Spring Breakers

°°Moving°°

Angel's POV

The next morning, Marlee was beyond hungover. Homegirl couldn't even get up and take a Tylenol correctly so I had to crush one up and put it in her water. Her parents weren't thrilled when I told them she was a little sick so she couldn't get up now, so they waited for my Mom to get home which was hella awkward. 

Once Jackie got home it was a repeat of the last two days. Nothing but them four arguing and me just sitting in the background praying for a blunt and some Henny.

"I'm not leaving. We can argue for the rest of the week but I'm not leaving". Marlee repeated for the hundredth time in the last three days.

"You aren't staying here! Stop being an ungrateful brat and come home! We are sorry for how you were raised but we cannot change the past. We can only learn from our mistakes and move on from them". Uncle James shouted at her.

"No. I'm not leaving and that's final. I'm not arguing no more y'all can come here and yell at me till you blue in the face, I'm not getting on a plane to New York". She flopped down on the couch next to me.

Finally. All this arguing was so dumb. They aren't even her real parents and they sitting here arguing about her going home. She needs to be with us. Her real Mom and her sister. But they were too selfish to see that.

"Young lady, who do you think your playing with? We are your parents-

"NO! Stop lying to yourself. You're far from my parents the furthest thing away from being my parents! So don't try to make yourselves feel better about all this by still claiming the title!". She argued back.

At this point, Jackie was sitting in her chair, massaging her temple.

"Can we all just take a moment to shut up?!". I piped up.

I was so sick of all this arguing. My aunt and uncle had no right to try and force Marlee to go back. She was my little sister and I'm gonna fulfill my roll.

"Marlee doesn't want to go back to New York. She isn't happy there. She is happy here. Here is where she wants to be, so why take that away from her? I know I only found out a couple days ago that she was my sister but I am prepared to make sure she does everything she is supposed to do so she can stay". I pleaded.

I'm not the begging type but I would do anything for Marlee. She my ride or die and I ain't gon let her fall like this.

"Angel stay out of this". Aunt Devita waved me off.

"Don't talk to my child about nothing Devita she got just as much of a say in this as any of us". Jackie spat.

I love it when she stands up for me.

Everybody was too strung out on all this animosity to even speak. Marlee was sitting next to me crying and I was doing my best to console her.

She was so frustrated and I could feel her pain. Sometimes it's really frustrating when it feels like nobody cares about your feelings and its so overwhelming when no one takes your opinion into consideration when the thing that everyone is deciding on affects you the most.

"If y'all force this child to go back to New York and be miserable she will never forget it. If you take her away from me again, I will never forgive you. This will be your third and final chance to fix what you broke". Mom had so much pain dripping off her voice.

I had never seen her cry but today, she was a bag of water. I think she wanted Marlee to stay just as much as I did, maybe even more. She had this idea that Marlee was a good influence on me which was technically true but I would never admit that out loud.

"Jackie nobody forced you to give her to us. So don't come trying to place blame on us". Uncle James scrunched up his face at her.

"I ASKED YOU TO GIVE HER BACK MULTIPLE TIMES! Once I got a stable place to stay and Marlee was a couple months old, I asked you to give her back, you refused. Then you kept her away until she was thirteen and I asked again, this time you only kept her away for four years. But I'll be damned if you keep her away from me again. She is my daughter and I'm sorry if I wasn't there like you believed, but I've wanted you since I brought you into the world and it's been so hard seeing someone else raise you. Marlee, I am so sorry and I will regret giving you up for as long as I should live". Mom took Marlee's hands and apologized to her.

Marlee stood up and pulled Jackie into a hug.

"I forgive you". Marlee gave her a sad smile.

They hugged for a few minutes and then Aunt Devita let out a bitter laugh.

"My God Jackie. You are so unbelievable. You turn Marlee against us and then swoop in here like your the hero. Marlee no one held a gun to her head to sign away her parental rights, she did that all on her own and nobody asked her to do it". Aunt Devita tried to discredit Mom.

"I don't care. We all make mistakes and when you apologize and show that you're actually sorry I will forgive you. Yes, she made a mistake and she has apologized for it. And every time I came in contact with her, she has treated me like I was her own child. Low and behold I was. So you don't get to come for her because you have yet to apologize for what you have done to me. You keep trying to explain your reasoning and what you had going on, but if you had all this going on why didn't you just give me back to my Mom?!". Marlee defended Jackie.

"You know what. Let's end all of this right now. You can stay here with Jackie and Angel".

Marlee's sad face faltered and almost broke out into a smile.

"But we're moving here too".