"Hey, honey!" Mom shouted, racing to me from the middle of the living room. As she collided into me, wrapping her arms around me, Beth stepped out of her room. "Hey, Aunt Hilary," Beth spoke up quietly. Mom released me immediately, anger outlining her light wrinkles and gleaming in her gray eyes. "You! You're the one who stole my poor baby's boyfriend!" Mom shouted, storming forward. I jumped in front of her as she opened her mouth, about to go on a rant. "Mom! Calm down! We got everything straightened out! Do you even know what all happened?" I demanded, my hands cupping her shoulders as Alex came walking from the kitchen. "I know enough to know that Lil Miss Baby Mama over there needs a good whooping!" Mom replied.
"Mom! How could you even say that? Josh murdered a dog and is in jail now, I was almost raped, Beth's life is hard enough already and she and I made up!" I exclaimed, disbelief in my voice. "Well I might have known that if you would have called me!" Mom argued. "I told Mimaw to let you know," I replied, taking a deep breath to calm down. "My mother never lets me know anything," Mom responded, sweeping her graying blonde hair out of her face. "Yeah, I know how that feels," I muttered, my voice drenched in sarcasm. Mom's eyes flashed and she turned around. "Whatever. I'm staying at Hailey's house until I leave. I got plane tickets for the three of us going back to Charlotte, but I guess we only need two of them now," Mom called over her shoulder as she stepped toward the door. "I'm not going back to Charlotte," I said firmly.
"Oh yes you are!" Mom exclaimed, whipping around. "No, I'm not. I can't- I have to take care of Beth, and I'm in love with Alex here," I replied, grabbing their hands. Mom started laughing maniacally. "You've barely known him a week, and you say you love him? I guess I'm a bit bitter, after my husband left me with this brat who grew up to love emos and have compassion for skanks. Oh well, I suppose I'm just a horrible mother. You want to stay here? Fine, stay- but I'm not paying any money for you. My mother can pay your phone bill," Mom ranted. "Her grandmother won't have to pay anything. My mother will- she loves Ronnie," Alex spoke up for me. "And she's going to get a job," Beth added from beside me.
"Also, Mom, you can call them what you want, but these people are in my life, whether you think they're emos or skanks doesn't matter," I said, narrowing my eyes at her. We hadn't ever fought much, but then again, before this trip I'd been exactly what she wanted me to be. "Good bye, darling daughter," Mom smirked at me and slammed the door behind her. I sighed, leaning against the wall. I looked over at Alex- he was wearing a pale blue button-down over a pair of smooth, black suede pants and black dress shoes. His hair was combed, smoothed down with his bangs still in his face. "You look beautiful," Alex commented after a minute. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," I replied as Beth stepped back into the room. I rested one hand against his chest, my other hand still holding his. He placed a hand around my waist, bending down and pressing his lips to mine.
A moment passed before Alex's ringtone started going off. He stepped away with a smile on his face as he answered. I laughed a little and walked into the kitchen. "Yep, that's the place," I heard Alex saying as I grabbed a cup. "Seven? Sounds good. Allen's coming by around six so we'll meet you there," his voice echoed around the house as I opened the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea. "Yep, okay. I'll see you then. Tell Lily I said hi," Alex hung up the phone and stepped into the kitchen, where I stood leaned against a counter drinking my glass of sweet tea. "That looks good," Alex spoke up, eyeing my cup. "This was the last of it. Give me a minute and I'll start another pitcher," I replied, pulling a pot out of the cabinet beside the stove. Once I started the tea, I glanced at the time- half past five already.
"So, where exactly are you taking me?" I asked Alex as he stole a sip of tea. "That's for me, Andy, and Allen to know, and for you to find out," Alex responded mischievously. "It's kind of ironic how you all have names that start with an A," I voiced aloud. "It is weird how that happened," Alex replied, not too concerned. I shrugged at him and Beth walked in. "Tea?" She asked, smiling hopefully. "On the stove," I answered, pointing with my thumb and taking a sip out of my glass. "Can I please have a sip of yours? That sounds really good right now," Beth pleaded. "That's what Alex said," I laughed, handing her the glass. She took a long sip before passing it back to me. "I feel like it's a bong and we're just passing it around, taking hits," Beth said, scooting onto the counter to sit. I laughed in agreement and replied, "It's not like I did that last weekend or anything. No, of course not." Beth rolled her eyes and said, "I know you didn't, seeing as last weekend you were out cold in a hospital bed." I chuckled and nodded, "That I was indeed." The tea had come to a boil, bubbles almost spilling over the rim of the pot. I turned off the burner and began finishing the tea.
YOU ARE READING
Caught in the Moonlight
Подростковая литература*REWRITE AVAILABLE ON MY PROFILE* From the time Ronnie found the horse to the night it was finally back with her, her life is a constant whirlwind. Between the boys who come in and out of her life and the constant injuries and the vibrant cast of...
