PROMISE // reggie mantle

seven

"god it's like i'm in an episode of csi," i mumbled as i sat by the window over arching sweetwater river in our living room. caution tape circled around the area as riverdale police talked and communicated with each other while forensics tried to find clues where jason's body was the night before.

"yep," my mother spoke coldly as she flipped through a copy of the riverdale register a hard glare on her face. she still hadn't spoke about what happened at dinner this past weekend. all she's done is lay in bed and drink a bottle of Chateau Margaux wine while watching reruns of the Young and the Restless.

i sighed as i sat up from my seat on the couch, going over to place my coffee cup on the table beside one of our staircases that rested right behind the television. "i might as well get ready for school since you no longer want to have a morning conversation anymore."

at my words my mother threw down the newspaper and ripped her glasses off of her face, "what the hell do you want me to say, lilac? i let that monster into this house for the first time in over a year and everything turns into a disaster. don't you see? disaster follows your father around like a lost puppy."

"maybe if you'd actually let me do what i want to do with my life then he wouldn't have flipped out!"

"i don't care! you get absolutely no where being an artist, honey! look at harrison! now he lives in a trashy trailer park, is apart of a trashy gang and gets drunk with his trashy best friend everyday!"

i screamed out of frustration and threw my coffee mug on the ground, pieces of glass littering the expensive woven rug. "my father is not trashy! how dare you talk about him like that!"

"because i hate him! that's why!" my mother stood up, glaring me in the eye, "you're going to business school, young lady. your father has no say in this."

i smirked at my mother, tears lining my water line as i spat out, "we'll see about that, courtney."

my mother scoffed and shook her head, "look at how your acting! you spend too much time with that man."

"i'd rather be there than here!" i yelled as my mother began to fold up the newspaper and gather her paperwork for the company. "at least my hopes and dreams are accepted over at dad's!"

"you are never to see him again, lilac, do you understand me?" my mother huffed, looking back at me before she left the living room, "you're turning into a monster, just like him."

as she left the living room i screamed until my lungs hurt. i cried until i couldn't breath. and once i was done with my temper tantrum, i was light headed and dizzy. i left the broken coffee mug on the floor and ran up the stairs wiping my face with my hands. my mother has no right to tell me not to see my dad. he was one of the only people who supported me, the only one who encouraged me and the one who tells me not to give up. i was so thankful for my dad and if my mother thought i wasn't going to see him ever again, well, you've got another thing coming, courtney.