Consume • Marcus Baker

Guilty

3rd person pov

"Gi- What are you smiling at?" Georgia asked looking at her oldest daughter as she placed a pan on the counter

"I think Marcus and I have officially made up" she smiled touching the necklace on her neck before leaning on the wall, "Im so happy for you" Georgia smiled before letting out a breath

"Do you need help, mom?" Gracie asked seeing her stressing, "Oh no. No, i got it. Of course i need help! Paul's parents have never been here, and we gotta make sure the Lynette thins things are seasoned enough" she rambled as Gracie walked over and washed her hands

Gracie was currently placing carrots on a plate when she gasped turning around seeing Georgia fell with a bowl full of potato's

"No!" Georgia whined laying on the floor, "No bones" she whined once more rolling onto her back

"Mom, um, lets get up for one. They're gonna be here soon" Gracie said looking at her mom who groaned

"Paul's parents hate me, Zion's parents hate me, Ginny hates me, you probably hate me" Georgia sighed

"Mom, Ginny doesn't hate you. And no one could ever make me hate you" she said sitting next to her as Georgia sighed, "I'm struggling mom, dont you see? Didnt you hear the poem?" Ginny asked coming into the kitchen

"Oh, i heard the poem"

"No, i dont think you did" Ginny sighed before leaving as Georgia and Gracie began to pick up the potatoes

"You just have to try and understand her, mom. Okay?" Gracie smiled before heading to her room

Tw- Cutting

Gracie sat on the bathroom floor after she got out of the shower, she was shaving her leg when she accidently cut her self, she didnt mean to be it brought back the sensation of not feeling

So she sat on her bathroom floor in a towel with a blade in her hand, she was debating heavily if she should

Anna would be disappointed, Marucs would be disappointed, Zion would be disappointed, Georgia would be disappointed, but she wouldnt.

She would feel relived, so she swelled harshly before putting the blade to her thigh and cutting four times, four for each person that would hate her, but she cant hate herself when this makes her feel numb to the pain

"You almost ready, Gi? They're 10 minutes away" Georgia asked knocking on Gracie's bathroom door breaking her out of her trance

"Uh, yeah!" she called back wiping the blood off of her thigh and tossing the blade in the trash, she wrapped her thigh with a bandage before getting dressed in a red long-sleeved crop top, with a matching red short skirt that had a slit on the side, and her ugg's

Gracie felt guilty, you could see it all over her face as she made her way to the dining room table sitting between Georgia and Ginny

"Lynette, thanks again for coming last minute" Georgia smiled looking at Zion's parents, "Oh, its never too late to invite me over to see my grandbaby. Lord knows i have had too many holidays without her"

"Well, ok"

"Now that's a choice" Rayna spoke up pointing to the picture they took for the news, "Did you see the butter knives?" Georgia asked changing the subject

"Paul, how's the job? When are you gonna get our of Pleasantville, run for governor?" Whitt, Paul's dad asked looking at him

"When i deiced the time is right, dad" Paul spoke up looking at his dad, "Paul just threw a... a big winter carnival for the Boston women and children's shelter. He raised over 50 grand" Georgia smiled

"I saw the picture"

"Fifty grand?" Rayna questioned looking at Georgia, "I'm needy. You got that money upstairs?" she joked as the two laughed

"Oh, and Georgia, how are you doing with the... the holidays? This is your first Christmas since your later husband passed, right?" Lynette asked looking at her, "Yup"

"I am so sorry, i didnt realize. Was that Austin's dad?" Paul's mom hesitated to ask looking at Georgia, "Uh, oh no. Austin's dad, um- "

"Hes incarcerated" Lynette said cutting Georgia off, "Yes. Thank you, Lynette" Georgia smiled at her

"That's awful. What for?"

"Fraud, embezzlement... Potatoes?" Georgia smiled trying to change the topic

"Zion, uh, what is Simone doing for the Holidays?" Georgia question as Zion slowly turned to her, "Simone? Honey, who is Simone?" Lynette asked looking at her son

"She's a friend"

"Zion has a new lady friend. Lets talk about her instead" Georgia smiled as Paul spoke up, "Is that the one you were telling me about at Blue Farm? How's that going, by the..." but he stopped talking seeing the way Zion was looking at him

"Uh, who wants to hear a joke?" Chris asked placing his cup down, "I do" Austin shrugged

"Great. Uh, what do you call a kid who does not believe in Santa?..... A rebel without a Claus" he finished as everyone laughed

"So, Zion.... what does she do?" Zion's dad, Corbin, asked looking at him as he sighed, "She's a criminal defense lawyer"

"And you're keeping her a secret?"

"Im not keeping her a secret" Zion said looking at his Aunt, "Is she AKA?"

"She's not a Divine Nine, mom" Zion sighed, "Where did she go to school?" Corbin asked

"Howard and Harvard" he replied obviously over this topic

"There is nothing more important for a woman than a good education"

"Ginny, Gracie, you must be applying to college soon" Paul's mom, smiled looking at the two, as they looked at each other before looking at her, "What grade are you?" she added

"We're just sophomore's" Ginny spoke for the both of them, "What about you, Austin? Where are you planning on going to college?" Chris asked looking at Austin

"Is that another joke?" Austin asked looking at him, "Oh, i never joke" he smiled as they laughed

"You know, Gracie, Ginny, Paul and I both went to Brown, so, um, technically, you guys will be a legacy there"

"They also have an in at American. Its close to us" Corbin spoke up, "American. Great school"

"And they also have an in at Howard and at Spelman" Zions mom added pointing at the two, "Georgia, what about you? Where'd you go to school?"

"Oh, Georgia never went to college" Lynette spoke up as Georgia looked at her, "Lynette, it is like you are writing my biography" she smiled

"Mm"

"Look around. It was hard, but i got 'em here. I did it" Georgia said looking at her as Lynette scoffed, "It didnt have to be that hard. We offered you everything. We wanted to support you. You could have had a very good life. Gracie and Ginny, could of had a very great life, but instead of letting us help you, you took took them both and put them through God knows what"

"I'm just gonna grab some more wine. Or my GED. ill be back" Georgia smiled leaving, Gracie placed her napkin on the table before following as Ginny did the same