Devotion

thirty three ﾒ oh, for fuck's sake, give me a damn break

ANGELICA

My goodness, I've been locked up in here for days. Surprisingly, I haven't gone batshit insane–yet. But since this has happened to me before, this is like lightwork. I do hope someone comes and gets me though. I need to study and finish this study project. My nails are done. I have a job to start. For fuck's sake.

Don't have a calendar here, but I'm pretty sure I've been in this dumbass cell for about a week. I wonder if my brother noticed my absence yet. If he did, I guarantee he'd be here right now. My barefoot-clad feet move across the cold cemented floor until I reach the bars. Need to urgently piss. "Can one of your bald-ass motherfuckers get me to the bathroom before I piss myself?" I yell through the bars. I hold them tight, anticipating. One of the guards, bald and buff like the average security guard, unlocks the cell and lets me out. Just before I could walk, his entire posse surrounded me. "Not so fast, baby De Santis," one of them said, a meaty hand in front to stop me. "You're not manipulating one of us to get out like you did the last time."

I sigh. "I didn't even say anything. Now, if you excuse me, I have to pee," I say, moving around him when another one moves in front of me. "Oh, come on!"

"The last time was like, when I was in high school. Can't believe you guys remember that shit from sophomore year." I cross my eyes with a crooked eyebrow. "Plus, I'm not sure why a man so old would trust a teenager at that time. So, that isn't my fault. You have terrible instincts."

Brian, the main bodyguard, grabs my arm unexpectedly drags me to the bathroom, and sets me in. His head lowers to mine as I glare at him. "Try to escape, and you won't make it out alive this time. What a troublemaker."

"I'm a good person!" I yell at him, slamming the bathroom door. Gosh, I do not miss this. I used to get in trouble for mediocre crap when I was a teen. I may seem like a good girl now but I had to put that behind me to get into school. My parents refused to let me go to college and pay for it unless I stopped getting myself into trouble. Good times that was.

Taking a look in the bathroom, I assess the situation with a plan map in my head. Okay, so there's a window. It's pretty rusty and gonna be hard to open with my nails. Damn it. There's a shower but there's no escape route. It's either old-fashioned running out the door, or the window. I need a break, that's what the fuck I need.

I flush the toilet and open the door, not making eye contact with the guards. "I know you fuckers changes the bathroom outline the last time I was here." I point to all of them as they stand there with no emotion showing.

Brian comes behind me and cuffs me up before pushing my head gently to walk back to the cell. "This isn't a prison. I'm not dangerous." He chuckles and holds my shoulders. "Sure, you aren't, Angelica."

"Do me a favor," I say as I walk. "I need chalk."

"I can't do that for you. Knowing you, you'd kill someone with it." I roll my eyes at his remark. "Not that smart. I have midterms to study for since you know me so well. I have shit to do besides how you perceive me."

Brian opened the cell, uncuffed me from the wrists, and walked me back before locking it up again. He throws a piece of thick, yellow chalk through the bars and into my hands. He angles his head to his followers and sets into their position again. I tie up my hair, biting my cheek. For the next seven hours, from noon to night, I focus on the Calculus 2 work I have to force myself to perfect.

Unfortunately, an unexpected visitor decided to ruin my piece. I drop my chalk and walk to my cell, eyeing the woman who gave me her looks. "Hi, Mom," I say unpleasantly. "Done being a snitch?"

Her dark brown skin shines in the given moonlight, thanks to my window. How generous are they? Those brown eyes flicker darkness and a smirk rises upon her lips. "Oh, please. He was going to find out anyway. You're not as sneaky as you used to be."

"When I get out of this cell, and I escape, your face will match mine. We'll finally look the same as you've always wanted."

"Is that a threat?" She crosses her arms. "Because if it is, then you're not stupid enough to think I'm not trained to take you apart. Wouldn't be the first time."

I get closer to the cell. "I was fifteen."

"Fifteen, and acted as if she could do whatever she wanted. It seems as though you still haven't learned your lesson, yet, Angelica. I should say I'm disappointed, but I'm not. I knew this would happen again."

"This is your first time being outed for being a cheater."

Her brown eyes glare into my green ones. A smirk that was noticeably apparent a few minutes ago, grows wider in mischief. "That's not why you're here."

"Then, why the fuck am I here, Jessica?" I yell, frustrated and confused. What the hell is going on? I thought I was in here because I thought it was funny to expose her cheating, not whatever she was talking about. I hit my palms against the metal bars, evoking a fear response from my mother.

We stand there close enough to only be separated from the bars. "You're here," she whispers, holding a loose curl on my head. "Because you can't seem to stay away from the enemy's son. This is why you're here now."

"Only together because of a project," I say, crossing my arms against my chest. "I'm not with him again. And if I was, then it's none of my parents' permission since I'm considered of the age of consent and legal age to drink alcohol."

"Then, why did Mia stop by a few weeks ago and say that you were together." Her eyebrow raises in curiosity.

"You're not entitled to know anything. I'm old now."

"Still my daughter."

I glare at her. "You piss me off, give me a break. Why would you believe anything that girl says?! She's after fucking Luca, literally! And that was the only way we could get her off of him, but she's not stopping. That's the only thing I'm saying."

"Gosh," she laughs, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You really are my daughter. Sleeping with the enemy. The only difference between us," she pauses. "Is that I only did it once."

"I'll do it again for the third time." I move away and walk back to my bed, propping my feet against the wall. "And if he has a problem with it, he can handle me himself."

My mom stands there with an unsure expression. "I don't care who you're with." An ounce of vulnerability clouds her words. "I just don't want you to keep getting in trouble."

"Lasted this long, I'll be fine."