wild child. | jjk (ambw)

18. what were you like as a kid?

"This is exactly the problem now. You don't do shit around the house. You don't get good grades. You don't do anything right." Amina snatched the broken glass from her daughters hand, leaving a small cut on the teenage girls finger tips. "Get out my face, Kendra."

With that, Kendra walked back to her room and shut the door behind herself. She jumped into her bed, laying her head on the pillow that had been covered in tears stains, letting it comfort her again for one more night. Tears rolled down her face and onto the fabric.

She could hear her mother cursing on the outside of her door but did he best to ignore it. She was going to sleep with an empty stomach once again, not feeling like facing another one of her mother's episodes but of course hiding in her room wasn't the solution.

Her mother bust through her door without warning. "Kenny, I'm sorry." Switching the lamp on that sat on her makeshift bedside table (a wooden stool), her mother sat by her bed and rubbed her back as he daughter silently sobbed into her pillow.

It was so hard going through constant verbal and physical abuse and then being gaslit two minutes later. It had become a daily pattern with the mother and daughter duo. Kendra felt as though she was walking on eggshells during every interaction with her mother. Even looking at her the wrong way made her mother explode with anger.

"Okay, mom. I forgive you." Was all she could say—It was the same thing she said only a couple hours ago when her mother had called her dumb over and argument about that night's dinner.

"You should apologize too then."

Kendra felt her body tense up at her mother's words. She had done nothing wrong but again she was being asked to apologize. Apologize for what? Her mother continued—"I'm not the only one in the wrong here. You really shouldn't disrespect your mother regardless of how you feel about what I say. You came out of me therefore you at least owe me respect."

Her heard hardened at her mother's words, but to avoid another argument she let out a bitter apology. "You're right, mom. I'm sorry."

Amina squealed, letting out a deranged laugh. "It's okay, I accept your apology." Leaning down, she kissed her daughters head and wiped her tears away. "I'll bring your dinner to your room. Just give me a moment to clean up first." Amina walked away, turning the lamp off and shutting the door behind her when she left.

Kendra was left in her cold, dark room once again. Instead of resuming her tears, she became numb and grabbed the burner phone that she had kept hidden in between her mattress. Her mother had rummaged through her room often but was never strong enough to lift the heavy mattress that sat on the wobbly bed frame in Kendra's room.

Unlocking the phone she pressed on the only contact she had in her phone. Dontae. A boy whom she had met while sneaking out the house one night. He had approached her at a gas station and offered to buy her snacks.

After only a few rings a voice came through clearly on the other side of the phone. "Ken?" He asked, his voice low and tired. "I'm sorry to wake you up but I need you. I want you to come get me and take me to our place.

The line went silent for a while until she heard him rummaging around on the other end. "Okay, be ready in 10." He only live a few blocks away from her. "Can you meet me in the middle in about 5 minutes? I need to go now."

Kendra got up out of bed herself, grabbing a small draw string bag and stuffing it with random articles of clothing. "I just need a break from my mother for a while. I can't take another day in this house with her." She had confessed about her abuse to Dontae for a while so he knew exactly what she had been going through.

"Alright, Ken. Meet at the yellow house on King street in 5." Then he hung up. She slipped the phone in her jean pocket and grabbed a jacket to wear since it was pretty chilly at night. Her small bag was busting at the seams and that's when she decided it was time to leave.