You The Shit, Karma.

~~Karmen1

The Biology book in my lap was going blurry, the small print mushing together as I struggled to keep my eyes open. I had to finish this essay tonight, it was due tomorrow...I was already failing Bio...

My eyes darted to the time on my iPod, one-thirty... in the morning. I got out of work late and tonight had been very busy, I had to pick up two shifts because Becky had bailed on me... But I'd gotten twice as much pay as Becky would've racked up in one hour. My vision slipped as I glanced over at the wads of money I'd hastily tied up with elastics and tossed on top of my dirty pile of work clothes.

Sighing wearily, I looked back at my text book and barely had enough energy to toss it on the floor and climb under the covers of my bed. As I began to relax I realized how sore my body was from my last shift. It had been hectic and intense, and I'm pretty sure I smelled of weed and cigarette smoke, and maybe some vodka... I think someone tossed it on me...

Stupid dickheads, I thought as I began to drift into sleep...

I woke up the next morning to someone cursing. My eyes sliced open to see a woman rummaging through my stuff, darting towards the wads of cash on the floor by my bed.

My fist worked before my mind could and I swung, slamming the woman in the jaw before I could consider my actions. She stumbled backwards, dropping the money on the ground and landing on her ass.

"What the fuck, ma!" I shouted, sitting up in bed and glaring at her.

She rubbed at her jaw, eyes blazing and bloodshot. "I need money, Karmen!" she moaned at me.

"Go find it somewhere else!" I growled. "I worked hard for that stuff." I grudgingly got out of bed, bent over, and picked up my stacks, counting each one as I did... I was missing twenty-three dollars I realized as my mom slunk towards the door.

She looked wild, her dark brown hair frizzy and thrown up in a ponytail. Her makeup was all smudged down her face and her usually tanned skin was ashen. She probably hasn't showered in days... It was disgusting to even look at her.

"Give me the rest of it," I hissed.

"I need it Karmen," she pleaded, doped-up eyes begging in this twisted way. "I need the pills and Rob said he would only give them to me if I gave the money to him up front..."

Rob was my mom's supplier; he was a total dickface... We don't get along that well.

"Well that's too bad for you," I said, "Give me my money before I call the cops."

"Karmen it's six in the morning!" she shouted.

"Yeah, exactly! Too early for your shit, now give it to me before I call in a domestic!" I threatened, following her to my door.

"Domestic?" she laughed. "You hit me!"

"I'm good at faking," I whispered, gritting my teeth, glaring her down.

My mom yanked the money out of the pocket of her dirty bath robe before throwing the paper at me and stalking out of my room, screaming and ranting all the way to her room. I sighed, she was going to wake up--

The wailing started.

"Fuck me," I grunted. This was so not how I wanted to wake up on a Friday morning... My legs carried me out of my room and down the hall to the baby's room. The house smelled of weed--and not the good kind-- stale alcohol, and vomit.

I couldn't believe I lived here, but I had nowhere else.

Pushing through the baby's bedroom door, I flicked on the light, the glare burning into my eyes. Blinking a couple of times, I started for the crib across the way, nearly tripping over a rattle he must've thrown during a tantrum.