.

"Everything. Crack, partying with his friends, all in front of me, a twelve year old, his prison time..."

"There's more." Jake knew.

"This one's just ---- disturbing. Fucking my mom," I shuddered at the thought.

"That's just messed up. You were twelve."

"Well let's just say that I wasn't very surprised when Harmony showed up."

"You don't like Aaron much."

I shook my head, "I despise him. And then when my mom went back to my dad. She went back with a kid that wasn't even his. But he was willing to take her back. Sometimes I don't think he should have. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I was happier when they were divorced." Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling slowly over my eyelids. Jake hugged me and I broke down, sobbing in his arms. I felt bad becoming weak. I was always the strong one, but when it came to this, I couldn't be.

I was laying down on the floor next to Jake watching a movie. I couldn't talk anymore. I didn't want to risk breaking down again.  I didn't know what movie we were watching, but I didn't care. It was whatever was on TV at one in the morning, so it worked for me. It was cold in Jake's uncle's house, and Harmony, of course, had the heavy blanket. I knew I had to protect Harmony first, but sometimes I felt like I neglected myself too much. Under the thin blanket, I was freezing. I ended up having to huddle against Jake for warmth. 

Even in the dark, Jake could see on my face that I was distressed. I knew he was worried about me. He was constantly glancing at me, attempting to keep me from noticing, but he was failing. Jake couldn't keep his mouth shut so we ended up talking again. 

"Trin, you know I'll always be here for you, right?" He started, looking at me worriedly.

"Of course, I know."

"Sometimes I really worry about you. As soon as you hit eighteen, I really think you should get out of your house."

"If it weren't for Harmony, I would've already left-" I was interrupted by my phone ringing. Who would be calling me at two in the morning?

"Hello?"

I got a recorded message for a collect call. I quickly accepted and then a familiar voice said, "Trinity?"

It was my mom, she sounded dazed and confused though, "Your father said you were in the city."

"Yeah, I'm with Jake and Harmony at his uncle's apartment," I asked, already knowing my mom was in some sort of trouble and needed me to get her out of it.

"Well then, I need a favor, honey." 

"What is it," I asked, not wanting to know.

"I need you to come and pay my bail."

Bail. My mom was in fucking jail. Expression was drained from my face. 

"What did you do, mom?!" I said as loudly as I could without waking Harmony.

"Honey, I will explain it all to you when you get here. I just need you to come pick me up."

"Well, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. I'm low on cash, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow when I can get to a bank." I sounded heartless, cold. I felt bad not caring as much about her as I should, but I still didn't go to leave.

I hung up the phone, not wanting to continue the conversation. I quickly explained to Jake what was going on. I wanted to break down and cry once again, but I didn't, I was strong. Jake and I decided it was important we rest so we moved Harmony onto the floor. I felt bad forcing her to sleep on the floor, but we needed to. I needed to take care of myself for once. 

As Jake and I drifted off to sleep, all I could think about is how fucked up my family is. My parents never got along, I was practically raising my half-sister, I was in the middle of Baltimore with no one but my sister and boyfriend, and now, I had to go get my mother out of jail. 

Of course, most people would consider this a perfectly reasonable and normal situation. Yeah, right.