In Another Life

Chapter 39: Mia

I sit on the counter with the band rounding the kitchen table. Other than the fact that CC and Vicy are screwing the hallway and we're trying to block out the moaning, screaming, thudding, and the pictures rattling against wall it's a normal morning. The boys are playing poker and drinking beer, I sit on the counter eating cereal.

"Does everyone sound like that?" Bobby wonders and I choke on my cereal.

"No that is raging bulls crossed with Silence of the Lambs." Bret says and we laugh. "That's not normal."

"Can we talk about what's not normal?" Bobby wonders. "The fact that Minnie is eating half a box of cereal out of a mixing bowl."

"Am I?" I wonder looking at the bowl.

Sure as shit the bowl would fix on Vicy's mixer. She's going to murder me.

"And the box of cereal." Bret pulls the box out of the recycling.

"That's normal." I say as I shovel more food into my mouth.

"If you eat half a box of cereal a day, you must go through like here a week." Bobby says and I think about that.

"Something like that." I admit. Me being preggers probably doesn't help that idea.

Vicy and CC walk into the kitchen and me all look at them. They don't exactly make eye contact with us and they open the cupboards to look for food. CC looks over to me.

"I swear kid, I think I liked it better when you didn't eat." He mumbles and I smile.

"I can't win for losing." I say and Vicy's eyes grow.

"Is that a mixing bowl?" She asks and I nod.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't notice until Bobby said it." I say and she gives me a look.

"How did you live on your own?" She wonders and I shrug.

"I ate cereal out of whatever dish I wanted." I admit.

We talk for a while and I try to burn the memory of my adopted parents banging in the hallway. I'm never walking down that hall again.

"How's your mom doing, Minnie?" CC wonders.

"Honey, you just fucked her in he hallway." I state and everyone laughs.

"I mean your mom mom." CC says. "That ginger broad that you don't get along with."

"I uh." I look down at my bowl. "I'm not sure."

She's slowly dying from not having her fix and probably doesn't have a year left. I only know what my grandmother has told me. I don't want to talk to her or see her, gram really wants me to but I can't bring myself to do it.

"Minnie?" Vicy asks  and I look up from my cereal.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"You okay?" She wonders and I fake a smile.

"Of course." I say and she nods, not exactly convinced.

Yeah I'm okay, right?