Gardenia. [discontinued]

Chapter Nine.

Gardenia looks in her mirror and she turns around, she looks over her shoulder and she grimaces a little at the very visible bruise mark on her back. She never thought that she would scar up because of how dark her skin was but apparently it was possible. She quickly buttoned up her jumpsuit and she was about to get ready to meet Batya at her house to go see Barbara Streisand. Bear walked into the room and he and he was wearing nothing but his underwear, the little boy enjoyed walking around the house with his boxers on more than Gardenia understood.

"Where are your clothes?" Gardenia questioned.

"In my closet." Bear answered as he crossed his arms and Gardenia looked down at her brother, his hair was pulled back in a ponytail with some stray strands in his face.

Gardenia chuckles as she reaches her hands out, Bear jumps towards her and she catches him. She pulls him closer and she clutches him tight to her. Cheek to cheek as she closed her eyes and she hugged him. Bear stares in the mirror at his sister and he was smiling so hard. she rocked side to side as she hugged him tightly.

"Gardenia!" Her mother's voice boomed through the apartment making the poor girl jump.

Gardenia quickly puts Bear down, she paces into the living room to her mother sitting on the couch watching Good Times. Tara looks at her daughter and sees that she's all dressed up. "Where are you going?" Tara questioned and Gardenia mouth opened but nothing came out, Tara eyes furrowed at the teenager who was scared to answer and she shouldn't be. "I'm waiting for an answer." Tara hissed and Gardenia swallows hard and she licks her lips. "To go hang out with Batya, we... we were gonna go to the restaurant opening because Barbara Streisand is gonna be there." Gardenia mumbled and Tara looked around. "I don't see why you're going anywhere when the house needs to be cleaned." Tara remarked and Gardenia knew this was going to happen, she just knew it.

"Momma, I clean the house almost every other day or when you tell me to. It takes me hours because I do it all by myself so I won't have time to meet Batya and to see Barbara Streisand." Gardenia rushed out.

Tara gives her a side glance and she lets out a scoff. "Did I ask when you clean it? I'm telling you to clean and I don't give a damn about what you gotta do.. you live under my roof, I pay the bills just like your Daddy and all you do is sit around, lay around and do whatever the hell you want to do. So clean the house and since you wanna be smart with me, you're making dinner tonight as well." Tara says and Gardenia couldn't believe how unfair her mother was towards her. Gardenia has always been so good to her parents and all they do is treat her like shit. If they asked her to jump, she would ask how I? They might not deserve that treatment but they were her parents so she had to do what they say.

"Momma, that's-"

Tara gave her a cold glare and Gardenia shut up instantly.

Gardenia leaves out the living room and she walks back to her room. She sits down on her bed, she covers her face and she tried so hard not to cry her eyes out for the millionth time this week. Gardenia felt arms wrap around her and she couldn't even hold it in anymore, she began to cry silently. Bear rubs her back and he hugs her.