𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃

12

HER PREDATOR

After work, I headed straight home, asking Arah if she wanted to come over. Fuck Maeve and Willow, I'm sure she would want to know about Chocolate's condition. I refuse to believe that Chocolate was just nothing to my friend just like that.

I greeted my mom when I walked past her in the hallway and headed upstairs to my room. Done, just like that.

About an hour or so later, I was dressed all comfy, my tie thrown across the dresser, while I laid on my back scrolling through TikTok. Someone knocked on my bedroom door, and expecting Arah, I called out, "Come in, bitch!"

My father walked in, scaring the absolute shit out of me, his expression fixing into a deep frown. I quickly sat up on my bed, apologizing to him.

"I hope that's not how you talk outside or inside of this house, Lowen Liah Jaimes," he reprimanded me.

"No sir," I told him quickly. "I-I didn't know that it was you," I tried to explain.

"Hmph," he sat down at the end of my bed, body turned away from me. I put my phone down and slid it underneath my pillow, waiting for him to speak.

"I know that Quercitron might not be your cup of tea just yet, or whatever the case may be. Your time and experiences here may have even been tainted because of your little acquaintance Dylandra, but I need you to try for your mother and I."

"So your reputation's won't be ruined," I stated dryly, "Got it."

"It's not just about that, Lowen," my father stressed.

"You guys don't really care about me. You're robots just trying to make me into the perfect mold of you," I said angrily. "You want me to be this perfect daughter that nobody human could ever be."

"If we wanted you to be perfect then we wouldn't allow you to date girls, Lowen," my father snapped.

"Allow? I-So...you're trying to say I'm not perfect because I like girls? Man, this the shit I be talkin' about," I got up out of bed, coming to stand in front of him. "People like you want to force me to fit into society based on your way of thinking, then turn around say that my people are pushing a certain type of agenda. How that work?"

"Lowen, nobody's attackin' you. So stop trying to play victim," he stood up too, circling around me. "I saw you grow from that cute, innocent girl you used to be into this monster and honestly I don't know where we went wrong."

"Maybe it was when you stopped tucking me into bed and you stopped telling me that you loved me lesser and lesser until I didn't hear you say it anymore. Or," I continued, facing him, "Maybe it was when you made me come here."

"How could I love a confused and broken daughter? I raised you on success and determination, me and your mother, and still you fail. Why would I continue pouring into something that doesn't give me any results? You're a spoiled brat through and through."

"I'm spoiled? You and Mom don't even glance at me. I'm just an investment to you. 'Oh, Lowen you need some money, here you go'. Forget any hugs or affection." My eyes were starting to tear up, "And I only want that from y'all. I feel like I don't even have parents anymore."

"You're 17. You're right- You almost don't."

My father left out of my room, leaving the door open to Arah standing in the hallway.

"Hey, sweetheart," she greeted me carefully, coming in and closing my door quietly behind herself. "Me and your mom heard all this commotion downstairs, but she still let me up."