𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐒

14

Chapter 14
Family Matters

When I stepped out of the building I saw Joridawnie chasing after her mom. "Ma you go treat me like this" she yelled. Her mom didn't respond. She just kept walking through the school parking lot. I slowly made my way to their conversation. "Don't you feel bad" Joridawnie's voice cracked. "You're the reason I'm like this ma. You're the reason I'm so fucked up. Not dads fault. It's yours. You're the one who refused to raise me. So I raised myself and now you treat me like I'm your enemy. Ma I'm your daughter. Why don't you get that" Joridawnie shed a few tears. I kept my distance from them. But I was still close enough to hear them. "Joridawnie I was 18 when I was pregnant with you" her mom stopped and listened. "Ok and you were 15 when you had Dre" Joridawnie argued back. "Ok but Andres dad died yours left" her mom said. That made Joridawnie hush. "When your dad left. It left the biggest hole in my heart. I was already pregnant with you at the time and it was too late for an abortion. Then you came and you remind me too much of him. You act like him. You talk like him. You do the same shit as him. Hell, you even breathe like him" her mom explained.

"But Ma I'm not him. That's not fair" Joridawnie said. "A lot of things aren't fair Yoni" she responded. "But I've tried to like you and you've always rejected me. You never even gave me a chance" Joridawnie responded. "I just don't like you" her mom said. Those words went straight through Joridawnie's heart. She got quiet and still, too still. Her body was frozen in place like the shock made her incapable of moving.

I decided that this was my cue to do something. I got closer and grabbed Joridawnie's hand. She didn't even react. Her head still down and her body still stiff. "I don't think you should be saying stuff like that to your daughter" I squeezed Joridawnie's hand. My anger slowly started to rise. "Who the fuck are you to tell me how to raise my child" she yelled. "Oh this must be the lil boy you've been fucking" she put her attention back on joridawnie. "Your pregnant. Tell me Joridawnie are you". "No" she wiped her nose.

"It don't even matter. Enjoy your time with this slut. She's probably fucking 3 other people too" her mom said before walking off. Joridawnie tried to let go of my hand but I pulled her back. "You're not leaving with her" I said. "Alex let me go. I have to leave" she sniffed. "Joridawnie I'm not letting you leave with her" I squeezed her hand harder. My anger was getting ahead of me. By now I wanted to kill that women for making Joridawnie feel like shit and then I wanted to beat the fuck out of Joridawnie for letting the women do so.

"Alex" she shook her arm. "Joridawnie I-" I took a deep breath before finishing my sentence. "Look at this" I lifted her shirt. There were bruises there, but they were faded away. "What if you go back home and I never see you again. You can't be that stupid" I said. "Ok" she yelled. I let her go and took a deep breath. Joridawnie and me both watched as the lady got in her car and left. Not once did the lady look back. My anger slowly went away as her mom did. "Once school end I can take you to my place. You can stay forever if you want" I let go of her. "Alright" she shook her head. She took the right sleeve of my hoodie and pulled it off of my shoulders. She used the sleeve to wipe the snot and tears off of her face. "Ew" I said in disgust. "Shut up, you literally look like a vampire" she walked away. I lifted my arm and stared at the stained white hoodie. "This is bullshit" I groaned. I shook my head and dropped my arm. I followed her back into the school.

"I just want drugs" she kept repeating as we walked. I ignored her and let her have her moment."Why did you call her" I asked. I assumed that was the reason she came up to the school in the first place. "I didn't she-" she took a deep breath before finishing. "The school called her and made us come up here. I wasn't even gonna go home. I was gonna go over my friends house" she explained. "I was over there yesterday" I said. "I know" she said. I stopped and looked at her. "He told me" she reassured me. "He is the only person I respond too" she awkwardly smiled. "It was pretty embarrassing" I scratched the back of my head. "Wish I could've seen it" she added. I rolled my eyes and walked right passed her. She just let out a loud soft giggle. I headed towards my locker so I could grab all of my things. School was about to end in 5 minutes so there was no need to return back to class. "You have a car" Joridawnie snatched the keys out of my hand. "No" I took them back. "It's my dads" I added. "Wish I had one of those" she joked. "Stop playing" I said. I finished up with my locker and closed it. As the locker *SLAMMED*. The bell started *RINGING*. "Just on time" I smiled. I took Joridawnie's hand and walked back to the parking lot. I opened the passenger side so she can get in. After I was sure she was secured I got into the drivers side. "Alex are you sure you know how to drive" she asked me. "I'm positive. Trust me" I said.