Bumper Cars [EDITING]

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Henley looked at her clock as she awakened. It was 3 in the morning.

'Just 5 fucking hours of sleep ?', she thought to herself. Henley hadn't had a good night's sleep in years.

In just 2 hours, she was going to have to leave for work. Henley was an English teacher at the local high school in South Tucson, Arizona, a place she's been calling home for the past 9 years.

She decided that there was no way she'd be able to go back to sleep, so she would catch up on some cleaning.

By the time that she'd cleaned her shitty, one bedroom apartment, she had 30 minutes before she needed to be to work. She liked to go to work early, especially on Mondays. She knew that her students hadn't ever really been interested in school, so she always made sure that her Mondays were the best day of the week for her students. No homework, and some sort of hands on activity. That's how she'd been able to be the favorite teacher of most of her students.

After showering, throwing on a black pair of jeans, a green, silk, button-down shirt, and her black, patent leather, open-toed pumps, she was ready to get to work.

Then her phone rang...

It was weird, no one called Henley, especially not at 5 in the morning.

" Ms. Winston...", she answered, not recognizing the unfamiliar number.

"Hey, baby", a voice she'd never forget said.

".... G-Gemma ? Is someone dead ?", Henley asked, worried.

"No, baby. Everyone's whole", Gemma replied.

"What's going on then ? I'm on my way to work", she said, trying to get off of the phone.

"You need to come home. No one will tell you this because they've got too much damn pride. We all miss you. I know that shit got bad for you before you left. I understand that, but I miss you. And Ope will never admit it, but he needs you. Since he got out, well.... Donna's putting distance between him and the club. That shit'll get him killed, you know that", Gemma said, never one to dance around the point.

"Shit, Ma...", Henley went on, "I mean, I've got a job. I can't just drop everything to go there. Besides, I made promises to myself..."

"I'm not saying, stay forever. Even though, I wish that you would. I'm just saying, stay a while. I'm sure you can take a leave for a bit. I know you've got some vacation time", Gemma said, slowly losing her patience.

"Gem-..", Henley started before getting cut off by Gemma.

"Come home, please, you know I don't beg, but I will if I've got to", Gemma pleaded.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do", Henley said, really just wanting Gemma to shut the hell up. She knew that she wouldn't win this argument anyway. Gemma would probably drive down here and drag her home, kicking and screaming.

"Alright, baby. Go to work, call me after", Gemma said triumphantly.

Gemma hung up, as Henley walked into her black pick up truck, and drove off to work.

°°°

After work, Henley called Gemma.

Before Gemma could talk, Henley cut her off.

"I've got 3 weeks vacation time. After those 3 weeks, I'm going back to work. I don't want you pushing me to be with your son while I'm there... I'm not staying with you, I'll stay with Ope and Donna, or I'll stay at the Cabin... I will not under any circumstances stay at the clubhouse, at all. Agree to that, and I'll come back", Henley said, fiercely, something she'd learned from Gemma.

"That's fine, baby", Gemma said. She had ulterior motives, and Henley knew that, but part of Henley had been looking for the kick in the ass that would send her back home to Charming.

"I'll be leaving, tomorrow after I go to work. Love you, Mama Gem", Henley said, calling Gemma by a name she'd been calling her since she could talk.

"I love you too, Hen", Gemma said.