For My Aching Soul

Chapter 11

Abriana's P.O.V

It was six days later when Nicole finally came out of the hospital. Her father assured the entire neighborhood that she had pneumonia and that she couldn't have any visitors just yet (no matter how much I tried). My family knew the truth. So when Mr Sinclair came over to our house this morning with a smile on his face, I was skeptical to say the least.

"Susanna, Mark...Abriana," he smiled through gritted teeth as he said my name, greeting my family as if we had all been lifelong friends. Well our families were...once. But that was before Mrs Sinclair died and left her asshole husband.

"Richard, what a nice surprise," my mother was always better at being fake than I was.

"May I come in?" He asked, flashing another smile that I could see right through.

My mother hesitated but agreed.

When he came in he released a breath,"Really like what you've done with the place Mark. It's been ages since I've been in here."

My father took a seat at the breakfast counter and then smiled sarcastically (that's where I got my bad attitude from), "Well you're always traveling the world looking for new lives to ruin Richard."

I snickered at this and went to pour myself some water.

Silence fell over us for a minute but what felt like an hour until Mr Sinclair laughed, "Oh, well I don't see it that way Mark. I see it as creating life anew. Weeding out the old dilapidated buildings and making bigger better ones."

My father shook his head and laughed a bit but didn't answer.

My mother clapped her hands together, trying to stomp out the awkwardness, "So Mark, what brings you here?"

"Yeah, what?" I folded my arms and leaned against the refrigerator with a disdained expression.

"Well I just wanted to personally thank you for getting Nicole help last week," he was saying the words but his face contradicted.

I scrunched my eyebrows together, "Okay?"

He continued, "I trust that this won't ever get out to anyone. Could be bad for business." He smiled as if what he was saying was remotely moral.

I scoffed quite loudly, "You institutionalized prick!"

"Abriana!" My father scolded me immediately.
"Up to your room, now!"

"Bu-" I tried to protest but was cut off.

"Now!" He repeated.

I rolled my eyes and stormed upstairs.

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Later that day....

I was laying on my bed, trying to distract myself with homework when my mother walked in. I ignored her entrance.

She sat on the edge of my bed, "Doing homework honey?"

"What does it look like?" I retorted.

"You know, I really cannot pinpoint when you got so..." she couldn't find the right words.

"Bitchy?" I helped.

She rolled her eyes at me and chuckled in exhaust,"Not the word I was looking for but yes...bitchy."

"Well maybe around the time my best friend tried to kill herself and her asshole dad won't let me see her." I mumbled as I worked through another trig question.

"Abriana, you can't blame Richard for what Nicole did. He probably doesn't have the best personality but he didn't force those pill down her throat," my mother was speaking but I couldn't believe my ears.

I let my pencil fall into my notebook as I looked up at her,"It almost sounds as if he's speaking through you." I spat this at her before sitting up fully.

Before she had time to say anything I began my rant,"You don't like the man because he's always been a bit bourgeoisie for us but I hate him. You know why? Because ever since Nicole's mother died he has done nothing but blame her and emotionally-and occasionally physically- abuse her. You don't know that man like I do. He may not have pushed the pills down her throat with his own two hands but he sure as hell made her do it."

My eyes were watering now and there was this burning in my chest. Similar to the one I got on the night I found her. There was silence for a while.

"He offered us money to keep it to ourselves," my mother's voice was almost inaudible.

"That pig. How could he think that money would shut us up? Nicole needs help, we need to get her he-" I trailed off as I realized my mother's look of shear guilt.

"Please tell me you didn't take it?" I begged, my voice cracking.

When she didn't answer I felt like throwing up.

"I hope you and dad burn in hell with him for th-" my mother slapped me right across my left cheek before I could continue.

"You can be so ungrateful sometimes Abriana. Your dad lost his job. We could really use this money to take care of you. To take care of this family," she stood up now, clearly angry.

I couldn't speak, my mother had never hit me before yet alone raise her voice at me.

"Richard says you can come round to see Nicole tomorrow afternoon. She has something to say to you," and with that she left my room.

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-Jada