Becoming A Queen

Ties

"Cameron, did you hear me? Your mom is running the Diamond Queens." Angel repeats.

After he dropped the bomb it fell deadly silent. He waited a few minutes before trying to speak again.

I nod slowly, "Yeah. I heard."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Just, hush," I say softly. And he mercifully does.

He did give me a good question to ponder. How do I feel about this?

Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised. I hadn't any inkling that Diane was behind the Queens rise, but it makes sense. Feels almost right.

Of course that heinous bitch would.

Of fucking course.

She would threaten the very beings she created. Leon was her baby. The favorite. The one she actually liked. The rest of us were the dreadful mistakes.

She was ugly. Pretty in her youth from the pictures I've seen.

Then something happened, none of us quiet know what, but Diane got pregnant with Leon and soon after he was born got a filthy addiction. Became a stripper. Shook her flat ass for ones to buy Jack and coke. A stream of meaningless one night stands that ended in pregnancy and how I got all my siblings.

A few weeks after Leon died I came home from school early to find Diane writing a note, with a suitcase packed and looking clean for once.

I assumed she was on her way to rehab, the dumbass in me actually hoped for it.

But no.

She was running away.

To what or with who I never knew and honestly didn't give one shit about.

She left us. Left me with the responsibility of five fucking kids and I was still one myself.

It was better that way though. I didn't have to cover for her stanky ass anymore. Didn't have to haul her drugged out body up the stairs and throw her on her mattress, shielding her from the kids.

I hated her.

I still fucking hate her.

A mother is supposed to be kind, warm and nurturing. She was none of that. She was bitter, cold and useless.

Leon and I took on the parental roles in the house. Stealing, shoplifting, living off pure survival instincts and nothing less.

We sometimes would joke that Leon was more of the motherly type and I the fatherly.

Leon was warmth and comfort. There was safety in his bear like arms, home in how tall he was. He was understanding and knew what to say and do every time. Leon was my home, my safety net, my everything. I lost myself when I lost him, I've still not recovered from that.

I'm harder emotionally. I'm stiff, stubborn and mouthy. I did what I always had to do. I ran a tight ship at home, was bossy and to the point. I didn't put up with bullshit and I never handed it out.

Together Leon and I did our best to do right by our siblings.

And what the fuck does Diane do?

Drugs, sex and drink like some rocker from the 80s. She was a pain in the ass, couldn't even tell the kids apart after Jet. She's fucking pathetic. A sad excuse of a human and even worse mother.

As far as dads go, we have no idea who is who. Derek and Leon always looked eerily similar, and we presumed they shared a dad. She gave us the 'Martinez' last name, but her maiden name is Waldron. The only ones who even look remotely Mexican or of Spanish decent are Kayla and I. Leon and I could never figure out where Martinez came from and why we all have it, even with different fathers and ethnicities. We guessed it was some lover that got a away. Some first love summer romance kind of shit.