The Fourth Roommate

Hi Mommy

She had her mouth wide open and she looked almost... lost. I was pretty sure if any of my old friends and family saw me they'd be looking at me the same way. I might have a certificate to prove I'm a genuis, but everyone always thought of me as slightly helpless. Well, I wasn't! Because baby I was born this way! And I was going to be myself, and stand up for myself and make Lady Gaga proud of me.

"Well, I guess we have nothing to say to each other then," my mom said eventually.

"No, we haven't. Tell the... rest of them I send my love," I nearly snarled.

And her furious look softened instantly. She knew when I was hurting, because she'd always been there to put the band-aide on. She opened her mouth again but this time her words came out gently and pitingly.

"Serena, I know its hard to be someones second choice but you can't run from that fact. I'm not supporting what they did, especially the way they did it but you can't move in with some guys to forget about them. Growing up doesn't work that way," she told me.

I flinched but she continued. Zac slowly stood up and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Life moves on, but you can't move away from life. You are being a coward, Serena. He doesn't love you anymore -"

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," said Ace suddenly, stepping in front of me, "Goodbye Ms. Jones."

He doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love you anymore....

"No wait, sorry! I meant they are happy but you are just ruining -"

Ace's eyes turned dark. He seemed to loom over her and my mom seemed to shrink in shame, as if she was growing aware of the impact of her words. Ace took her arm, not roughly or angrily or violently, but he escorted her out, ignoring her protests. She stumbled out of the door, looking shameful and still mumbling.

"I think It'll be best if you don't visit for a while," he told her, and slammed the door in her face.

Then I turned round and burst into tears, howling into Zac's shirt. His strong arms made a caccoon of saftey around me and I cried and cried and cried. Cam came up behind us and started rubbing circles between my shoulder blades, smiling at me sadly.

Ace meanwhile was ranting, "How dare she? I know she's your mom, Seren, but if she wasn't I would have been a lot stronger with my goodbye! You don't have to take that from anyone, anymore! Where is this dumb jackass who left you? I swear to God I will make him rue the day he was born."

Zac let me go and Cam pulled me onto the sofa, wrapping his arms around me. Zac returned shortly holding a bowl of chicken soup.

"What the hell is that?" Cam asked, raising his eyebrows, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"Chicken soup to make her feel better!"

"Oh you dumbass, you give that to sick people," groaned Ace.

"Excuse me for actually doing something other than shouting at nobody," Zac snapped.

"Guys stop arguing," I said, sounding as if I'd had the worst cold possible.

"Sorry!"

"Tis fine... I just need to go sleep for a little bit..."

***

When I woke up with a pounding headache I remembered what had happened. I groaned and wrapped my arms around myself. I felt like my world had come crashing down. The door slowly creaked open and Cam came in, sitting on my bed.

"How are you?" he said.

I shrugged and rolled onto my side, trying to make it obvious I didn't want to talk right now. Cam ignored me and sat down on my bed, placing a hand on my arm.

"I know your mom. Not very well, but I do. And I know that she loves you more than anything in  the world," he said, "She wants you to be safe and back at home where she can look after you. I think she knows that you're hurting and she wants to fix it, but she doesn't know how."

I turned to look at him, tears filling my eyes. He was dressed completely for once and his hair was brushed. He looked like he was going to go out. I wondered where. Absent-mindely I fiddled with his top button. He continued to look down at me, smiling gently and a little sadly.

"But then... why... Why hurt me more?" I said, hating myself for sounding so lost.

"Sometimes people think they are fixing someone instead of hurting them. But your mom doesn't want and I know that she's already left twenty calls on the housephone, apologizing."

I sat up and gave Cam a hug, not caring if my hair was a mess and that I had morning breath. I knew he didn't care either. He hugged me back, resting his head upon mine.

"I would let things cool down for a little while and then tell her its okay. But for now, lets not think about parents. Let's live a little!"

He unwrapped my arms around my neck and smiled widely at me, "C'mon lets go have coffee with the Crazy Japanese woman."

And like that Cam had pulled me out of my dark place.