Something Unexpected

ONE: Liquor Store Blues

"Well, I'd love to stay but I'm going to be late for my bus if I don't leave in the next few minutes. Both the girls have eaten breakfast, and my shift is over at seven, so I should be here to pick them both up no later than eight."

"Oh alrighty then. Don't worry about these two, they're in good hands."

"Thank you."

A half hour and two bus rides later I arrive at the store where I was swamped with work. The store wasn't full of customers but we had just gotten a new shipment of books that needed to be counted, labeled, and shelved.

"Alana! Oh good, you're here and you've already started on the shipment." The boss lady says with her arms crossed. She nods, and walks back into her little office to do God knows what, leaving me to hold down the store.

I work silently, managing to get everything done with hours left to spare. And because I didn't believe in wasting time, I looked for something to do. I pull out my laptop, the one that I one that I got for completing an eight-week intensive academic program at Sanford University, and checked my email. Ever since I took the SAT, schools and businesses have been emailing me and offering me money to go to college. It was a blessing of course, but not one I could truly see myself taking advantage of right away.

I squint as I look at an email from my high school counselor Mr. Emmett.

Hello Alana,

By now you should be aware of your recent SAT scores and I wanted to be one of the first to congratulate you. I am emailing you because I believe that San Paulo High is not the right school for you. I have some friends that work in the private school sector and I'm almost positive that you could get into any one of these schools on your own. In an attachment there is a list of schools that I think you should consider applying to for next year.

I close the email almost immediately. There was no way that I would be applying to some expensive private school miles away from here. Besides, I would actually have to have a parent left that actually gave a damn about my education.

After closing time, I hop onto the bus and make a quick stop at the bank before going to pick up the girls. Fortunately for me, the girls had been taken care of. Mrs. Lincoln had taken them to a diner where they ate a heavy dinner, and they took what they didn't finished to go. I guess I'll be having a chicken strip, a couple fries, and a few spoonfuls of mac & cheese for dinner.

My mom wasn't there when we got home, which was a blessing in itself. She could sense when I had just cashed a paycheck, even though my pay days varied from month to month. She's asked me more than once to "borrow" a few dollars and when I didn't give her anything, something in my room always came up missing. Earrings. Necklaces. My TV. My stereo. But now I learned to hide the things I valued fairly well.

"Get ready for bed you two. We have school tomorrow."

The girls scurry off into the bathroom to shower and dress for bed and I walk over to the small bookshelf above my desk and pull out an old chemistry textbook that I bought at the bookstore. Not many people in this day and age would even touch an encyclopedia, that's why it was perfect for hiding some of my small valuables.

I open the hollowed book and push aside some of my jewelry and spare keys to pull out the small roll of cash. Even though we were barely scraping by, I always put a little money away for emergencies.

Once my money was stashed away, I sat back down at my desk and started on my homework. The girls eventually went to bed, and I was left to do my homework in peace...for a little while at least.

There was a crash in the kitchen, and I'm pretty sure it was my mom dropping a bottle on the floor.

"Fuck!" She hollers. Maya stirs and opens her eyes.

"Sssh you go back to sleep. Don't worry about mom." I stand up and walk over to lock my bedroom door. It was best that we avoided my mother when she was like this.

There's shuffling in the next room, and I know that she was in there rummaging through her things. Probably looking for something to pawn off, even though she knows there's nothing left.

The bedroom door knob jams, and I know that my mother is trying to enter the room. "Alanaaaa! Open this God Damn door now!"

"What do you want mom? I'm trying to do homework and the girls are trying to sleep."

My mom bangs on the door, and now both of my sisters were sitting up in bed on high alert.

"I need some money!" She whines.

"I don't have any for you."

"Don't you lie to me you little shit! I know you have something!" She bangs on the door violently which scared me a little, even though I know she wasn't strong enough to break the door down.

"I don't have anything! Now go away!"

"You listen here little bitch! This is my fucking house. You're going to open this God Damn door and you're going to do it now or so help me I'll-"

"Mom please! Go away! You're scaring Maya and Selena."

"Ugh!" She growls and bangs one last time before muttering curses down the hall. Minutes later the door slams behind her and I know that she was gone. Looking at the time I could see it was a little past two in the morning. I had no idea where my mom was going to find a place that sold anything at this hour. I mean sheesh, even drug pushers wanted some sleep. Right?

"There, she left. Now go back to sleep, you have to get up in a few hours." I kiss both of my sisters on their cheeks and settle them back into bed.

This was what things were like almost every night. Some nights being worse than others. I touch the small scar on my forehead as I remembered her throwing an empty bottle of vodka at me last year.

You know what the crazy part is? It's that I still love her. Despite the hell that she's put me and my sisters through the past two years.

Part of me still hoped that my old mother, the one who used set up picnics for us at the park and braid my hair at night, would somehow come back. But deep down I knew what the reality of my situation was.

Both of my parents were dead.

****
Author's Note:
Hey There!
Firstly I want to thank you for reading and giving this story a chance. In this chapter you have gotten a glimpse into Alana's life before she was adopted.
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you stay tuned for the rest of the story. I'll be posting the next chapter on Friday between 4-7 PM Pacific Time. Oh and don't forget to...

♡ V o t e ♡

☆ C o m m e n t ☆

♡ S h a r e ♡

Because I really appreciate all the feedback and support!