"Your birthday is in a month. If we can't work this out, you're screwed." Penelope sighed. "Caitlyn..."
"Oh no! The government abandons me, tragic! Not like that's been every adult in my life! Nobody wants me, I figured that out." Caitlyn laughed quietly.
"I know what happened. It's all documented... that was not your fault."
"What's documented?" Her expression tightened as she turned to glare at her foster mother. "Thanks for going behind my back."
"This wasn't your fault, Caitlyn."
Caitlyn shoved right back into her. "You stay out of my fucking head."
"She was a shitty parent and that's not your damn fault. You were five years old, Katie, you're not the reason she walked out."
"Of course it's not. Stay out of my fucking head."
"You're innocent in this situation. She abandoned you." She tried to reach out a hand to her daughter, but Caitlyn was already trudging up the stairs. "Kate-"
"NOBODY WANTS ME, OKAY?? MY BIOLOGICAL MOTHER DIDN'T WANT ME, THE GOVERNMENT NEVER CARED ABOUT ME, AND THE PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO TAKE CARE OF ME CERTAINLY NEVER WANTED ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND, NOBODY AROUND ME HAS EVER WANTED ME, OBVIOUSLY I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT HAPPENS TO ME EITHER."
"You've never been offered any personalized resources, you've never had a choice in any of this, and I'm sorry. But you're here now, your friends want you-"
"MY ONLY FRIEND IS DEAD AND HAS BEEN FOR A MONTH. SHUT UP."
And Penelope didn't even have anything to say about it.
...
"Thanks for the lift, I guess-" Guinevere gave Lola an awkward half shrug.
"No problem, girl. Need anything else?" She asked.
"Uh- I think I'm good..."
"It's good to see that you're feeling better. I'm gonna stick around for a bit though-"
"I don't know if I'll ever be completely fine. Also- in the area? Cool."
"Ehhh, who cares. You aren't as depressed as you were, that's an improvement."
"Yeah, definitely..." She sighed, as she swung open the front door to their home.
"Mom...?" Guinevere peered around to see her mother, laid back in a chair with her dirty feet up on the table. Just chugging beers like it was normal.
"Six per- thing and there are... oh-" She wondered how her mother was even still cracking the cans open, after at least 18 beers.
"Mom...?"
But she pulled back as she realized just how sickly blue Katherine's skin was. Snapping a picture with her phone, all she could really think of was to send a picture to her dad.
It surprised her how fast her phone started to rumble, he'd already gotten back to her??
"How much has she drank?"
"I don't know... I don't know-"
"Guinevere, I need you to listen carefully. I'll be there in half an hour, stay far away from her, and I'll deal with it."
"BUT DAD THE PROBLEM IS RIGHT NOW DJSJZNX-"
"Guinevere, honey- I'll be there as fast as I can, half hour."
"DAD-"
Of course he'd hang up. If she knew how to handle the situation, she'd have called the police by now.
"Call the police... yeah..." She put 911 into her phone, ignoring her mother's shouts.
"My mother is severely drunk- I think she drove back home, and now she's- she's endangering me and herself..."
"GUINEVERE, I FUCKING SWEAR-"
"Address? Any other details we should know of?"
"74 Portland, that fourth turn after town. And just- please send female officers... a bunch of guys is only gonna get her angry-"
...
Guinevere warily approached her mother, her eyes narrow and tense. "Mom, the cops are here. For your safety and mine."
"WHAT DID YOU DO-" She whipped her head around, hair in her face as she shouted.
"Ma'am, where is she?" A woman slightly taller than herself squeezed by to look at Katherine. "Miss, you'll be detained until you sober, we'll determine a course of action from there."
The other officer, a shorter brunette, turned to ask Guinevere, "Are you alright, miss?"
"I can stay here by myself... just please deal with her-" She nodded, her voice shaky.
"FUCK YOU, GUINEVERE! FUCK YOU!"
"Are you sure, miss?"
"If I need help, I'll call my dad-"
"GET THE FUCK OFF ME. FUCK OFF-"
"Miss, go peacefully, or an arrest will be involved."
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME-"
"Mom- they're gonna help you. They're gonna bring you somewhere to help you-"
"I'll say it again, go peacefully, or an arrest will be involved."
"I don't have fucking RIGHTS, apparently..."
"I realized I forgot to- say... that I..." Lola paused as she watched the police drive away, with Katherine in the backseat. "What's... going on?"
"I had to..." Guinevere sighed.
"Oh..."
"First I lose my sister, and now my mom-"
"She's gonna be fine... you shouldn't have to deal with her bullshit."
"But she was struggling, and I just sold her out to the police."
"From what I can see, she would either have hurt herself or you."
"That doesn't make it right..."
"When has she cared about your feelings?"
"I- when Natalie was sick? She reacts to her surroundings..."
"So now you're justifying her actions because you feel bad, when I promise, she wouldn't have felt bad about hurting you."
"That doesn't make it right, Lola."
"I had to deal with this from Natalie, and I'll say the same thing. You're not required to care about someone that emotionally tore you apart."
"Then I'm no better than her, and she's succeeded."
YOU ARE READING
Admiring the Light
Teen FictionFriendless and timid, Guinevere is stuck in her socially anxious shadow, content to let her sister lead and live a sheltered life. Without Natalie pushing her to break out of her comfort zone, she'd be trapped in fear. The world is scary, even her o...
