The Player Next Door

Chapter 18

Reading has always been something I enjoyed. People always suggest audio books but I'm not a fan. There's something about being able to make the voices for each character up myself and imagine their demeanor that just makes it that much better.

The book I was reading was a newer one, I started it maybe a week ago and I was already almost done. In Tennessee, we had this rocking chair on our porch, I'd sit in it for hours just reading. Sometimes I'd finish the same day I started. My grandma thought I was crazy, she told me I was going to need glasses with how long I kept my face buried in books.

I think the books I enjoy most are ones where I feel like the author is speaking directly to me, like I was right there beside them.

As I'm about to flip to the next page, I hear the demanding voice of my mother calling for me from down the hall.

I smile softly at the book in my hand, placing the it down on my desk, "Until later, I guess."

I stand up to stretch, my muscles tight from sitting in the same position for a while.

"Chelsea, do you hear me?" my mother rips open my bedroom door without warning causing me to gasp in shock.

I put a hand to my chest, making sure my heart was still there and didn't leap from my chest, "You scared the hell out of me."

My mom rolled her eyes but clearly wasn't in the mood for a lecture, "Language."

"I was just going to ask if-" suddenly she stopped speaking and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before her eyes widened in shock.

"What?" What the hell was she staring at? I looked around me trying to find something that could be alarming but after a moment I realized...fuck.

I pulled my shirt down and cleared my throat, not sure if I should play it cool or begin apologizing.

"Chelsea Moran, is that what I think it is?" Her voice was cold and stern and I'd be lying if I said it didn't send a small chill down my spine.

"What?" I asked stupidly.

She stormed over to me, the sound of her heels slapping the floor intensely, and she ripped my shirt up, her eyes going wide again, "You pierced yourself?" She shrieked horrified.

"No! No! It was legal! Well not legal but sanitary. A licensed professional did it, I swear!" I tried to take a step back, her intense glare terrifying me.

"A 'licensed professional?' You're a minor! What moron would pierce you without parental consent? I'll tell you who, someone who's about to lose their business. What's their name?" The lawyer side of my mother was coming out and I was beginning to get nervous.

"I'm not giving up his name, I promised."

"So it was a boy? Why did he even do it? Why would he risk his repuation? Did you sleep with him or something?" She was staring at me with a look of disgust.

My mouth dropped to the floor in shock at her hurtful words, "I'm not a whore mom, I paid him!"

"Who was it, that boy next door? Jake Winters? He has tattoos. Or that girl Kimberly you hang out with, she has all sorts of holes in her body."

"Don't drag Kimmy into this, it was my choice."

She scoffs having found a person to blame, "I always knew she was a bad influence, people from that side of town always are," she ran a hand through her hair infuriated.

"'That side of town'? Where did you even hear that? We've barely lived here a few months. How dare you try to judge somebody based on where they live, especially since you know nothing about this area." She was always such a judgmental person. Not only with me but she always spoke poorly of people who didn't live up to her expectations. Tears blurred my vision as I stared at my mother, a woman I find harder to respect each day.