I walk into my room, not expecting to see boxes upon boxes of my stuff packed up. I was wondering what was going on when my Mom walked into my room.
"Ma, what the Hell is going on?"
"Oh, Honey, we didn't have a choice. If we didn't do it, we would never get anything paid off."
"Ma, you're scaring me."
"Your moving in with one of the Dolans' sons. Grayson."
"What?!"
"You have to marry him. It was that or starve. Plus, they are rich and Grayson will take good care of you."
"Mom. I refuse. I'm eighteen and am suppose to go off to college next month."
"I'm afraid you have no choice. They have already paid us."
"How much?"
"What?"
"How much did they pay you?"
"$500,000."
"You have got to be shitting me, mother. You sold me. Why? Out of all your children, why me?"
"What? All your siblings are too young. Plus, Grayson is quite good looking, smart, and funny. He's 19."
"I don't really care, Mom. It's not fair. Why do I have to marry him?"
"Because we need the money and as long as neither one of you divorce the other, we get money, pay off the house and in the end we never have to worry about being poor."
"Go to hell."
I grab my book bag and run out to my bike. We've never had much money. I mean, I get how we need the money, but still. It's not fair. I've never had the luxury a new car or phone. Hell, I work a lot more than either of my parents. I've done good in school and got accepted into the University of Maryland. I was ready to start my life with out my parents and siblings holding me back. Now, it seems like I have no choice. I ride around town until curfew then get home within minutes. No, not my parents' curfew. The states. Can't get busted or face time. Turns out I'm not perfect. I've only ever gotten in trouble. No wonder my parents are marrying me off.
"Hope you've cooled off."
I flip her off and head up to my room and flop on my bed. I meet the unlucky man tomorrow. Watch as he's an up tight loser like my parents.
Tomorrow
"Lex. It's time to get up. Dress nice and look presentable."
"Whatever, mother."
She actually thinks I care.
I get into the shower and once I'm out I dress in a black dress with a cardigan that was white. I put my many earrings in and let my tattoos show. Just because I did good in school didn't mean I was exactly what UM wanted. I was just the only applicant.
"Alexis, you look like you crawled out of a rat hole. Take those ear monstrosities out. Cover your tattoos."
"Ma, if they meet me, their gonna wanna meet the real me. Plus, it's not like I do drugs. I'm just bad. Do they know that I've been arrested twice?"
"Lex, of course they know. But they insisted. You have no idea their importance."
"Yeah, importance my ass. Their just rich out of their asses' to give two shits."
"They'll be here any minute." Please, at least take your bars out."
"Fine, but you owe me. I'm taking them with me."
I reach back and unhinged the bar and slid it out of my ear. I slide them into the pocket of my cardigan so I don't lose them. A knock on the front door sounds as I put the other bar into my pocket. I can hear my mother's frantic "Hi, how are you? Come on inside. Alexis!!"
I walk down and see a lovely put together family. A dad, a mom, two brothers and a sister. You could see how rich they were.
"Hi, I'm Alexis. You must be the family that will be replacing my own."
"Hi, Alexis. I'm Lisa. This is my husband Sean, my daughter Cameron, my son Ethan and the man who you will be marrying, my son Grayson."
"Nice to meet you all." I shake everyone of their hands. I hesitate a second for my fiance was breathtaking. Like damn son. Hello he was six 2 with muscules and probably a six pack. His jaw line could cut diamonds and his eyes were a beautiful hazel color. We shook hands and quickly released.
Their sister then says something.
"I love your earrings. And tattoos. Their pretty sick." We're gonna get along great. I smile.
"Thanks. I had bars but someone made me take them out."
"Sweet. Are your tattoos your designs?"
"Yes, drew them myself."
My parents are talking with Lisa and Sean. Guess they don't care. The boys went upstairs and were gathering boxes to take out to the moving van.
"Do you think you could do my next tattoo?"
"Yeah. I've been working on a couple but they don't really match my style. If you want to look, you can have them."
"Sweet."
"Question: do you think your parents like me? I mean with everything they probably heard about me."
"I think they do. They can sense a toxic home from a thousand miles away. And I heard what you got picked up for."
"I didn't do any of it. Just sold it. And it was a petty theft nothing g really to bad."
"Trust me. Our family didn't get rich off innocence."
New story. Yay. Vote comment. Let me know what you think.
XOXO
Lilith
