Project 14 (BEING REWRITTEN)

Chapter 5

I was escorted out of my room with Gutierrez again. If it was my mother, I swear I’ll beat her.

          I was brought into the visitor room. My head hung down, not wanting to look at who it was. Gutierrez closed the door and went into the hall and stood guard. It was time. It was time to face my horrid mother.

          I looked up and it wasn’t my mother. Tears formed in my eyes.

          “Junior.” I whispered.

          “Cassandra,” he said with a smile.

          I ran to him and hugged him. It’s been six months. Six months since I’ve last seen Junior. I cried in his arms.

          “Cassie, what are they doing to you?” Junior asked as he pulled away. “You look like skin and bone and pale.”

          “It’s the drugs. Every two weeks of every month they inject us all with these weird drugs. Some I’ve never heard of.”

          “Gosh, I’m sorry.”

          “It’s fine. Everyone looks like this. There’s only been one death so far.”

          Junior stepped closer to me. I told him it was Annabeth Portman. She’s only two-years-old. I sighed and started crying again. Junior wiped the tears falling from my face. I let out a shaky sigh.

          “How’s Mom?” I asked, not really caring about her.

          Junior’s face turned saddened. “Cassie, I’m sorry. Your mother passed away for months ago.”

          “Wh – What? How?”

          “She died of alcohol poisoning. She wanted me to tell you that your father didn’t die on purpose. He died on accident. Your dad had a gun so your mom decided to grab it from him. He was giving her death threats and threatening to kill you. She was drunk. That’s when she shot him. Point blank into the heart. She wanted to tell you this to you, but she couldn’t. That was the last thing your mom told me. It was hard for me to process, also, but it’s the truth. She also wanted to let you know that she loved you very much. It’s just, she got drunk, yes, but she still loved you. She was there for you when no one else wasn’t. I’m sorry, Cassie.”

          “No. Maybe because my mom was such an ass that she was afraid to do it herself. She treated me like crap when she was drunk. I get it. She may have told you this, but I believe none of it.”

          “Really, I’m not lying.”

          I turned and faced away from him. She couldn’t have died. She was still young. Tears flooded my vision. I may have hated her, but she was really one of the only people I could trust. She may have gotten drunk, but I still loved her. I may have hated walking on her with another guy, but I still cared for her. I couldn’t process this. Junior came up to me. His hand gently rested on my shoulder. I looked back and pulled him into another hug.

          Junior rested his head on top of mine and ran his hand up and down my back.

          “You’re okay.”

          “Junior, I don’t know how to go on anymore. I have no mother. No father. I don’t know. I have no family.”

          “How’s this?” He said. “When you get home, you can come and stay with me. I live alone. We all need someone at this time to cope with.”