LOVE CAUSES PAIN.

two.

The sound of Jaleah's alarm went off as she slept comfortably in her warm bed. Today was the day Jaleah was going off to Georgia State University. Georgia state has always been her dream college for as long as she could think off. She could remember her grandmother driving pass the campus quite a few times, and she would reassure Jaleah that Georgia state will be the college Jaleah will attend.

Stepping out of her bed, she could hear her mother's loud voice booming the house as she spoke loudly to her phone. "Girl, I'm so glad Jaleah annoying ass leaving today! She will not be missed." Mandy said.

 "BITCH YES!" Mandy laughed into the phone so loud, being overly dramatic as she knew Jaleah could hear her. "Girl, tell me why she came to me yesterday, asking me to help pay for her college tuition. Too bad her trifling ass daddy can't afford to pay." 

Jaleah rolled her eyes, slamming her door as she heard her mother clearly lying on her name. She's never once asked her mother for anything. She knew her mother wouldn't give her a dime, let only pay for her tuition. 

Grabbing her towel and other belongings, Jaleah walked to bathroom as she prepared to get ready for her special day. As she was showering, all she could think about the freedom she would have from being away from her mother. After so many years of being trapped and abused, Jaleah would finally be free.

After about 25 minutes of her personal care, she walked to her room drying her cold body off. She rubbed her ESO vanilla lotion on her body. Jaleah loved the smell of anything vanilla. It was definitely one of her favorites. 

After getting dressed, she walked to the mirror observing her outfit. Since today was just a tour day for the students on campus, she decided she wasn't going to over dress herself. She simply wear a pair of grey leggings that fit tightly on her small, slim-thick figure and a white short-sleeved crop top. Jaleah felt that she had a pretty decent body shape, unless her mother will make "jokes" about her body.

Jaleah debated if she should ask her mother to help her pack her bags into the car but she knew how her mother would react. "Maybe she'll help since she's so excited to get rid of me" Jaleah mumbled. Walking down the stairs, Jaleah couldn't lie and say she wasn't nervous. She kind of panicked. 

Standing at the end of the stairs, Jaleah looked at her mother. She just stared at her as she watched her mother lined up white substances on the table. Jaleah began to worry about her mom daily. She wondered If something would happen to her when Jaleah left for college. "Would she be okay?" "What If I need to switch to online school? Just to be on the safe side." Jaleah began to have so many thoughts about how her mom would be after she left.

"Hellooo! Jaleah what the fuck do you want just standing there in my damn face?!" Mandy snapped. She couldn't wait until her daughter was out of her sight. 

Snapping Jaleah out of her trance, she stuttered over her words. "I- I uh, I was just w-wondering If you maybe could help me place my bags to the car? If you don't mind.." 

"HELL NO! What the fuck do I look like helping you with YOUR damn bags? You wanted to be so grown moving to stay on that stupid ass campus right? So you can use yo own feet and arms to place your OWN bags into the car. The fuck." Mandy spoke aggressively. "And let me make something very clear to you hoe, If I find out you go to that damn school and tell my motherfucking business on what goes on in my house, yo ass will be dealt with. Do I make myself clear Jaleah?" 

Jaleah's body began to shake with fear as her mother spoke so harsh towards her. She knew her mother meant every word she said. "I- yes momma, I understand." Jaleah began to hold onto her arm, squeezing it tightly. It was something she tend to do a lot whenever she was nervous or scared. Her anxiety was pretty bad.

Mandy smirked as she knew her words would make Jaleah panic. She knew just what to say to make her daughter traumatized. "Great, so remove yourself away from me and hurry up and leave my damn house."

Jaleah quickly went upstairs to her room, shaking so badly. She knew she had to leave soon or else her mother would actually beat her ass. She quickly got herself together as she grabbed two bags each and walked outside to place them in the car. About 10 minutes later, she finally placed all of her bags into the car. She couldn't lie, her feelings were hurt. Her mother didn't even think to wish her daughter a safe trip or show any type of affection. 

Closing the trunk to her car, she took one last look at her house. All the beatings she took in this house, all the times she would walk into her mother's room to see her passed out on the bed from overdose, the times her mother's man "friends" will walk around the house making Jaleah uncomfortable to even be home. She finally felt free, but she couldn't lie and say she wasn't going to miss her mom.

I mean, after all these years of her parent's divorce she knew her mother was the only parent who looked after her. She wished her father didn't have to go his separate way, leaving Jaleah behind. She wished he was here to see her off to college. She wasn't even sure If he ever even tried to reach out to Jaleah. Her mother would always say how he forgot about her.

Now that Jaleah is 18, she's coming to the realization that she doesn't need any of her parents. Both of them are shitty to her for not being there for her. This is the time for Jaleah to go and live her life with new beginnings. 

She got inside her car starting the engine, as she looked over her house one last time. She began to smile to herself. "My time is coming, Georgia State here I come!" She said, then proceed to drive off.