Say My Name

Ch 7: Who We Are Now

"So, let's get straight to it," I said to Wren.

She glanced up her text book, confused of the context.

"We've literally been studying in silence for an hour, in what context are you talking about?"

"The whole triangle between you, the hot one, and the nice one who ogles over everything you do" I replied.

She rolled her eyes, "there is no triangle between Tyler, Noah, and I. Tyler would never go for me and I don't like Noah that way."

"Aha!" I interjected.

"What?"

"You just said you don't like Noah that way but you didn't say anything about not liking Tyler!"

She blushed as she rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what do you mean he'd never go for you? Do you see how gorgeous and smart you are?!" I said.

"I don't know what girl you're talking about but it's not me." Wren said.

I sighed, fully knowing I couldn't convince her otherwise. Wren always had self esteem issues, never seeing what everyone else saw in her. It had to do with her mom, who went to jail for drugs when Wren called the police, not being able to take it anymore. She was 14, and I was with her, supporting her.

Although it was 4 years ago, even I never forgot the horrible things her mom said as the police slowly dragged her out of the house.

*Flashback*
"You think you're worth shit? Failure's in your blood bitch, get used to being an ugly disappointment. Just know everyone is lying when they say your beautiful"

She pointed to herself, "this is coming from your mom-- you are not and will never be pretty, so stop hanging around Aubrey wishing for her beauty to rub off on you."

Wren was shaking in my arms, tears rolling down as her own mom disowned her.

Her mom turned to me, and I froze.

"And you, Aubrey, I bet you're the one who encouraged her to call the police. You think you're hot shit. You may have the looks but have fun being everyone's whore when you're older." She stumbled over her words-- she was shot up on heroine.

My eyes widened as she continued.

"You think someone's going to ever love you? Honey, no one loves a whore. No one. Don't think otherwise, all you're going to be is a dumb slut."

"That's enough," a police officer firmly stated, finally dragging her in the car.

That day she didn't just leave her husband and family, she left two broken girls behind, not knowing the damage she'd done.

*End flashback*

"You know all those things she said weren't true?" I said.

"I know, but she was my mom, and practically your second mom. We're always going to have doubts about ourselves because of what she said. We both took what she said to heart and it's going to die with us. Don't deny it, it affected who we are today," Wren said, broken.

"We both know it wasn't her. She was once the most kind and passionate woman we knew. It's the drugs that made her horrible." I said, putting my head on Wren's shoulder.

As I tried to comfort Wren, I couldn't help but think how much I let her mom's words affect me after all these years. I turned out exactly how she predicted, and that silently broke me.

"Anyway," I said, trying to lighten up the mood, "so you're officially into Tyler huh?"