Sweet Lies | Nathan Young [Misfits]

- 40 -

"W-what are you doing here?" Jade asked in a small voice.

Connor sent her an apologetic look.

"I'm here to pick you up." Her mother answered like it was obvious.

"Oh." Jade said as she nervously picked at the skin around her thumbnail to avoid looking at her mother.

Nathan went to stand beside Jade as he furrowed his brows. "Are you telling me this woman that looks like a forty years old virgin librarian is your mum?"

Connor snorted, and Jade's mother sent Nathan a withering glare.

"I'm sorry." She snapped as she looked at him up and down in disdain. "Who are you?"

He grinned as he slung an arm over Jade's shoulder. "Oh, dear mum, you don't even recognise your own son in law? Now you're breaking my heart."

Both his mother's and brother's eyes widened in shock.

"Please tell me he's joking." Her mother hissed at Jade.

Feeling Nathan's confident presence was fuelling  her courage, helping her raise her head so her eyes would meet the familiar shade of brown she naturally shared with Connor.

"He's not." Jade smiled sheepishly. "Mum, meet my boyfriend, he's Nathan."

Nathan waved at her childishly with a boyish grin, and her mother scoffed.

"You left only for a few weeks and I find you pricking up trash, looking like a tart, hanging out with thugs."

The other ASBOs glared menacingly at the woman, which glared back with a disgusted scowl.

"I'm doing fine." Jade shrugged with a humourless laugh. "I don't think you care about that, but I'm truly happy here. I have a job, a place to live, the 'thugs' as you call them are my friends, and my community service is almost over."

Her mother couldn't believe her ears as she watched her daughter look her in the eyes and talk back at her.

"You can think whatever you want." Jade said as she raised her head in a defiant manner. "But this is my life now, and I'm not going back."

Nathan stared at the brown haired man in his late twenties standing next to her mother, and there was no doubt that it was her older brother, Connor. His lips were curling up in a proud smile as he watched his little sister stand up for herself.

Her mother clicked her tongue in exasperation.

"Allison, do you know what the sentence is for forgery of identity papers with the intent to deceive ?"

Jade narrowed her eyes at her mother while the others exchanged a look.

"No, why?"

"It can go up to ten year of prison." Her mother said with a scowl. "You can lie and pretend to be someone else as much as you want, but one day someone is going to figure it out, and the price to pay is going to be heavy."

Jade's eyes widened in shock as she gazed at her mother.

"Is that a threat?" She asked quietly.

"I'm just saying that I'm aware of your crime." Her mother shrugged. "And I suggest it would be easier for the both of us if you followed me right now."

"You fucking bitch!" Kelly barked, and Curtis hold her back as she was about to pounce on the woman.

"What the hell is going on?" Alisha whispered towards him.