Complication

Chapter Fifty-Three

Have you ever been somewhere and couldn't wait to leave? Like every muscle in your body is inching towards the door but you can't leave because it's frowned upon.

Yeah, that's happening to me right now.

"In terms of stability, Mr. Prior has a steady job where he can be home most of the day and support a child with the needs that Gina carry's." Steve's lawyer's voice echoes through the courtroom.

I glance at Steve Prior, my dad although I would never call him that. He's grinning like he knows that he's going to win this.

"It is only fair to Gina to give her the most safest childhood she could have. And her mother hasn't been keeping an eye on her to make sure that she's safe because she works a job where she is gone most of the time."

My fists clench at my side. I refuse to look at my mom. I don't want to see what look she has on her face.

The Judge nods his head, "Do you have anything to say Mr. Shawn?" he asks my moms lawyer.

He clears his throat and stands up. "Your honor, Lynn Ortz may not be there most of the time."

Oh, great way to start off your winning speech. I can't hold it in any longer. I jump up, "Can we take a break?" I half yell.

I don't even wait for the okay. I rush out of there so fast I almost trip over my own feet. I burst through the doors to outside and stop. It's being decided today. I'm not ready to know what the outcome will be. And it's not going to be a good outcome if our douche bag lawyer keeps talking.

Okay he's not a douche bag but how could somebody that doesn't know me or my mom defend us in the best way possible? He doesn't know my life or my fathers life. I don't even know my fathers life.

I sit on the sidewalk and lean on the building with my head on my knees.

"Hey honey" my mothers soothing voice appears beside me. "I know this is a lot for you-"

"How can I leave this place, mom?" I look up to her in tears. I didn't even realize I was crying.

Her lips form a thin line and she sits down beside me. "You know I can't sugar coat this and tell you your not leaving. You might leave." She says sorrowfully. "But if there is one thing that I learned about you it is that you are the strongest person I've ever known."

"I'm not strong." I mumble. I just had to leave the courtroom because I was too fragile to stay.

She shakes her head. "No Gina, that's where you're wrong. Sure you get shaken up a bit, so what? We all do. But you are the only person that I know that gets up and moves forward every single time that you get knocked down."

I shyly smile at her.

"If your dad does end up getting custody I know that you will fight through and make the best of it."

"I'm gonna miss you" I choke out in tears. I know it hasn't been decided yet but I just blurted it out anyway.

She hugs me, "who said we're ever leaving?"

She moves to the side and behind her and Lucas, Justin, Maggy, Brandon, Scott, and even Sam who wrote my book where here. I didn't even notice them in the courtroom. All the people in my life are here, it may be a small number but it's mighty. Everyone's here to support me.

My hand claps over my mouth as I let out a happy cry, closing my eyes to try and stop the tears.

Everybody engulfs me in a suffocating hug and I finally pull myself together and wipe my eyes. "Thank you guys, so much."

My mom smiles a smile that reaches her eyes. When she's upset she makes sure she's stays positive for me.

"There's something I have to do." I say and walk back into the courtroom with everybody trailing behind me.

We stand in our original spots and I speak before I lose my opportunity. "Your Honor may I say something?" I ask as politely as I could.

He nods his head, "Proceed"

I take a deep breath to calm my pounding heartbeat. "Mr. Shawn is right. My mom may not be here every second of the day. But what does that have to do with anything? She still loves me unconditionally, she still always puts me as her top priority.

She taught me how to be responsible. Do you know many sixteen year olds that have a real job and could completely support themselves without a problem?" I ask rhetorically. "My mom taught me life lessons that nobody else could teach me. She never babied me. Yes if I was doing something wrong she'd reel the leash right back in. But because she didn't bottle feed me through life I learned how to be independent." I look around behind me at all the people here supporting me. "I would've never have met these amazing people behind me if it wasn't for her."

I look at Justin, "Your Honor I'm a runner" Justin's eyes widen and a smile shows at the corner of his mouth because he's the one that brought this up to me. "Whenever something emotional or personal happens to me I flee the problem, just like you witnessed five minutes ago. But these people behind me and my mother are the ones that taught me to get up and move on, to deal with the problem
in front of me so I can solve it and it be out of the way. 

My mom's a strong women and she passed that along to me. Through all my accidents" -I nervously laugh saying accidents because that's the main reason why we're here today.- "I have always remained strong. Sometimes it took me a while to realize that to get back on my feet but I always got back up with the help of my mom and these people behind me. I never give up."

I turn to Steve. "That's a quality I see in you. You're not going to give up on this and neither am I." I crack a smile, "too bad we're on opposing teams otherwise we'd be unstoppable." I joke to lighten my speech tone.

"Your Honor I'm sixteen and I do get a say in where I end up in life." I say. "I've come to the realization that I judge a book by its cover. All I know Steve of is that he left before I was born. I never asked the reason." I look down, "he could've just been me, fleeing from what seemed like a scary situation." I take another deep breath and look back up to Steve.

"You could be a great father for all I know. And I'm sorry that I was a little harsh to you when we first met."

I look back to the judge. "And that's why I propose a compromise. I would like to stay in custody of my mother, however, I would have no problem having scheduled visits with my father because it's not fair to him to push him out of my life when he is biologically my father and he obviously cares enough about me to be concerned with my safety, even though I'm completely safe."

Not having anything else to say I sit back down silently.