The Entitled

Chapter 9 (Strawberry bowls)

I could count about ten guys with us. Most of them sat at the table, while the others stood around the bookshelves playing footsies with each other. One guy accidental kicked his freind in the shin and he fell backwards into a pile of dusty books.
Me and Sam both started laughing. The guy with blond hair looked over at us and smirked. "You know that there all idiots." He slurred out while he pushed his glasses up his face.
Sam started grinning like an idiot and turned to look at him. Her eyes had a glint to them, and she sighed while putting her face in her hands while staring at him. She likes this loser?
I pushed myself out of the chair and stood up. I checked my phone and it was already 12:30. I looked over at Sam while she blushed at Tyler and breathed out, "Sorry, but I need to get back to class."
Sam barely registered what I was saying while she gushed over Tyler.
"Yeah, I'll text you later tonight the rest of the information and what we need to send to the police." She waved her hands at me as I made my way through the group of guys kicking each other.
I was almost at that door. Hell I could taste the wood on my finger tips. But then I heard my name over and over again.
I sighed before turning around and glaring at Sam. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me a little. "I need your number first silly, you think I was about to let you just walk out of here without me figuring out a way to contact you." She happily told me while reaching into her back pocket.
I looked around at all the dudes in the back before looking Sam in the eye and grabbing her phone. I hastily put my number in before abruptly leaving the library.

I floated around the school until it was time to go home. The bus driver dropped me off a mile from my house, so I walked up the dirt road to my front porch.
I could hear the sound of my mothers voice as I entered. I took off my backpack and walked into the kitchen. The walls of the kitchen were a stained white with hints of yellow. Perks of being in a old house. My mother had her head shoved in the fridge while talking on the phone to my aunt. "Yes Cathy of course you can come live with us." She grunted out as she pulled some leftover spaghetti out of the fridge. She motioned for me to go close the fridge door while she went to the cabinet for some bowls.
I rolled my eyes and just sat at the table. The kitchen felt like a prison cafeteria. Everything was old and beat up, even the table I sat at was at the brink of falling apart.
My mom set the bowl down in front of me while switching which hand held her cell phone.

The bowl had little strawberry's painted on it. On the left side of the bowl it was chipped, which made it into a tiny triangle shape.
I got up and put the spaghetti in the microwave.
My mom sat right next to my seat and sighed loudly, "Cathy yes it's totally fine with Avery. She barely does anything now a days and she needs a little responsibility. She also loves Madison and Veronica." I could hear my aunt laugh on the phone.
Why does my mom always do this? I don't understand why my aunt and her kids even have to come here it's not like they need it.
I took the spaghetti out of the microwave. I gave it a stir and quickly remembered why I didn't eat it last night. Whatever my mom tried to cook last night was not cutting it. It didn't even look like spaghetti. But she insisted on eating it again tonight because we don't have money to waste food.
I scowled as I shared out me and her portions of food and sat back down to eat.
My mom hanged up the phone and smiled at me before digging in.
I stabbed a weird shaped meatball and glanced up at my mom.
"What was that about?"
She clapped her hands together. "Your aunt and cousins will be moving in with us. Isn't that amazing?"
"I don't understand why they have to come here we don't have enough room for them." I responded back.
My mom rolled her eyes and waved her hands at me. "We most certainly do have enough space for them. This house is huge and has four rooms."
I pushed my bowl away and put my hands on the table. "You tell aunt Cathy how beat up this house is?" I retorted.
My mom chuckled. "Of course she helped me pick out the house." She swirled some spaghetti on her fork before she looked me in the eye. "Your going to treat your cousins with the upmost respect and your also are going to be in charge when your cousins come here."
I picked at my nails. "Are you punishing me for yesterday?"
She shrugged. "It's getting boring with just the two of us. We need something to do and I need someone to talk to. You also need to leave the house more and this is a perfect way for you to do it. You can take your cousins to the park or the arcade or maybe even the movies."
The tea kettle gave a startling cry. My mom dropped her fork and ran to turn off the stove.
I could feel myself scowl. "I don't understand why your forcing me to take care of them. I'm a teenager l should be allowed to live a little and not have to worry about taking care of anyone."
My mom turned on her heels and sat down again. "Listen your taking care of them because I want you too. You better stop all that back talking and sit there and eat the dinner which I busted my ass for in silence." She snapped at me.
My eyes wavered across the table before they finally landed on that bowl. I looked at the side of the bowl which had the chip in it.
I remembered my father was so happy to take me to get that bowl. Him and my mom had been fighting nonstop and he was desperate to leave. I recalled him holding my hand and dragging me into a antique store.
Pick anything you like. He smiled down at me. I remember reaching up and grabbing the bowl from the top shelf.
Strawberry's? Are you sure baby? He knit his eyebrows together as I pleaded with him to get me the bowl. He eventually gave in and got it for me.
I remembered how his shoes smacked the floor as he walked. I remembered him petting my hair. I remembered the way he smiled at me and told me I love you.
The sound of squeaking dragged me out of my memories. My mom stood up and dragged the bowl away from me.
"If your not going to eat then go upstairs and get ready for school tomorrow." She barked at me.
She put our dishes in the sink and rushed out of the kitchen.
I sat at the kitchen table a little while too long before deciding to get up. I stuck my hand in the sink and took out that bowl. I emptied out the spaghetti in it and rinsed it out. I took one long look at it before taking it upstairs with me.