Living With My Mother's Killer.

Chapter One

"Just a reminder: The essay is due next Thursday! To anyone who has any issues bringing it in by then, I advise you to email me before the due date!" Ms Dowling announces to the class before the bell rings and everybody stampedes out of the classroom door.

After an hour's journey from school, I reach my front door and fumble with my bundle of keychains before catching my key. I unlock the door. "Hello?" I call out and I am not met with a reply. As usual, my younger brother is at the babysitter's house, my mum is at work and my older sisters aren't home yet. I run to the kitchen and swing open the fridge. I quickly scan the fridge for food and there's a loaf of bread, butter, eggs and a bunch of other things I'm not interested in eating right now. I close the fridge door and proceed to my bedroom where I practically do anything to avoid thinking about the recent homework I've got to do. After a few minutes of checking my phone, I finally conclude that watching Netflix will take up enough time of the day for me to tell myself it is too late to start my homework.

My sister, Crystalline enters our room on my third episode of Pretty Little Liars and I immediately pause my episode to bounce up from the lower bunk and say "Hey, how was school?"

"It was alright. Have you seen Angelica? She said she went to see Dr Whittaker but I didn't know she had appointments on Fridays?"

"Me neither...let's ring her" I insist as I whip out my phone and dialled Angelica's number, making sure she was on loud speaker. She picks up before the ring back tone can beep a second time

"H-Hello?"

"Um, he-"

"Jacey. What's up?" Angelica sounds hasty and nervous... as usual. But this time, I guess, it was...different. I turn my head to look at Crystalline. I'm not too surprised that she looks as concerned as I am.

"I was- we were- Crystal and I were wondering where exactly you were. You see, it-it's already seven in the evening and-"

"And? Am I not older than both you and Crystalline? Do you own me? No, you do not! As I told Crystalline, I was with Dr Whittaker, now is that a problem? Does having BPD and a bipolar disorder mean that I should not talk to my therapist about my issues?" her words are sharp and cold.

"No, no Angel I wasn't-"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? My name is Angelica!"

"I'm sorry Angelica! I'll see you soon"

"Er-yes Jacey. I love you! And Crystalline and Luke. You're all amazing!"

"I-uh...I love you too, Angelica"

She cuts the phone and I immediately dial Dr Whittaker's telephone number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Dr Whittaker. It's Jacey Simmons."

"Ah, yes! Angelica's sister."

"Yes. My other sister and I were wondering whether you just had an appointment with Angelica today?"

"No, I'm sure you know Angelica has appointments with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays"

"Yes, we were just checking. Something came up..."

"Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes. Nothing too important. Thank you. Bye."

"Bye."

I hang up and Crystalline and I stare at each other, both mentally asking the exact same question: What is Angelica up to? The doorbell rings and we scurry downstairs, wondering why Angelica didn't use her house keys. But it is not Angelica. We open the door to see Matilda and Luke. Matilda is my brother's babysitter and has been dropping off and picking up my brother from school for the past 7 years so pretty much his entire school life. We thank her and take him inside. He says he ate seconds today at Matilda's so he will not be joining us with our tradition of two-day-old spaghetti fresh from the fridge.

It is now 8:30 and we're eating and eating out of utter stress over where Angelica could be. We don't discuss it around Luke, however, or he'd get worried. There is a silence behind the loudness of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"Crystal, I'm tired" Luke groans and rubs his eyes

"Alright let's take you to bed" Crystalline holds Luke's hand and leads him upstairs to his bedroom. It usually takes a while to settle Luke so here I am, worried. Sooner or later, the loud silence in my ears is disturbed when the rattle of keys through the front door startles me. I check my phone and it's only 8:27 but Mum can't be back this early. Angelica. I wait for the door to open. I wait for her slow and careful steps to get louder and slower. Eventually, it does and my eyes meet hers as she trudges- yet tentatively- into the living room. Her eyes are wide and fixed on me. She doesn't say a word. My eyes find their way to her neck and there are scratch marks decorated all the way from the bottom of her chin to her chest. She's been stressed. My eyes slowly go down to her jacket. It is covered with a red substance. Jacey, it isn't blood calm down. I immediately stand up from the bar seat and back away to the sofas. I can't stop shaking and Angelica steps closer with her arms out, gesturing everything is alright. That then leads my eyes to her hands and they have red stains on them. A tear dances down my dry skin. It leads many more tears afterwards.

"Angelica, what have you done?" I finally make out of my trembling lips

"What do you mean, Jace. It's just me. I haven't done anything, sweets"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, ANGELICA?!" I cry out, hoping her reply isn't identical to my thoughts.

"Sh, sh, keep quiet! You want the neighbours knowing I killed Mum?"

"You did WHAT?!" I scream and put my hands on my head, tears now gushing out of my hurt eyes "Tell me this is a joke, Angelica! TELL ME THIS IS ANOTHER FUCKING JOKE!"

"HEY! CALM DOWN JACEY! What's going on?" Crystal casually strolls in before Angelica turns, revealing her bloodstained clothes, hands and shoes. A sudden gasp silences the room when Luke walks in and sees the sickening sight. A tear falls down his cheek, his jaw dropped.

"Sh-she killed Mum!" I whimper, my pointed finger shaking. Crystal's mouth opens and Luke's eyebrows raise and his face is almost stuck like that

"YEAH, I KILLED MUM! D'YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? TELL ME, DOES SHE REALLY TREAT US RIGHT?" We do not respond out of utter shock. "WELL I THOUGHT SOONER OR LATER SHE'D KILL ME-US!...she was going to...abandon us-no me! Because I've got problems, yes?" Angelica spat out carelessly, using air quotes on "problems".

"N-no one was going to abandon you, Angel!"

"I've told you time and time again; It's Angelica! If I were an Angel I'd be perfect! No, BPD, no disorders, no therapists no NOTHING! If I were an angel I wouldn't have killed your mother!"

"OUR MOTHER! YOU KILLED OUR MOTHER, YOU LUNATIC! Oh, my God!" I can see the devastation in Crystal's eyes. Her tears are uncontrollably flooding out of her eyes. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Crystal charges at Angelica and pushes her onto the sofa seat right next to me. "HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO THIS, ANGELICA?" Crystal slaps Angelica right across her smug face.

"Oh, I'd love to tell you: I went to her work place, told her there was an emergency at home- which of course got her to drive us home. I then stopped the car to tell her something- well of course that was a lie!" She laughs "I brought out this" Angelica slowly reveals a bloody knife " and stabbed Harmony Simmons three times in each eyeball and in her heart 7 times. I enjoyed the eyeballs the best if you were wond-" Crystalline kicks Angelica in the face and slaps her again.

"I HATE YOU!" She cries out. This is all too much to take in. "Have you even thought this through? Mum was there to care for us, feed us, make us happy! -"

"Well she didn't do a good fucking job at that...which is why I fired her!" For some sick reason, she seems proud!

"I'm reporting you to the police!" Crystal turns around and tries to walk away before Angelica bounces up and drags her by the neck. I can't cstop her just stand here and watch so I grab onto Angelica, ignoring my fears. Angelica bites my arm and I let go. She turns Crystalline around and punches her round the face. Crystal collapses and Luke runs over to me. I hug him so tight, I'm surprised he doesn't say a word. We are both speechless - shell-shocked. We are inevitably doomed, blind slugs approaching a pile of salt. We are lost...