The blinding flash of cameras were the first thing I saw when I emerged from the police station. Questions were being thrown at me from all directions. I just kept my head up and kept walking. Jenny was right behind me barking things like "no comment" and "back off" at the reporters and paparazzi. The accident had only been a few hours ago and I was still in shock. When I got in the car Jenny plopped in next to me, slamming the door shut behind her.
"You alright kid?" I hated that she called me kid but I just nodded and fastened the seatbelt. It provided a false sense of security for the duration of the ride. When we arrived at the dingy motel I must have looked confused because Jenny cleared her throat and spoke quietly.
"We discussed it and felt it best you stayed here tonight." I assumed the we she was referring to was my step-mom, Carol. Carol only did what was "best for me" if it was also best for her. She was probably sick of me hogging all the publicity, so she sent me to stay in a motel for a few days to "let everything cool down." The room was dark and smelled like cigarettes. Jenny called the front desk and demanded that clean sheets be brought to our room immediately. I just rolled my eyes and went into the bathroom to get ready to go to bed. When I entered the bathroom I shut and locked the door behind me and looked into the mirror. My shirt was torn and slightly stained. My long blonde hair was matted and wet. I was a mess. My mascara was running because I had been crying, and my eyes were puffy. I turned and saw the filthy shower. I would just use the sink to clean my face and then get my pajamas on. After I felt slightly cleaner I exited the bathroom and went to lay on the bed. Jenny made a noise and I looked at her. She shook her head vigorously. The maid had not brought clean sheets yet. I sat in the small, uncomfortable chair and waited for Jenny to finish the heated convorsation she was having through the phone.
"Carol I don't care about the reporters, this place is a dump." Silence.
"No, Carol you aren't listening to me, Sutton and I refuse to sleep here." Hearing my own name sounded weird. I had heard and read it a thousand times, but the way Jenny said it that night never left my mind. When she growled in frustration and hung up on Carol, she turned to me and forced a smile.
"Your mom is being difficult." Jenny said, immediately regretting it. My mother and father had given my up for adoption as a baby and Carol adopted me. The weight of the situation finally fell on me and I began to cry. Jenny trodded over and sat on the arm of the chair, huggung me close to her.
"Sutton don't cry please, please." I just kept crying. Jenny slowly began to get worked up too, and she and I sat there, for what seemed like forever, finally falling apart.
