Why Is That Funny?

This Sucks

The next morning Jace was already awake. He was faced up at the ceiling looking really confused. I sat up and moved my body so I was on top of him.

"Ow, heavy."

"You know I never apologized. I'm sorry. I was a drunk freshman trying to be cool and funny. Can ya blame me?"

"Yes. I do forgive you, though. So now what?"

"Now we just do whatever? I'm honestly still to scarred by my parents to be in a relationship right now.", I managed to weakly say.

"I was never mentally stable enough anyway."

"Yeah." I began to kiss up his collar bone as I lifted his legs with my hands and began to settle myself between his legs. "That doesn't mean we can't have fun right?"

We basically came to an agreement of friends with benefits. (Did you catch that pun? We came to an agreement)

When we were done with our business inactions, I gathered up my stuff and headed for the door. My mom definitely hasn't noticed my absence at home. She has been to depressed. Daniel doesn't even give two shits about me.

One I reached the bottom of Jace's stairs, I saw a white powder on the floor. It was a trail leading to the kitchen.

"Relapse...", I heard Jace sigh under his breath.

He began to lead me to the front door stealthily when I heard a voice shout.

"JAY!"

He froze.

"Stay here.", he ordered. Of course I didn't listen. I followed him in the kitchen to see Jace's mom with her blonde hair in a messy bun and her hand stirring some gross brown liquid in a pot on their stove.

"Hey babe, making my famous breakfast stew.", she shakily and excitedly said. She turned and saw me. " Tadrick! What a nice surprise. I haven't seen you in so long. I knew I heard Jace bring in a boy last night. Everyone knows basketball players love cheerleaders, but who knew you lusted after the kind named Jace! I mean-"

"Mom!", Jace shouted rubbing his temple. "You are rambling. And remember what I said before? You only make mystery stew when you relapse...."

"Baby, it was just an ounce... no more." She scratched her arm and attempted to tighten her bun as she returned to her stew. She must have taken lessons from my dad on how to cook.

I stayed silent this whole time. Jace lead me out of the house. I drove us both to school. The entire day went by fast. I feel like I blinked and it went. Sheesh, if only it was like that every day.

When I got home I heard my name being shouted from the basement.

"Hey mom. You want something?", I asked as I walked off of the final step in the basement. My mom was doing laundry. Makes sense that she is home. She has been a lot since the divorce. She said that being at work ruined her marriage, so it wouldn't ruin her relationship with her kids too.

"Yes I do. I was talking to Jenny earlier." Oh no. That's Jace's mom. "She said something about you and Jace." Really Mom? Stop the sarcasm. "She said... Oh! She said you and him were dating. She said she heard you two last night. Together."

"Mom you know her when she gets high-"

"How do you know she is on drugs? Never mind that. I know how she is when she is high. I'm just disappointed you didn't tell me. I know about your little whoring ways. I just didn't know you liked boys too. If you are gonna whore out, don't go after people you are close to. It isn't going to end well."

"Mom, I'm not a whore. Not anymore anyway. Jace is the only guy I would sleep with anyway. Also the only person I am sleeping with. We aren't dating. We are friends. With benefits too. Also, if you know Jace's mom is on drugs, why don't you do something?"

"I can't do anything. I just found out last year. Jace is eighteen now, so I can't call CPS, and I would never turn her into the police. You don't understand how hard it is for me to see her like that. She has been my sister since middle school. She was there when I met your dad in high school while your father was in basketball practice. I was there when she met Jace's father in chess club. I was there when he died of the accident. We have been through so much together. I'm watching her slowly kill herself. And I can't do a single thing." I could see the anger in her face as she shoved wet cloths in the dryer, her hair in a shirt, tight ponytail.

"Mom, it's gonna work out in the end. Trust me."

I went up into my room in a worse mood than before. I began to doze off after thirty minutes. My phone began to ring. I picked it up to see Lee calling me. I answered.

"Hey Lee! Whatcha up to?"

"Daniel is at Empire Diner with a girl! Hurry!", he whisper screamed in the other end.

I hung up and ran downstairs. I stopped to see my mom on the couch, asleep with a basket full of fresh laundry under her head. I kissed her cheek and left to the diner.

When I arrived I saw something I didn't expect to. Daniel was chatting with Maria. Huh. Plot twist.

I saw Lee sitting at a table with Jaz across the restaurant from Daniel. I ran to then while ducking my head. When I sat down my head automatically turned back to Daniel's table.

"Isn't that Jace's friend? Mary, right?", Jaz said in a quiet tone.

"Maria. I didn't even think Dan knew she existed. I mean, it is obvious Dan is gonna be in the 'popular' group when he is in our grade. I didn't think he would talks to someone as quiet as her."

We sat there and watched them talk. You couldn't exactly tell the mood. They looked kind of blank, besides the forever scarred look Maria has in her eyes.

When they left we got up and quickly left. It was dark out. I ordered Lee and Jaz to go away. I walked up Dan and put my arms over his shoulder. All of the sudden I was punched in the gut.

"Why would you do that asshole?! You don't sneak up on black peoples at night! Were you spying on me creep?!" I coughed out the pain and straightened up.

"What's with you and Maria?", he basically ignored me as he found my car with his eyes and began to walk to it. When we got in I turned to him. "Huh?"

"Nothing. We are doing a project in science. I would never voluntarily talk to a loser like her." , he boredly stated.

"That's mean. You don't know what goes on at home. She could be the way she is for a reason. There is mostly a reason."

"Stop getting mushy and drive." I did. When we got home, I locked the door. My car is the type to there isn't a lever on each door to unlock it. "What?"

"Maria is a nice girl. Try to be friends. Her only friend is a senior who won't be in school next year."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I can barely tell what she is saying. All I hear is 'hola welcome to taco bell'!" I smacked the side of his head.

"That's racist! Stop being so mean. She is kinda hot too. Maybe-"

"This isn't match maker. Don't get involved in my love life. Let me out dickhead." I unlocked the car.

It was about two in the morning when I heard my mother's aching screams. When me and Dan bursted into her room she was shaking and covered in a pool of blood in her bed.

After three hours of waiting in the hospital, a nurse came out.

"Family of Tonya Jones?"

"Yes.", me and San said at once.

"Well, it seems your she has had a stress induced miscarriage. I'm sorry."

Dan went in her room while I stayed in the waiting room. I stepped outside to see it raining.

Wow. This sucks.