Song: Ties
Artist: Slow Skies
Parker's Wry Smile
Miranda
The late January wintry breeze caught my hair and whisked it in my face. I closed the window but hated the stillness that spread. Mom hummed a tune that she used to sing to me all the time when I was little. As I grew up, and we moved states, I heard less of that and more of her yelling.
It felt the other way around now; I wanted to yell at her. Jennifer tried to strike up a conversation when we left the courthouse but I stayed quiet while my mom became bubblier. Jennifer knew something was up straight away but didn't question it. She'd ask me as soon as mom was out of sight.
When Jennifer stopped the car at our house, I didn't move. Mom shuffled in the backseat but I turned away and avoided eye contact. I couldn't even look at her the same way. At this moment I didn't know what to feel. Disappointment? Anger? Guilt?
"Miranda, you promised you'd help me with the packing." I heard the smile in Mom's voice as she leaned forward and peered her head between Jennifer and me.
"Packing for what?" Jennifer squinted. I didn't respond to either of them. If I stayed with Jennifer, not only would she ask me what happened but she'd ask me about the packing. If I stayed with my mother, then I can take out all my anger on her.
"Nothing, I'll tell you later." I leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth. Jennifer glanced at me while I removed the seatbelt. "I'll call you later, bye!"
When Jennifer turned the corner of our street, I followed my mom into the house. She grumbled in front of me while I impatiently tapped my foot. Once we were inside, I'd go all out and she knew it.
"What the hell was that?" I slammed the door shut behind me and bolted after her. "Mom, you better be f*cking joking!"
"Hey, don't swear at me you little brat." Mom snarled and reached into her dirty tote bag. She retrieved a cigarette and lighter. Once it was lit, and she exhaled she pointed the cigarette at me. "Why would I joke about that? Neither of us are laughing."
"Mom, don't you realize what he's done to my friends? That man in there that I refuse to acknowledge and call my father, ruined my friends' lives!"
"Did you ever consider that you were the only one that was never hurt?" Mom flicked the ash into one of the open boxes beside her. I stepped back and stared at the ground. Mom chuckled. "In ways, you never knew, that man, your father, protected us."
"Oh, don't start with this bullsh*t again. Protect us? He made my friends' life hell!"
I thought back to everything that's happened. Everything Lana went through because of—I couldn't even say it—my father. What happened to Blake, Carter, Ethan, and Aidan. I gasped when I thought of Jennifer. If Parker was working with James then...
"Please, tell me that James had nothing to do with the death of Jennifer's brother?" Mom remained silent and rather took out her phone. When she began to text, my fists tightened, and I gritted my teeth. "Noel Brighton. Mom, please tell me he ha—"
My voice cut off when the doorbell rang. Whoever rang it didn't wait for either of us and opened the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of Marcus, Parker and another one of James men I've seen on the news. Marcus froze when we made eye contact while the other two casually strolled past him.
"Finally, you're here. Help me pack up the rest of this sh*t." Mom gestured with her cigarette to the rest of the stuff that lied around the house. "Miranda's no use."
YOU ARE READING
Lights Out Boys
Teen Fiction"I heard about her, she's bad for you." "Like you were any better." "She's going to ruin you." "Then let her." Blake Gunner always looked for the bad in people, to know that he's not the only one. Yet to also see if they can defeat the bad like he t...
